Trapelus agilis agilis (Olivier, 1807)

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 : 479-480

Trapelus agilis agilis (Olivier, 1804:394 [octavo ed.], 1804:428 [quarto ed.], pl. 29, fig. 2 [Atlas])

An XII (1804) Agama agilis Olivier, Voyage dans l’Empire Othoman, l’Egypte et la Perse, fait par ordre du Gouvernement, pendant les six premiéres années de la République, octavo edition, Tome Quatrième. H. Agasse, Paris, France. iv + 456 + (1) pp. and An XII (1804) Agama agilis Olivier, Voyage dans l’Empire Othoman, l’ordre du Gouvernement, pendant les six premières années de la République, quarto edition. Tome Second. Henri Agasse, Paris, France. ii + 466 + (1) pp.; An XII (1804) Agama agilis Olivier Atlas pour server au Voyage dans l’Empire Othoman, l’Egypte et la Perse, fait par ordre du Gouvernement, pendant les six premières années de la République. Deuxième Livraison. H. Agasse, Paris, France. vii pp., pls. 18–33.

SYNTYPES.— MNHN 5708 (2 ex), from “neighborhood of Baghdad [translated from French ],” Iraq .

SYNONYMS.— Agama isolepis Boulenger, 1885 from “between Bampur and Magas, Iran ”. Agama kirmanensis Nikolskii, 1899 from “Kurin, Kerman Province, Iran ”. Agama kirmanensis var. brevicauda Nikolskii, 1907 from “Kochrud, Irak-Adschemi, Iran.”

LOCALITIES.— Ab-i-Istada ( ZFMK 5376 ) ; 20 km SE Andkhoy ( CAS 120272 ) ; 50 km S of Andkhoy ( CAS 120269–71 ) ; 25 km SW of Aqcha ( CAS 120263–66 ) ; Aqtscha [Djauz-Djan Prov., 500 m] ( ZFMK 8590–91 ) ; btw. Aqtscha and Anakhoi ( MNHN 1948 .165–66); Bala Murghab , Herat province ( Brück 1968); Bala Murghab , confluence of Darya-i-Murghab and Darya-i- Chapchel Rivers ( MMB 28471 , 2 ex.) ; Baqrabad ( ZMUC R-36146–48, 36157); btw. “ Cia-i-Baloch [= Robat-i-Shah Baloch] and Cia-i-Lagun , camp 1” ( MZUF 24030–36 ) ; btw. Chuagat and Dukot [?] ( ZFMK8594–97 ) ; Dahlah ( MZLU L958 /3239); 10 km NE of Darweshan ( CAS 120280–81 ) ; 35 km S of Darweshan ( CAS 120552 ) ; 56 km S and 10 km E of Darweshan ( CAS 120281 ) ; Faisabad ( ZMUC R-36160–61, 36133, 36204–05); Faisabad , Kobt af indjodle ( ZMUC R-36149); 20 mi E of Farah [32°20′N, 62°15′E] ( CAS 96271 ) ; 30 km S Farah ( CAS 120245 ) ; Farah-ruds Udlot ( ZMUC R-36145, 36158–59); Ghazni (Smith 1940: 384; probably BMNH 1940.3.1. 19–24); 30 km S Ghazni ( CAS 120276–77 ) ; 20 mi E of Girishk [31°43′N, 64°45′E] ( CAS 97972 , CAS 97975 , FMNH 161117–19 ) ; 35 mi downstream from Girishk, Dasht-i-Margo Area, Chah-i-Angir ( CAS 84640–47 ) ; 50 km E of Girishk ( CAS 120240–41 ) ; Herat ( ZISP 7361 ) ; Helmand ( BMNH 86 .9.21.17–18, BMNH 86 .9.21.23–25); 30–70 km E of Herat ( CAS 120246–50 ) ; Herat town ( ZFMK 92804–06 ) ; Herat area [34°20′N, 62°10′E] ( CAS 115919 ) ; Herat to Islam Qala [34°22′N, 62°10′E to 34°47′N, 61°05′E] ( CAS 98117–18 ) ; 20 km SE Islam Qala ( CAS 120239 ) ; Egnen af Kabul ( ZMUC R-36208–09); Kandahar ( ZMUC R-36206); 20 mi SE Kandahar [31°23′N, 65°53′E] ( CAS 97990 ) ; 40 km SE of Kandahar ( CAS 120242–43 ) ; Jawzan, Seberghan, Dasht-e-Leila [390 m] ( ZFMK 20980 ) ; 12 km S Lashkargah ( CAS 120244 ) ; Maimaneh ( MNHN 1948 .164); Paghman vic [34°36′N, 68°56′E] ( CAS 115921 , FMNH 161191–92 ) ; Pirzada ( ZMUC R-36306); 24–50 km S Qalat ( CAS 120278–79 ) ; Seistan [ Faizabad Prov. ] ( ZMUC R-36133, ZMUC R-36161, ZMUC R-36150–55, ZMUC R-36204–05) ;

Seistan [Baqrabad Prov.] (ZMUC R-36145–48); Sharisafa, 60 km NE of Kandahar (CAS 90762–75); 30 km NW of Sheberghan (CAS 120267–68); Slam Quala (MHNG 1591.20); Spin Buldak, 102 km SSE Kandahar (by Quetta Rd.) (MVZ 236939); 5 km (by air) of Takhteh Pol (Rigestan Sand Dunes at W side of Kadeney Rud [river]), ca. 40 km SSE Kandahar (by road to Quetta) (MVZ 236940); Seistan [Faisabad Prov.] (ZMUC R-36133); 10 km SSE Takhteh Pol (by Quetta Rd.) (MVZ 236933–37); nr Tarnak River, 75 km NE of Kandahar (CAS 90777); nr Tarnak River, 90 km NE of Kandahar (CAS 90765–66); Uden Merke (ZMUC R-36156); Zebak, 102.4 km on road E Faizabad (FMNH 161133) [see pl. 5, fig. 2 for distribution].

REMARKS.— Boulenger (1889:96) mentioned this species as “ Agama isolepis ” from “ Nushki to Helmand ” (five specimens) , from “ Helmand ” (five specimens) and “north of Herat ” (nine specimens) .

Bauer and Adler (2003) provided bibliographic details for Olivier’s “Voyage”. The quarto and octavo versions of the work were apparently published simultaneously and a single version of the “Atlas” complemented both text editions.

This is probably the most ubiquitous agamid lizard in Afghanistan ( Fig. 10 ) and most typically is an inhabitant of semi-desert plains with some vegetation. Clark (1990) mentioned it as tolerating extremely high temperatures and being active during the hottest part of the day with ground surface temperatures higher than 60°C. Trapelus agilis was previously reported as occurring throughout the entire country, except for the Kabul Valley River system (Clark 1990). However, many of these records may actually refer to T. sanguinolentus inasmuch as Rastegar-Pouyani (2005) differentiated two subspecies, T. a. agilis and T. a. sanguinolentus , as present in Afghanistan. However, as do many other authors, we consider the latter taxon as a full species

(see below).

Figures

FIGURE 10: Trapelus agilis from Tobagay, Afghanistan. Photo by R. Masroor.