Cyrtopodion agamuroides (Nikolsky, 1900) complex

Jablonski, Daniel, Regan, John M., Holzheuser, Chace, Farooqi, Javeed, Basit, Abdul & Masroor, Rafaqat, 2019, Additional data to the herpetofauna of Afghanistan, Herpetozoa 32, pp. 177-193 : 177

Cyrtopodion agamuroides (Nikolsky, 1900) complex

Distribution in Afghanistan.

This species has never been recorded in the country ( Wagner et al. 2016). Although Šmíd et al. (2014) mentioned its presence, they do not provide any reference or voucher specimen. On the other hand, this species is known from border areas of Iran and Pakistan ( Khan 2006; Šmíd et al. 2014; Fig. 5 ) and its occurrence in Afghanistan was highly expected ( Wagner et al. 2016).

Our records

( Fig. 5 ). Camp Leatherneck, Washir, Helmand (16 June 2009), one subadult individual ( Figs 6C and D ) found in desert habitat under waste ( Fig. 10E ).

Remarks.

This is the first record of the species in Afghanistan, located approximately 250 airline km from the nearest locality in Iran (cf. Šmíd et al. 2014). Given morphological variability and ecological similarity with other members of Cyrtopodion (see Anderson 1999), this species probably forms a species complex that needs further examination.

Figures

Figure 5. Updated herpetofaunistic records from Afghanistan (white dots: Wagner et al. 2016 and Jablonski et al. 2019; red dots: data of this study). Cyrtopodion agamuroides complex: Camp Leatherneck, Washir, Helmand (first country record; cf. Smid et al. 2014). Cyrtopodion scabrum: 1 - Darul Aman - Kabul, Kabul; 2 - Camp Leatherneck, Washir, Helmand; 3 - Lashkargah, Helmand; 4 - Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar. Cyrtopodion watsoni: Camp Dubs - Kabul, Kabul. Eremias nigrocellata: Kaldar, Balkh. Eremias persica: 1 - Gardez Base, Gardez, Paktia; 2 - Waza Kwah, Paktika; 3 - Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar; 4 - Lashkargah, Helmand. Mesalina watsonana: 1 - Lashkargah, Helmand; 2 - Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar.

Figure 6. Observed species of the Gekkonidae family from Afghanistan: A - subadult individual of Altiphylax levitoni from Darul Aman - Kabul, Kabul; B - juvenile individual of Cyrtopodion scabrum from Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar; C, D - subadult individual of C. agamuroides complex from Camp Leatherneck, Washir, Helmand; E - adult individual of C. watsoni from Camp Dubs - Kabul, Kabul; F - adult individual of C. scabrum from Darul Aman - Kabul, Kabul; G - adult individual of C. scabrum from Lashkargah, Helmand; H - adult individual of C. scabrum from Camp Leatherneck, Washir, Helmand; I - adult individual of Tenuidactylus caspius from Camp Mike Spann Chapel, Mazar-i-Sharif, Balkh.

Figure 10. View on selected localities from Afghanistan that were visited: A - habitat of Bufotes viridis complex and Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis from Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar; B - stony, semi-desert habitat of Eremias aff. nigrocellata from Kaldar, Balkh; C - semi-desert habitat of Trapelus agilis from Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan; D - vicinity of small village Waza Kwah, Paktika as habitat of Testudo horsfieldii; E - desert habitat of Cyrtopodion agamuroides complex from Camp Leatherneck, Washir, Helmand; F - burrows in semi-desert habitat that were used by Eremias persica as a shelter, Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar.