identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
564C4F51325F59E39647519C678B3F70.text	564C4F51325F59E39647519C678B3F70.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Heremites afghanicus Jablonski & Hofmann & Idrees & Khan & Jamal & Böhme & Masroor 2026	<div><p>Heremites afghanicus sp. nov.</p><p>Figs 4, 5</p><p>Suggested vernacular names.</p><p>English name: Afghan grass skink or Dir grass skink.</p><p>Pashto name: د افغانستان واښه څرمښکۍ یا دیر واښه څرمښکۍ (Da Afghanistan Wakha Sarmakhkay, Dir Wakha Sarmakhkay).</p><p>Urdu name: افغانستان گھاس والی چھپکلی یا دیر گھاس والی چھپکلی (Afghanistan Ghas wali Chipkali, Dir Ghas wali Chipkali).</p><p>Type material.</p><p>Holotype. • PMNH 3518 (adult female), <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=72.1021&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=34.7367" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 72.1021/lat 34.7367)">Shah Alam Baba</a>, Tehsil Adinzai, Lower Dir District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan (34.7367°N, 72.1021°E; 1,110 m a. s. l.; WGS 84), collected 22 August 2014 by Muhammad Idrees (Fig. 4 A – F) . Paratypes. • PMNH 3475 (adult male), <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=72.1021&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=34.7367" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 72.1021/lat 34.7367)">Shah Alam Baba</a>, Tehsil Adinzai, Lower Dir District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan (34.7367°N, 72.1021°E; 1,110 m a. s. l.; WGS 84), collected 14 June 2013 by Muhammad Idrees ; • PMNH 3519 (adult male), PMNH 3522 (adult male), and PMNH 3523 (adult male), same locality, collected 22 August 2014 by Muhammad Idrees; • NHMW -Zoo-HS-42309-1 (adult male), molecularly sampled and sequenced (genes and GenBank accession numbers – 12 S: PZ 348441; 16 S: PZ 348454; cyt b: PZ 334424; ND 2: PZ 338262; MC 1 R: PZ 661696; RAG 1: PZ 661709), same locality, collected 18 September 2019 by Muhammad Idrees, R. Masroor, and D. Jablonski . • ZFMK 9064 (adult male; erroneously listed as female in the original catalogue of ZFMK), <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=70.6073&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=34.5558" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 70.6073/lat 34.5558)">Dar-e-Nur</a>, vic. Shewa, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan (34.5558°N, 70.6073°E; 1,200 m a. s. l.), collected on 7 April 1972 by Clas M. Naumann .</p><p>Additional material.</p><p>• PMNH 3474 (adult female), PMNH 3476 (adult male), PMNH 3477 (adult female), PMNH 3478 (adult female), PMNH 3520 (adult female), PMNH 3521 (adult male), PMNH 3524 (subadult female). All from Shah Alam Baba, Tehsil Adinzai, Lower Dir District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan.</p><p>Diagnosis.</p><p>Heremites afghanicus sp. nov. (southern foothills of the Hindu Kush; currently known from NW Pakistan and E Afghanistan) can be distinguished from the western Palearctic congeners compared here ( H. auratus, H. septemtaeniatus complex, H. vittatus complex) by a unique combination of molecular divergence and external morphology. It represents a deeply divergent lineage in mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, differing from the compared western congeners by uncorrected p-distances of 15.2–15.8 % in cyt b (505 bp) and 17.0–21.0 % in ND 2 (943 bp), while showing lower but still remarkable and consistent divergence in the nuclear markers (MC 1 R = 1.17–2.59 %; RAG 1 = 2.5–3.3 %). Morphologically, it is diagnosable by the following combination of characters (type series and additional material, n = 14, Table 1; unless stated otherwise): (1) parietal shields in contact (PSC present in 14 / 14); (2) contact between the third supraocular and the frontal (SOF present in 14 / 14); (3) prefrontals usually in contact (PFC present in 10 / 14); (4) supralabials six or seven (mode 7), infralabials 6–8 (mode 7); (5) 34–38 scales around midbody (SAB), 52–60 dorsal scales from the first nuchal to the level above the vent (DSNV), and 60–69 ventral scales in a longitudinal series from chin shields to cloaca (VT); (6) subcaudals 78–98 (SC); (7) ear opening with 3–5 projecting scales (ear pectination, EP; mode 4); (8) dorsal scales consistently with three keels (KDS = 3); (9) comparatively short eye – nostril distance (END 2.7–5.1 mm), especially relative to H. auratus and the H. septemtaeniatus complex. Furthermore, H. afghanicus sp. nov. differs from the specimens assigned to the H. septemtaeniatus complex in exhibiting higher HL / HW ratios. In multivariate space based on combined metric, meristic, and categorical characters, individuals of H. afghanicus sp. nov. form a discrete cluster relative to H. auratus and the H. septemtaeniatus complex (MFA: Dim 1 = 48.3 %, Dim 2 = 24.9 % of total variance; PCA on metric data: PC 1 = 39.1 %, PC 2 = 17.6 %).</p><p>Description of holotype.</p><p>Specimen preserved in formaldehyde and stored in ethanol. Body elongated and moderately robust, with well-developed pentadactyl limbs and a distinct but weakly constricted neck (Fig. 4 A, B). Snout – vent length 80.0 mm; tail complete, long (TL 110 mm) and evenly tapering; trunk length 43.4 mm. Head slightly longer than wide (HL 18.0 mm, HW 10.7 mm) and moderately high (HH 8.4 mm); orbit relatively large (OD 2.9 mm); ear opening distinct (EL 2.1 mm) with moderate ear pectination (EP = 4; Fig. 4 C, D). Distances across the head: DN 2.0 mm, END 4.4 mm, EED 5.2 mm. Dorsal head shields well developed; frontal longer than wide (FrL 5.0 mm, FrW 2.8 mm) and frontonasal wider than long (FnW 3.7 mm, FnL 2.3 mm). Loreal region with anterior (LorWa 1.2 mm) and posterior loreals (LorWp 1.5 mm) present. Interparietal length 2.9 mm; mental width 3.2 mm and length 1.6 mm. Forelimb length 23.4 mm; hindlimb length 33.5 mm. Scalation of the head and trunk typical for the genus: supralabials 7; infralabials 7; four scales between the last supralabial and the ear opening (SSLE = 4); one pair of nuchals (PN = 1). Contact between the third supraocular and frontal present (SOF: yes); prefrontals in contact (PFC: yes); parietal shields in contact (PSC: yes). Midbody scale rows (SAB) 36; 56 dorsal scales from the first nuchal to the level above the vent (DSNV = 56); 69 ventral scales in a longitudinal series from chin shields to cloaca (VT = 69). Subcaudals 87 (SC = 87). Dorsal scales with three keels (KDS = 3).</p><p>Dorsal part dark brown to olive-brown with a well-defined longitudinal pattern, consisting of darker stripes and paler interspaces that produce a distinctly striped appearance (Fig. 4 A). Head dorsum mottled brown with paler longitudinal elements; a pale stripe extends from the snout through the orbital region towards the temporal area, contrasting with darker pigmentation on the upper temporal region (Fig. 4 C – E). Labial scales pale beige to light brown. Flanks darker than venter, with subtle speckling. Ventral surfaces (throat, belly, underside of tail) uniform pale greyish beige with minimal patterning (Fig. 4 B, F). Presence of white spots was not recorded for this specimen.</p><p>Description of paratypes.</p><p>The paratypes of Heremites afghanicus sp. nov. correspond to the holotype (Fig. 4) in overall morphology, body proportions, and colour pattern (Fig. 5), with the differences summarised in Table 2. All paratypes are adult males. Snout – vent length (SVL) ranges from 51.7 to 92.3 mm. Tail length (TL) ranges from 68.0 to 111.7 mm; tail regeneration is recorded in PMNH 3519 and PMNH 3475. Meristic variation among paratypes is limited. Supralabials vary between 6 and 7 (SL = 6 in ZFMK 9064 and PMNH 3475; SL = 7 in the remaining paratypes). Infralabials range from 6 to 8 (typically 7; IL = 8 in ZFMK 9064; IL = 6 in NHMW -Zoo-HS-42309-1). The number of scales between the last supralabial and the ear opening ranges from 3 to 4 (SSLE = 3 in NHMW -Zoo-HS-42309-1 and PMNH 3475; SSLE = 4 in the remaining paratypes). One pair of nuchals is constant (PN = 1). Scales around midbody range from 35 to 38 (SAB = 38 in NHMW -Zoo-HS-42309-1; 35–36 in the remaining paratypes). Dorsal scale counts from the first nuchal to the level above the vent range from 52 to 60 (DSNV = 52–60), and ventral scales range from 62 to 68 (VT = 62–68). Subcaudals range from 78 to 98 (SC = 78–98). Ear pectination varies between four and five (EP = 4–5). The contact between the third supraocular and the frontal is present in all paratypes (SOF present), and parietal shields are consistently in contact (PSC present). In contrast, prefrontals vary, being in contact in most paratypes but separated in ZFMK 9064 and PMNH 3522. All paratypes have dorsal scales with three keels (KDS = 3). White spots were recorded in the paratype NHMW -Zoo-HS-42309-1 but were not observed or not recorded in the remaining paratypes.</p><p>Variation.</p><p>Variation in the series of H. afghanicus sp. nov. (NHMW -Zoo-HS-42309-1, PMNH 3474 -3478, 3518-3524, ZFMK 9064; n = 14) is primarily expressed in body and tail size, and several head-scale contacts / counts. Snout – vent length ranges from 38.8 to 92.3 mm (mean 73.8). Complete tail length ranges from 66.4 to 111.7 mm (mean 95.3), and subcaudal counts in specimens with complete tails range from 78 to 98 (mean 88.3). Head dimensions vary as follows: HL 8.5–19.0 mm, HW 5.1–11.0 mm, HH 3.6–8.7 mm. Trunk length ranges from 17.4 to 49.1 mm. Head scalation is relatively stable, with six or seven supralabials (usually 7) and 6–8 infralabials (usually 7), and three or four scales between the last supralabial and the ear opening (mode 4). The number of nuchal pairs varies between one and two. The contact between the third supraocular and frontal is constant (present in all examined specimens). The parietal shields are also consistently in contact (present in all examined specimens) in contrast to the H. septemtaeniatus complex (including H. s. transcaucasicus) in which they are separated (Anderson 1999). In contrast, prefrontals are variable, being in contact in most individuals (10 / 14) but separated in some (4 / 14). Ear pectination varies between three and five projecting scales (mode 4). Trunk scalation shows moderate variation: 34–38 scales around midbody, 52–60 dorsal scales from the first nuchal to the level above the vent, and 60–69 ventral scales from chin shields to cloaca. Dorsal scales consistently bear three keels (no variation observed). Presence of white spots was recorded as present in the single specimen where this character was scored (1 / 1) and should be re-evaluated across additional material.</p><p>Comparison.</p><p>Heremites afghanicus sp. nov. differs from H. auratus by the constant presence of parietals in contact; the parietals in H. auratus are, however, separated. Contact between the third supraocular and the frontal was present in all examined H. afghanicus sp. nov. (14 / 14), compared with one of six examined H. auratus . Prefrontal contact was also more frequent in H. afghanicus sp. nov. (10 / 14) than in the examined H. auratus (1 / 6). Heremites afghanicus sp. nov. generally has the lowest number of dorsal scales (52–60) from the first nuchal to the level above the vent (DSNV) vs 58–66 in H. auratus . Heremites afghanicus sp. nov. has a shorter END (2.7–5.1 mm) vs H. auratus (4.4–7.6 mm). The new species differs from the H. septemtaeniatus complex by the constant parietal contact (PSC present in 14 / 14 vs absent in all scored specimens of the H. septemtaeniatus complex), higher EP counts (3–5 vs 1–3), shorter END (2.7–5.1 vs 5.6–7.8 mm), and lower DSNV (52–60 vs 57–65). The separation of the phylogenetic group comprising H. afghanicus sp. nov. from the H. vittatus complex is supported primarily by the deep phylogenetic divergence based on the concatenated mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data, large genetic distances, clearly distinctive colouration and pattern and geographic isolation from other members of the genus.</p><p>Distribution and ecology.</p><p>Currently, H. afghanicus sp. nov. is known only from two localities, one in Afghanistan and the second in Pakistan (Moravec et al. 2006; Masroor et al. 2021). The type series of H. afghanicus sp. nov. thus originates from two foothill localities on the southern margin of the Hindu Kush. The holotype, together with Pakistani paratypes, was collected in Lower Dir District (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northwestern Pakistan), a montane landscape with an elevation from 1,100 to 1,400 m a. s. l., where elevation declines southwards along the Panjkora River and vegetation forms a mosaic of moist temperate forest, subtropical Chir pine, and subtropical broad-leaved forest (see photo of the location in Masroor et al. 2021). The local climate is temperate, with cold winters and warm to hot, humid summers influenced by monsoonal rainfall. At the type locality, individuals were recorded on a rocky, hilly slope with large boulders and outcrops providing basking sites and crevice refugia, surrounded by mixed woody vegetation including Monotheca buxifolia, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Ficus carica, Ailanthus altissima, Olea ferruginea, and Morus spp., with shrubs dominated by Dodonaea viscosa, Rumex hastatus, and Indigofera heterantha, and a grass-rich ground layer ( Apluda mutica). The morphologically assigned paratype (ZFMK 9064) originates from Dar-e-Nur, vic. Shewa, Nangarhar Province, eastern Afghanistan, at ca 1,200 m a. s. l. This area represents a rugged valley-and-slope setting in the monsoon-influenced foothills northeast of Jalalabad, characterised by a heterogeneous woodland-to-open habitat mosaic typical of the eastern Afghan forest belt. At this elevation, evergreen oak woodland is expected to be prominent locally, interspersed with rocky slopes, ravines, and patches of human-modified habitat, providing a structurally complex environment with abundant rock cover and suitable microhabitats for basking and shelter. The two localities are ~ 140 km apart in a straight line. Based on the two currently known occurrence localities, the documented area of occupancy (AOO), calculated using a standard 2 × 2 km grid, is 8 km 2, corresponding to two occupied grid cells.</p><p>Etymology.</p><p>The specific epithet afghanicus is a Latinised adjective (masculine nominative singular) derived from “ Afghan- ” with the Latin suffix - icus (pertaining to or originating from). The name refers not only to Afghanistan in a strict geopolitical sense, but explicitly to Afghans (Pashtuns), i. e., the Pashto-speaking ethnic group associated with the southern slopes of the Hindu Kush and adjacent regions. In the same sense, the historical toponym “ Afghania ” (used in older geographical / historical contexts) underlies several regional designations connected with Afghans / Pashtuns, including the broader area corresponding to today’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan and adjoining transboundary Hindu Kush foothills. By analogy, H. afghanicus sp. nov. highlights the species’ geographic affiliation with the Pashtun-dominated belt along the southern Hindu Kush, reflecting this biogeographic and cultural-historical linkage.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/564C4F51325F59E39647519C678B3F70	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Jablonski, Daniel;Hofmann, Sylvia;Idrees, Muhammad;Khan, Muazzam Ali;Jamal, Qaisar;Böhme, Wolfgang;Masroor, Rafaqat	Jablonski, Daniel, Hofmann, Sylvia, Idrees, Muhammad, Khan, Muazzam Ali, Jamal, Qaisar, Böhme, Wolfgang, Masroor, Rafaqat (2026): A new species of Heremites Gray, 1845 (Squamata, Scincidae) from the transboundary Hindu Kush foothills. ZooKeys 1291: 111-136, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1291.1863652
