The lizard fauna of Ilam province, Southwestern Iran

Document Type : Research articles

Authors

• B. Fathnia ¹
• Nasrullah Rastegar-Pouyani ²
• M. Sampour ¹
• A.M. Bahrami ³
• G. Jaafari ¹

¹ Razi University

² Department of Biology, Faculty of Science

³ razi

10.22067/ijab.v5i2.3340

Abstract

Western Iran in general and Ilam province in particular, has unique geographical and climatic conditions that support a rich flora and fauna. In view of the lack of in-depth studies of lizards of the region, an investigation was initiated in most areas of Ilam
Province for an inventory of lizard species and their habitats. A total of 189 specimens were collected and identified from May 2005 to August 2009. Twenty one species belonging to 18 genera and 8 families were represented, including Agamidae: Laudakia
nupta, Trapelus lessonae (formerly T. ruderatus), Trapelus ruderatus (formerly T. persicus); Eublepharidae: Eublepharis angramainyu; Gekkonidae: Bunopus tuberculatus, Cyrtopodion scabrum, Cyrtopodion heterocercum, Hemidactylus persicus, Stenodactylus affinis, Tropiocolotes helenae;
Lacertidae: Acanthodactylus boskianus, Apathya cappadocica, Mesalina brevirostris, Ophisops
elegans; Phyllodactylidae: Asaccus elisae; Scincidae: Ablepharus pannonicus, Eumeces schneiderii,
Trachylepis aurata, Trachylepis vittata; Uromastycidae: Uromastyx loricatus; Varanidae: Varanus griseus griseus, Varanus griseus caspius. Comparing this list to the data provided by Anderson (1999), several lizards are reported for the first time in this region. With six species represented, gekkonids have the highest species diversity in the area.

Keywords

• Iranian Plateau
• Ilam Province
• Fauna
• lizards

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