Eremias velox ssp. velox (Pallas, 1771)

Jablonski, Daniel, Khalili, Faizurrahman & Masroor, Rafaqat, 2023, The herpetofaunal diversity of Takhar Province, Afghanistan, Herpetozoa 36, pp. 73-90 : 73

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e98319

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C96971CA-471F-41DE-B384-9F9045079B54

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A555283E-E2B0-5E02-BF91-D2B6F08EFFF5

treatment provided by

Herpetozoa by Pensoft

scientific name

Eremias velox ssp. velox (Pallas, 1771)
status

 

Eremias velox ssp. velox (Pallas, 1771) View in CoL

Figs 6 View Figure 6 , 8 View Figure 8

Takhar records.

Bay Yawa (Sukhtedere), 37.4316°N, 69.7145°E, 692 m a.s.l., 27 February 2019, observed on the ground, under stones, in holes or near vegetation in semi-desert habitat, dozens of adults of both sexes (CUHC-PA 172); Bay Yawa (Sukhtedere), 37.4219°N, 69.7124°E, 822 m a.s.l., 4 April 2020, observed on the ground, under stones, in holes or near vegetation in semi-desert habitat, dozens of adults of both sexes (CUHC-PA 174); Bay Yawa (Sukhtedere), 37.4148°N, 69.7125°E, 733 m a.s.l., 17 March 2020, observed on the ground, under stones, in holes or near vegetation in semi-desert habitat, dozens of adults of both sexes (CUHC-PA 184); Bay Yawa (Qizilqiya), 37.4273°N, 69.7109°E, 711 m a.s.l., 31 January 2021, semi-desert habitat, one adult female (CUHC-PA 193); Bay Yawa, 37.4268°N, 69.7063°E, 812 m a.s.l., 31 January 2021, semi-desert habitat, one adult male (CUHC-PA 194); Bay Yawa, 37.4130°N, 69.7094°E, 747 m a.s.l., 31 January 2021, semi-desert habitat, one adult female (CUHC-PA 195); Khilyazi Payan, 37.4384°N, 69.7319°E, 705 m a.s.l., 13 September 2021, rocky habitat and dry stream, one adult male (CUHC-PA 209).

Distribution in Afghanistan.

It is known from the Provinces of Balkh, Herat, Jowzjan, Kunduz, Logar, Nangarhar, Takhar and Zabol ( Wagner et al. 2016), representing 24% of all provinces.

Chorotype.

Turanian + Iranian.

Remarks.

This species has high phenotype variability (Fig. 8 View Figure 8 ) and is considered a species complex with un-nested taxonomy ( Rastegar-Pouyani et al. 2012; Khan et al. 2021). Populations originating in Iran that are showing high levels of genetic diversity can be expected also from the Afghan territory. The disjunct character of the species’ distribution in Afghanistan (north and south of the Hindu Kush; Fig. 5 View Figure 5 ) suggests a geographic isolation with possible subsequent ecological or genetic divergence that should be tested. From the list of specimens of E. velox provided by Wagner et al. (2016), we excluded the specimen ZFMK 8584 (locality "Ost-Afghanistan, Prov. Ghazni, Dasht-e-Nawar, 3000 m N.N.") that is the holotype of Eremias afghanistanica Böhme & Szczerbak, 1991.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Squamata

Order

Squamata

Family

Lacertidae

Genus

Eremias