Darevskia chlorogaster (Boulenger, 1908)

LECTOTYPE. BMNH 1946.9.2.29, designated by Ahmadzadeh et al. (2013a).

TYPE LOCALITY. Enzeli [= Bandar Anzali, Gilan Prov., Iran].

DISTRIBUTION. Azerbaijan, N Iran.

DISTRIBUTION IN IRAN. Fig. 81. Western part of the Caspian Sea coast (Gilan and Mazandaran Prov.) .

HABITAT. A forest species inhabiting the deciduous Hyrcanian forests on the northern foothills of the Alborz. It readily climbs tree trunks and rock walls in search of patches of sunlight.

REMARKS. Prior to the taxonomic changes proposed by Ahmadzadeh et al. (2013a) D. chlorogaster was considered widely distributed along the Caspian Sea coasts from Azerbaijan up to the central Kopet Dagh. However, Ahmadzadeh et al. (2013a) recognized the eastern populations as two distinct species ( D. caspica and D. kamii) and restricted D. chlorogaster to the western part of the coast (Gilan and Mazandaran Prov.). Aside from the Caspian range there is a single record from Qom from the city gardens which is believed to be a result of an inadvertent import with vegetation from the Caspian area (Anderson 1999).

REFERENCES. Eiselt (1995); Anderson (1999); Arnold et al. (2007); Hosseinian Yousefkhani & Arab (2012); Ahmadzadeh et al. (2013a).