Eryx tataricus tataricus, Tzarevsky, 1916

Wagner, Philipp, Bauer, Aaron M., Leviton, Alan E., Wilms, Thomas M. & Böhme, Wolfgang, 2016, A Checklist of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Afghanistan *, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 63 (13), pp. 457-565 : 505

Eryx tataricus tataricus (Lichtenstein in Eversmann, 1823:146)

1823 Boa tatarica Lichtenstein, Vorrede (pp. iii–vi) [und] Naturhistorischer Anhang (pp. 112–147) in Eversmann, E. Reise von Orenburg nach Buchara nebst einem Wortverzeichnis aus der Afghanischen Sprache begleitet von einem naturhistorischen Anhange und einer Vorrede. E. H. G. Christiani, Berlin. viii + 150 + 1 + 35 pp.

LECTOTYPE.— ZMB 1461 , from “Nähe des Aralsees” [vicinity of Aral Sea] (designated by Bauer et al. [2002]).

LOCALITIES.— Amu-Darya , N of Kunduz ( ZFMK 5384–85 ) ; 20 km S of Andkhoy ( CAS 120491 ) ; 2 km N Bala Murhab (J 04, in litt. Brück 1968); vic. of Chacharan ( CAS 147408 ) ; 35 mi downstream from Girishk, Dasht-i-Margo Area, Chah-i-Angir ( CAS 84638 ) ; Herat town ( ZFMK 92801 ) ; Karam-Kol ( ZFMK 8640 ) ; Kunduz ( ZFMK 95015 ) ; Maimana ( FMNH 161205 ) ; Nemla, near Jalalabad ( MMB 28489 ) ; Paghman vic. [34°36′N, 68°56′E] ( CAS 115969 ) ; 30 km NW of Sheberghan ( CAS 120490 ) ; Zebak , 102.4 km E Faizabad ( FMNH 161123 ) [see pl. 11, fig. 3 for distribution].

REMARKS.— Boulenger (1889:101) mentioned six specimens of “ Eryx jaculus ” from “Bala-morghab” and an additional one from “Robat-i-turk“.Subsequently, two of the specimens ( BMNH 1886.9.21. 94–95) were reidentified as “ Eryx tataricus ”, whereas the additional four specimens were donated to the ZSI collection where they were mentioned by Sclater (1891:6) as “ Eryx jaculus ” from “Bala Morghab, Herat” ( ZSI 13141–13144 ). Clark (1990) observed the species as plentiful where it was collected. Sindaco et al. (2013) provide an additional record from Iran (Rud-e Hirmand) , close to Afghanistan, so that it is likely that the species also occurs in southwestern parts of Afghanistan.