Additional data to the herpetofauna of Afghanistan
Author
Jablonski, Daniel
Author
Regan, John M.
Author
Holzheuser, Chace
Author
Farooqi, Javeed
Author
Basit, Abdul
Author
Masroor, Rafaqat
text
Herpetozoa
2019
32
177
193
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.32.e38171
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.32.e38171
2682-955X-32-177
54B962BCDDA544CB84C33A7B6A8AB0D0
A38192A7447F50479854563CC9F83BA7
Eremias nigrocellata Nikolsky, 1896
Distribution in Afghanistan.
Known only from northern Afghanistan (provinces Badakhshan, Baghlan, Balkh, Kunduz, Takhar;
Wagner et al. 2016
).
Our records
(
Fig. 5
). Kaldar, Balkh (8 October 2011), one adult individual (
Fig. 7A
) approx. 10 m from a newly dug canal in the stony, semi-desert habitat near the Amu-Darya River (
Fig. 10B
).
Remarks.
The species is mentioned by
Wagner et al. (2016)
from the locality "
Amu-Darya swamps, nr. Darquad, N of Djangi Quala, [Takhar Prov., 400 m] (ZMK 2562)
" but coordinates presented for this locality are the same as for "
Amu-Darya, N of Kunduz
" (see therein Appendix 1, p. 551). Therefore, the distribution point from Takhar Prov. is not mapped and presented in
Fig. 5
of this study. Our record is currently the northernmost locality of the species in Afghanistan, only ca. 1500 m from the border with Tajikistan and 4000 m from the border with Uzbekistan. Although our record clearly corresponds with the distribution range of the species in the country and colouration and pattern of the species corresponds with
E. nigrocellata
, we present this record as
"affiliated"
.
Figure 7.
Observed species of the
Lacertidae
family from Afghanistan: A - adult individual of
Eremias aff. nigrocellata
from Kaldar, Balkh; B - adult male and female of
E. persica
displaying mating behaviour and juveniles (C, D) from Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar; E, F - adult male and female of
Mesalina watsonana
from Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar.