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One hundred seventy-seven species of amphibians and reptiles in sixty-fiv genera have been recorded from within the political boundaries of Iran. The actual number of species may prove to be somewhat less when problems of synonymy have been more extensively investigated. Thirty-three species or 19 per cent of the known herpetofauna, are represented in the present collection. The majority of these (21 species) were collected in the western foothills of the Zagros Mountains in southwestern Iran. Relatively few collections have been made in Iran, and many species have been recorded from single localities. Many taxonomic problems must await the collection of further specimens and examination of typical material. Distribution is incompletely known for all species. Many of the early locality records are not precise, and require confirmation. The aridity and prolonged hot season impose severe limitations on the fauna of the foothill region of southwestern Iran. The length of the growing seasonn varies with the duration of the winter and spring rainy season. The vegetation is almost entirely herbaceous in this area, and is extensively grazed by sheep and goats. By late spring the hills are completely denuded, The large numbers of insects, which coincide with the blooming of herbaceous plants in the spring, dwindle through the summer. Grasshoppers and ants form the bulk of the food supply for many species throughout the summer. Various behavioral adaptations enable the amphibians and reptiles to survive the long summer. Foraging activity begins in the early morning hours, diurnal lizards quickly reaching temperatures of normal activity by exposing a maximum surface area to the direct rays of the sun. As ambient temperatures rise, the period of activity is extended by utilization of small areas of shade (particularly the case with lacertids), brief dashes being made into direct sunlight. The agamid lizards may remain in the sun, but position themselves so that the sun´s rays strike a minimum surface area, and at a small angle. Agama agilis ascends low bushes during extremely hot periods, and thus may escape much of the reradiated heat from the hot ground surface. The agamid lizards may benefit from changes in their albedo. They are dark in color when basking, and much lighter during the heat of the day. These color changes may supplement behavioral temperature regulation. The reptiles retreat to shelter during the hottest hours. Deep crevices in limestone outcrops provide shelter for Agama nupta, Mabuya aurata septemtaeniata, and several of the snakes. Agama agilis and Eremias guttulata watsonana seek refuge under small rocks or in rock piles on level ground. The latter species also utilizes small holes and cracks in the hard-packed soil. A few small streams persist throughout the summer, ofter only as intermittent pools. In many dry stream beds, moisture may be found a few inches beneath the surface. A moist, cool, microclimate is also maintained in small caves and ssinkholes in the gypsium formations. These areas provide a summer refuge for the amphibians, and shelter nocturnal reptiles during the day. These cracks and crevices are also utilized by Agama nupta during the hottest hours, and presumably at night. Several species of geckos and snakes are able to exist in the area due to their nocturnal habits, and the fact that temperatures do not drop below their normal activity range at night during the summer. Dune-dwelling species are able to escape the severe midday temperatures by retreating the burrows a few inches below the sand surface. Anal temperatures indicate that the normal activity range for most of the diurnal lizards of southwestern Iran is between 38.0° and 42.0°C. Uromastix loricatus was actively foraging at times when its anal temperature exceeded 43°C. Agama agilis was consistently found in direct sunlicht, the anal temperature above 40°C. Critical maximum temperatures for most diurnal lizards are between 46° and 49°C. Both Uromastix loricatus and Scincus conirostris recovered from temperatures above 50°C. Cowles and Bogert (1944) found that the normal activity range of diurnal lizards of the deserts of the southwestern U.S. was approximately 35°-43°C., and that the lizards preferred temperatures of about 37°C. They found that lizards avoided temperatures above 40°C. Critical maximum temperatures were reported to bte 43°-49°C. As air and surface temperatures increased during the late spring and summer in southwestern Iran, a shift in the periods of reptilian activity was noted. During the moderate spring temperatures, activity was confined to the midday hours. By midsummer, foraging activity was noted only during the earliest daylight hours,a nd again in late afternoon. A detailed zoogeographic analysis of the Iranian herpetofauna must await more extensive locality data, and the analysis of many systematic problems. Nevertheless, it is apparent that the several geographic and ecologic provinces of Iran are characterized by distinct differences in the composition of their faunas. Southwestern Iran and the northwestern highlands have a greater number of species with Mediterranean affinities than do the regions east of the Zagros Mountains. Southeastern Iran shares species with Pakistan and India, while elements of the Central Asia fauna are present in the northeast of the country. Apparently there is a relatively high degree of ebndemism on the central plateau of Iran. A European fauna prevails north of the Elburz Mountains on the south coast of the Caspian Sea. The majority of amphibians and reptiles known Iran are restricted in their distribution to the Middle East. Southwest Asia has apparently existed as a geographic unit long enough to have developed a characteristic herpetofauna, particularly at the species level. Acanthodactylus cantoris blanfordi, Acanthodactylus cantoris schmidti, Eremias guttulata watsonana, Ophisops elegans elegans.

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In the present study we use an unprecedented database of 5,535 distributional records to infer the diversity, ecological preferences and spatial distribution of the 60 species of terrestrial reptiles of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and use the 57 native species to test the effectiveness of the protected areas’ network in conserving this unique vertebrate fauna. We infer a time-calibrated phylogeny with 146 species of squamates and 15 genes including all UAE terrestrial reptile species to determine the phylogenetic diversity (PD) and evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) of the native species and to compare it with the distribution of the hotspots of native species richness. The results of this study indicate that the sampling effort is remarkable, covering 75% of the country’s territory representing nearly the entire climatic space of the UAE defined by the mean annual temperature and the total annual precipitation, as well as the multivariate climatic space defined by a principal component analysis (PCA). Species richness is highest in the northeast of the country, in a transitional area from sandy desert to the mountainous terrain of the Hajar Mountains. The highest PD of a single square cell of 10 arc-minutes grid is of 2,430 million years (my) of accumulated evolutionary history and the strong correlation between PD and species richness suggests that the raw number of species is a good surrogate to quantify the evolutionary history (i.e., PD). The species with the highest values of ED are those in families represented by only one species in the UAE. Finally, the assessment of the UAE protected areas shows that, despite their relevance in protecting the terrestrial reptiles, they do not offer adequate protection for some threatened species. Therefore, a reassessment of some of the protected areas or the creation of species specific conservation action plans are recommended in order to ensure the preservation of the unique diversity of UAE terrestrial reptiles.

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In the present work, we use an exceptional database including 5,359 records of 101 species of Oman’s terrestrial reptiles together with spatial tools to infer the spatial patterns of species richness and endemicity, to infer the habitat preference of each species and to better define conservation priorities, with especial focus on the effectiveness of the protected areas in preserving this unique arid fauna. Our results indicate that the sampling effort is not only remarkable from a taxonomic point of view, with multiple observations for most species, but also for the spatial coverage achieved. The observations are distributed almost continuously across the two-dimensional climatic space of Oman defined by the mean annual tempera- ture and the total annual precipitation and across the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the multivariate climatic space and are well represented within 17 out of the 20 climatic clusters grouping 10% of the explained climatic variance defined by PC1 and PC2. Species richness is highest in the Hajar and Dhofar Mountains, two of the most biodiverse areas of the Arabian Peninsula, and endemic species richness is greatest in the Jebel Akhdar, the highest part of the Hajar Mountains. Oman’s 22 protected areas cover only 3.91% of the country, including within their limits 63.37% of terrestrial reptiles and 50% of all endemics. Our analy- ses show that large areas of the climatic space of Oman lie outside protected areas and that seven of the 20 climatic clusters are not protected at all. The results of the gap analysis indi- cate that most of the species are below the conservation target of 17% or even the less restrictive 12% of their total area within a protected area in order to be considered adequately protected. Therefore, an evaluation of the coverage of the current network of protected areas and the identification of priority protected areas for reptiles using reserve design algorithms are urgently needed. Our study also shows that more than half of the species are still pending of a definitive evaluation by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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During herpetological fieldwork from April 2013 to March 2014 on the herpetofauna of the counties of Saravan, Sib and Suran, Zaboli, Sarbaz, and Chabahar in south east of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Southeastern Iran a total of 97 specimens of lizards belonging to 19 species and five subspecies, 16 genera, and six families were collected and identified as follows: Calotes versicolor, Laudakia nupta nupta, L. n. fusca, Phrynocephalus scutellatus, Trapelus agilis agilis (Agamidae); Agamura persica, Bunopus tuberculatus, Cyrtopodion scabrum (Gekkonidae); Acanthodactylus blanfordii, A. micropholis, Eremias fasciata, E. persica , Mesalina watsonana, Ophisops elegans (Lacertidae); Ablepharus grayanus, Eumeces schneiderii zarudnyi, Ophiomorus brevipes, O. tridactylus (Scincidae); Uromastyx asmussi (Uromastycidae); and Varanus griseus caspius (Varanidae). The most diverse families of the present collection are the Lacertidae with six species, followed by Agamidae and Scincidae each with four species. Detailed information of each lizard species was also provided.

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Mitochondrial DNA sequences consisting of 645 sites from the 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes were used to estimate the phylogeny of 15 of the 32 species of spiny-footed lizards Acanthodactylus. The resultant tree has similarities to that produced from a differentially weighted data set of 32 morphological characters but there are also significant differences. However, combined analysis of molecular and morphological data sets produces the same tree topology as DNA sequence alone. The molecular data confirm that there are distinct eastern and western clades within Acanthodactylus, but place A. boskianus in the former while the A. scutellatus group constitutes a third clade. Species for which only morphological information is available were integrated with the combined tree to give a provisional phylogeny for 31 species. This phylogeny indicates that the ancestor of existing Acanthodactylus probably originated in south-west Asia and that North Africa was invaded by more than one lineage of the genus. It also suggests that soft aeolian sand habitats may have been independently occupied more than once. Molecular data provide independent evidence that the differential weighting of morphological characters in past analyses was appropriate.

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Finger length ratios are organized during embryonic development of fingers as they exposed to sex steroid hormones, and may show varying degrees of sexual dimorphism between males and females in different animal groups. Among all the finger length ratios calculated in a sample, the ratio between the second to fourth fingers (2D: 4D) is the most important one. In this study, the 2D:4D ratios in both sides of the body (right and left) in all limbs were investigated to determine if sexual dimorphism is present in the 2D: 4D ratios in 44 specimens studied (20 males and 24 females) of Acanthodactylus blanfordi. Other morphological traits of the two sexes were also examined (23 metric and meristic traits), as a result, sexual dimorphism was observed in five metric and meristic morphological traits. In terms of the ratio of the size of the fingers and toes, sexual dimorphism in the length of the fingers was observed only in 2D: 4D on the right side of the body in forelimbs and hindlimbs. The value of this trait was higher in males than females and this difference was statistically significant P ≤0.05).

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A new record of Acanthodactylus cantoris from Sistan and Baluchistan in southeastern Iran is presented in this paper, and this lizard is found occurring in the coastal area of the Persian Gulf from Govater to Chabahar. This species is mainly sympatric with A. blanfordi, and their habits and habitats support their close relationship within the cantoris group. In total, 29 specimens of A. cantoris (n = 12) and A. blanfordi (n = 17) were compared morphologically using statistical methods. The occurrence of A. cantoris in Iran has been questioned for a long time by different herpetologists, and the distribution, ecology and taxonomy of this newly recorded species were investigated and provided in this paper. An updated identification key for the species of Acanthodactylus in Iran is given.

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Detailed investigations carried out on a population of Acanthodactylus blanfordi Boulenger, 1918, from Hormozgan Province, southern Iran, to clarify the presence of sexual dimorphism and determine clear-cut characters for distinguishing the two sexes showed that sexual dimorphism is significant (P<0.05) in some metric and pholidosis characters. Males have relatively longer snout-vent length and tail length than females. The results can be explained by intrasexual selection as well as by the fecundity advantage hypothesis. Differences in colour pattern and colouration between the two sexes are not obvious.

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We report observations on the natural history of lizards in the Gando Protected Area, within the Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. The identity of the lizards is recorded, along with remarks on some meristic characteristics. Brief descriptions of their habitats are also given with a distribution map. Lizards (n = 132) were collected and photographed in 2008-09. Twelve species belonging to 9 genera and five families were found: Agamidae: Laudakia melanura lirata, Trapelus agilis, Laudakia fusca; Gekkonidae: Bunopus tuberculatus, Cyrtopodion scabrum, Hemidactylus persicus, Hemidactylus flaviviridis; Lacertidae: Mesalina brevirostris, Mesalina watsonana, Acanthodactylus blanfordi; Scincidae: Eumeces schneiderii zarudnyi; Varanidae: Varanus griseus caspius. This is the first record of Mesalina brevirostris in southeastern Iran.

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The aim of this study is to detect areas of endemism in lizards in Iran. This is the first study of its kind focusing on this subject. Areas of endemism for two families of lizards (Lacertidae and Gekkonidae) that have the highest number of endemic species than other lizard families in Iran were identified by Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity (PAE). Distribution data were collected from previous studies on the Iranian lizards and also from the recent literature on the descriptions of new endemic species. A total of 81 species of lizards were available for analysis. The study area was divided into a 2° × 2° grid of 63 Operational Geographic Units (OGUs). PAE was applied to the data matrix to detect areas of endemism and detected eight areas of endemism in southwestern Iran and near the Persian Gulf. Southern Iran is the main region where most species from Arabia came into Iran and were stopped in their dispersal. Two grids in southern and northeastern Iran were recognized as the areas with the highest density of species in the studied families. Lacertidae and Gekkonidae did not have a shared endemic species in the region (cells 59 and 60) but the area of endemism identified by PAE in the Persian Gulf region suggests that exchange between Iranian and Arabian herpetofauna was very high during interglacial periods. The distribution pattern of the endemic species of these families is concentrated in the region of the Alborz and the Zagros Mountains, but the single area of endemism in southern Iran has an important role in the historical biogeography of the Iranian herpetofauna. During interglacial periods, the Persian Gulf acted as a corridor between the herpetofauna of the two sides and this suggests the importance of this area of endemism for the Gekkonidae family. Also, the OGUs with the highest density of species are located around the country and, the lowest density is in the Central Plateau. PAE detected eight areas of endemism in southwestern Iran, but according to the number of species per units, two OGUs can be identified as high density in northeastern and southern Iran.

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The Afrotropical element in the Arabian herpetofauna is concentrated in the southwestern mountainous region, whereas everywhere else in the peninsula the reptile fauna is Saharo-Sindian. There is a high degree of correspondence between the reptile faunas of the Yemens and Somalia. A remarkable faunistic resemblance also exists between the relict faunas of SW Arabia and Morocco. Three evolutionary levels can be distinguished among Ethiopian taxa in Arabia and are interpreted as evidence of different times of faunal contact: 1. Old relicts (genus level) of a Palaeogene (pre continental drift) Arabian/North African fauna (Pristurus, Trogonophidae); 2. Endemic species closely related to East African species (most probably Miocene); 3. Species distributed on both sides of the Bäb al-Mandab (Pleistocene). Contrary to the Saharo-Sindian faunal elements, there is good evidence that groups 2 and 3 used a landbridge across the Bäb al-Mandab for faunal exchange: the Miocene closure of the southern outlet of the Red Sea and a Pleistocene land connection due to eustatic sea level change.

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Little is known about altitudinal distribution of lizards in Iran. In the present study we studied distribution pattern of members of family Lacertidae along the eleveatinal gradient in Iran. To determine environmental drivers of distribution pattern of 48 lizard species, all known valid members of family Lacertidae, along elevational gradient in Iran. Firstly, we classified Iran digital elevation model (DEM) based on 100m intervals, that resulted in 56 altitudinal bands and number of species in each band was recorded. Secondly, we extracted mean value of following variables; altitude, slop, area, solar radiation index (SRI), normalized differences vegetation index (NDVI), annual precipitation, precipitation of wettest month, precipitation of driest month precipitation, precipitation of wettest quarter, precipitation of driest quarter, and precipitation of warmest quarter, and using VIF measure correlated variables were removed. Finally, we performed a multiple regression and found that area and precipitation of warmest quarter are the most important drivers of distribution pattern of family Lacertidae along elevational gradient in Iran. General distribution pattern of family Lacertidae was unimodal and maximum number of species living from 1475 m to 1675 m.

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During recent years several lizard taxa were added to the faunal list of Pakistan. Descriptions and new records are scattered in different publications in the herpetological literature. The present paper puts the information together, and provides a comprehensive list of recent publications on the lizards of Pakistan.

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In this third paper on the herpetofauna of Oman, three families are treated: eleven Lacertidae, six Scincidae and one varanid. New records, notes on ecology and localities are combined with data from literature.

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The etymology of the reptiles, especially the lizards of Iran has not been completely presented in other published works. Iran is a very active geographic area for any animals, and more especially for lizards, due to its wide range deserts and ecology. We have attempted to ascertain, as much as possible, the construction of the Latin binomials of all Iranian lizard species. We believe that a review of these names is instructive, not only in codifying many aspects of the biology of the lizards, but in presenting a historical overview of collectors and taxonomic work in Iran and Middle East region. We have listed all recorded lizards of Iran according to the order of the scientific names in the book of Anderson, The Lizards of Iran. All lizard species and types have been grouped under their proper Families, and then they have been alphabetically ordered based on their scientific binominal nomenclature. We also examined numerous published works in addition to those included in the original papers presenting each binomial.

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The global struggle to conserve as many species as possible with limited resources requires an improvement of our knowledge on the distribution of biodiversity. In Iran, the state of knowledge is poor for most groups of organisms, except few vertebrate groups and vascular plants. Reptiles are one of the best known, most diverse vertebrate groups in Iran, with a high rate of endemism (ca. 29%), but distribution patterns and related environmental drivers remain poorly understood. In the present study, based on a large publicly available dataset, we use general additive modelling (GAM) to identify explanatory variables for species richness of reptiles in Iran. Results indicate heterogeneity parameters (range +entropy) as the variables with the highest explanatory values. Based on the grid cells of the predicted environmental richness, using hotspot analysis, we suggest seven hotspots of reptile diversity (HRDs) across the country. Our results corroborate the previously recognized HRDs and detect three additional ones, located alongside the major mountain ranges around the central deserts plateau, particularly in the Zagros Mountains. Four of the largest HRDs (ca. 90%) situate within the Irano-Anatolian and Caucasus global biodiversity hotspot. In addition, our results reveal a large gap between identified HRDs and the current network of protected areas (PAs) in the country. While three of the detected HRDs in this study are partially touched (ca. 18%) by the PA network, overall, these areas are only covered by less than 10%. Therefore, the effectiveness of the current PAs for the protection of the reptile diversity of Iran is questionable.

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The first record of the lacertid lizard Acanthodactylus boskianus for Iran is presented based on material collected by the author in 1995 and 1996 from 2 km west of Harsin, Kermanshah province, western Iran, on the Astragalus -covered sandy hills at about 1420 m elevation. Systematics and distribution of this lizard are discussed and its conventional known subspecies are questioned.

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In this paper an analysis of geographic variation was carried out in 68 specimens of Acanthodactylus blanfordi belonging to four populations from southern and southeastern Iran using ten metric and seven meristic characters. Inter-population differences in some characters were analyzed by Post-hoc ANOVA pair-wise (LSD-Test), ANCOVA as well as multivariate analyses including Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) across all the studied groups. Separate analyses for males and females individuals across all four populations revealed significant differences in tail length for males and females in all populations. Results of ANCOVA show significant differences among populations in head length, head width and length of arm for females and length of leg and eye-ear distance for males. Results of multivariate analyses show little differences and separation among the four studied populations.

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An updated checklist of the herpetofauna of Iran is presented based on records of amphibian and reptile species whose presence has been confirmed in Iran as a result of extensive field expeditions, examination of herpetological collections, literature review, and personal communications from researchers. The herpetofauna of Iran consists of 13 species and five subspecies of frogs and toads belonging to five genera and four families, eight species of salamanders belonging to four genera and two families, nine species and six subspecies of turtles, terrapins and tortoises belonging to nine genera and six families, one species of crocodile, one species of amphisbaenian, more than 125 species of lizards belonging to 36 genera and eight families as well as 79 species of snakes belonging to 37 genera and six families

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We present an annotated checklist for a total 241 reptiles and 22 amphibians including 5 frogs, 9 toads, 7 newts and salamanders, 1 crocodile, 1 worm lizard, 148 lizards, 79 snakes and 12 turtles and tortoises, includes the most scientific literature up to August 2014 and also based on several field surveys conducted in different Provinces of Iran from 2009 to 2014. We present an up-to-dated checklist of reptiles and amphibians in Iran. We provide a comprehensive listing of taxonomy, names, distribution and conservation status of all amphibians and reptiles of Iran. This checklist includes all recognized named taxa, English names for classes, orders, families, species, subspecies along with Persian names for species, including indication of native and introduced species. For the first time we report two non-native introduced reptiles from natural habitats of Iran. Of the total 22 species of amphibians in Iran, 6 (27.2%) are endemic and of the total 241 species of reptiles, 55 (22.8%) are endemic. Of the 22 amphibians species in Iran, 3 (13%) are Critically Endangered, 2 (9%) are Vulnerable and of the 241 reptile species 3 (1.2%) are Critically Endangered, 4 (1.6%) are Endangered and 10 (4.1%) are Vulnerable. Accordingly, this paper combines significant aspects of taxonomy, common names, conservation status and distribution of the Iranian herpetofauna.

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Die vorliegende Revision betrifft die Gattung Acanthodactylus (Damilie Lacertidae), die die Trocken- und Wüstengebiete des nördlichen Afrika und des südwestlichen Asiens bewohnt, mit Randpopulationen auf der Iberischen Halbinsel und auf Zypern. Mehr als 6000 Exemplare der Gattung, aus den bedeutendsten europäischen und amerikanischen Sammlungen, wurden untersucht. Zusätzlich wurden über 450 Röntgenaufnahmen für osteologische Untersuchungen ausgewertet. Die historische Übersicht behandelt in chronologischer Reihenfolge alle Arbeiten, die sich mit der Gattung Acanthodactylus beschäftigen, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung taxonomischer Studien. Ein beigegebener Bestimmungsschlüssel ermöglicht die Determination aller Arten der Gattung. Eine Reihe äußerer (Größe und Proportionen, Pholidose, Färbung und Zeichnung) und innerer (d.h. osteologischer) Merkmale wurde im Hinblick auf ihre Variabilität untersucht. Dann wurde ein Land ausgesucht, z.B. Ägypten, aus dem eine gute Materialbasis zur Verfügung stand. Für einen bestimmten Fundort in diesem Lande wurden sodann einige Kombinationen von Merkmalszuständen ermittelt, die sich aus dem Auftreten verschiedener Arten ergaben. Derselbe Vorgang wurde sodann auf den Rest Ägyptens übertragen, und die Merkmalskombinationen stellten sich als übereinstimmend heraus; sie erlaubten dadurch eine sichere Zuordnung von Tieren zu folgen Arten: A. boskianus, A. scutellatus und A. pardalis. Durch die Ausdehnung der Untersuchung nach Westen und Osten kamen weitere Taxa hinzu. Besonderer Aufmerksamkeit wurde diesen Merkmalskombinationen im Hinblick auf sympatrisches oder allopatrisches Auftreten der betroffenen Arten gezollt, mit dem Ergebnis, daß es in einigen Fällen möglich war, abzusichern, daß es sich um Populationen derselben Art handelt. Die Gattung Acanthodactylus wurde in mehrere Artengruppen gegliedert, die sich durch engere Beziehungen ihrer Arten untereinander auszeichnen. Die erste ist die micropholis-Gruppe mit der einzigen Art A. micropholis. Sie wird als die ursprünglichste der gesamten Gattung angesehen. Eine weitere Gruppe ist die boskianus-Gruppe, mit den Arten A. boskianus und A. schreiberi. Erstere wird ausführlich analysiert im Hinblick auf ihre außerordentlich große geographische Variabilität. Die yemenicus-Gruppe besiedelt die Arabische Halbinsel und besteht aus A. yemenicus sp.n., A. masirae, A. opheodurus und A. felicis. Eine weitere Gruppe ist die tristrami-Gruppe mit den Arten A. tristrami und A. robustus. Für erstere wird die Validität der Unterart orientalis verneint, die für iracensis dagegen bejaht. In die grandis-Gruppe wird hier nur A. grandis gestellt, während A. fraseri als dessen Synonym aufgefaßt wird. Die erythrurus-Gruppe enthält A. erythrurus, A. savignyi, A. blanci, A. boueti und A. guineensis. Letzterer rangierte bislang in der Gattung Eremias, gehört aber nach den hier vorgelegten Befunden in die erythrurus-Gruppe von Acanthodactylus. In der pardalis-Gruppe sind enthalten: A. pardalis, A. bedriagai, A. maculatus, A. spinicauda und A. busacki sp.n. aus Marokko. Die scutellatus-Gruppe besteht aus A. scutellatus, A. aureus, A. dumerili und A. longipes. Die letzte Gruppe ist die cantoris-Gruppe mit den Arten A. cantoris, A. arabicus, A. schmidti, A. blanfordi, A. gongrorhynchatus und A. haasi. Eine Bibliographie über die Gattung beschließt die Arbeit. Für jede Art werden Diagnosen, Verbreitungskarten, Synonymien, Beschreibungen und Materiallisten der untersuchten Tiere sowie auch Strichzeichnungen gegeben.

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We present a comprehensive summary of the distribution of the lizards of Iran accompanied by an annotated checklist. The updated maps of distribution of all 146 species of 41 genera of 11 families are based on all available bibliographic records, catalogues of museum collections and our own field observations. The final dataset used for the distribution maps contains 8525 georeferenced records and cover 41% of the country when plotted on a grid of 0.25° × 0.25° resolution. The dataset is publicly accessible through GBIF portal (http://www.gbif.org/dataset/7db4f705-61ae-4c6e-9de2-06674e7d46b2). Following the latest biogeographic division of the country, ~53% of the species (76 species) inhabit the Iranian Province, ~41% (60 species) the Western Asian mountain transition zone, ~9% (13 species) the Turanian Province, and ~18% (27 species) the Arabian Province. In addition, ~2% (3 species) reach Iran from the Indo-Malay biogeographic region and ~2% (3 species) are believed to have been introduced to Iran by humans. Endemic species (46) represent ~32% of the known species diversity. The most species-rich family of lizards in Iran is Lacertidae with 47 species, followed by Gekkonidae (41), Agamidae (18), Scincidae (15), Phyllodactylidae (10), Sphaerodactylidae (4), Eublepharidae and Uromastycidae (3), Anguidae and Varanidae (2), and Trogonophidae with one representative.

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Aim: Deserts are generally perceived as areas of low diversity, and hence receive little attention from researchers and conservationists. Squamates are the dominant group of vertebrates in arid regions, and as such represent an ideal model to study biodiversity patterns in these areas. We examine spatial patterns of diversity, evolutionary history and endemism of terrestrial squamates of the Arabian Peninsula and test hypotheses on the role of topography and history of isolation so as to identify possible environmental drivers of diversification. Location: The Arabian Peninsula. Taxon: Squamate reptiles (Squamata; lizards and snakes). Methods: We generated distribution maps for all Arabian squamate species (including yet undescribed) and reconstructed their phylogenetic relationships using existing and newly produced genetic data for nearly all the species. We assessed patterns of the distribution of species richness, phylogenetic diversity and phylogenetic en demism across the peninsula to identify areas that could be considered evolutionary or endemicity hotspots for squamates. We evaluated community turnover across the peninsula and assessed the possible environmental drivers affecting the diversity of Arabian squamates in a regression framework. Results: The main hotspots of Arabian squamate diversity are mostly along the mountains that rim the peninsula while the most arid, central regions support a low diversity of species. The distribution of the phylogenetic diversity mirrors that of the species richness. Phylogenetic endemism is also highest in the mountains, especially when only endemic species are analysed. The deserts of northern Arabia are poor in terms of species richness and they show low connectivity to the peninsular communities. Topographic heterogeneity is the strongest predictor for Arabian squamates, followed by elevation. There is no correlation between richness and temperature. Main conclusions: The mountains of Arabia support rich and unique squamate communities that are dominated by local radiations of closely related and narrow-ranging species. In particular, the Asir Mountains of SW Arabia, Dhofar Province of Oman and the Hajar Mountains of northern Oman and UAE show unprecedented levels of squamate endemism and phylogenetic endemism. While many generalist species range across Arabia, a low number of species is shared between the peninsula and mainland Asia, indicating an effective isolation of the Arabian fauna. Squamate richness is highest in heterogeneous, topographically complex habitats.

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This paper provides an updated checklist of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) native and alien herpetofauna. The UAE, while largely a desert country with a hyper-arid climate, also has a range of more mesic habitats such as islands, mountains, and wadis. As such it has a diverse native herpetofauna of at least 72 species as follows: two amphibian species (Bufonidae), five marine turtle species (Cheloniidae [four] and Dermochelyidae [one]), 42 lizard species (Agamidae [six], Gekkonidae [19], Lacertidae [10], Scincidae [six], and Varanidae [one]), a single amphisbaenian, and 22 snake species (Leptotyphlopidae [one], Boidae [one], Colubridae [seven], Hydrophiidae [nine], and Viperidae [four]). Additionally, we recorded at least eight alien species, although only the Brahminy Blind Snake (Ramphotyplops braminus) appears to have become naturalized. We also list legislation and international conventions pertinent to the herpetofauna.

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Acanthodactylus lizards are among the most diverse and widespread diurnal reptiles in the arid regions spanning from North Africa across to western India. Acanthodactylus constitutes the most species-rich genus in the family Lacertidae, with over 40 recognized species inhabiting a wide variety of dry habitats. The genus has seldom undergone taxonomic revisions, and although there are a number of described species and species-groups, their boundaries as well as their interspecific relationships are largely unresolved. We constructed a multilocus phylogeny, combining data from two mitochondrial (12S, cytb) and three nuclear (MC1R, ACM4, c-mos) markers for 302 individuals belonging to 36 known species, providing the first large-scale time-calibrated molecular phylogeny of the genus. We evaluated phylogenetic relationships between and within species-groups, and assessed Acanthodactylus biogeography across its known range. Acanthodactylus cladogenesis is estimated to have originated in Africa due to vicariance and dispersal events from the Oligocene onwards. Radiation started with the separation into three clades: the Western and scutellatus clades largely distributed in North Africa, and the Eastern clade occurring mostly from Arabia to south-west Asia. Most Acanthodactylus species diverged during the Miocene, possibly as a result of regional geological instability and climatic changes. We support most of the current taxonomic classifications and phylogenetic relationships, and provide genetic validity for most species. We reveal a new distinct blanfordii species-group, suggest new phylogenetic positions (A. hardyi, A. masirae), and synonymize several species and subspecies (A. lineomaculatus, A. boskianus khattensis and A. b. nigeriensis) with their phylogenetically closely-related species. We recommend a thorough systematic revision of taxa exhibiting high levels of intraspecific variability as well as clear evidence of phylogenetic complexity such as A. guineensis, A. grandis, A. dumerilii, and A. senegalensis and the pardalis and erythrurus species-groups.

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This study explores the relationships between recent Iranian lizard species distributions and the observed climate, as well as potential future distributions of species. For this purpose, an ensemble of seven algorithms was used to forecast the distributions of 30 species for the recent and future (2070) based on the averages of 14 global climate models under optimistic (RCP2.6) and pessimistic (RCP8.5) scenarios. Annual precipitation (n= 16) and annual mean temperature (n= 7) were identifed as the most important variables in determining the distribution of 76.66% (23 out of 30) of the species. The consensus model predicts that the ranges of 83.33% of species (n= 25) have the potential to expand poleward at higher latitudes while preserving the majority of their recent distributions (except for four species). Furthermore, the ranges of the remaining species (n= 5) will be preserved at higher latitudes. However, they (n= 22) may contract slightly (n= 13) or excessively (n= 9) in the south of their distribution range at lower latitudes. These results indicate that species (N= 19) situated in mountainous areas such as the Zagros, Alborz, and Kopet Dagh may move or maintain their range at higher elevations as a result of future climate change. Finally, this study suggests that 30% of species (n= 9) may be threatened by future climate change and that they should be prioritized in conservation eforts.

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The composition and distribution of the vertebrate fauna of Afghanistan remain poorly documented and in recent decades little new data have become available due to a series of wars and the resulting unstable security conditions. As Afghanistan returns to some semblance of normalcy, baseline faunistic data will be particularly important for establishing national conservation priorities as well as for placing Afghan taxa into their broader phylogenetic and zoogeographic contexts. We here provide an updated checklist of the herpetofauna of Afghanistan based in part upon biodiversity archives of specimen records from several museum and private collec- tions as well as literature references and field research. The herpetofauna of Afghanistan consists of 118 species and subspecies belonging to 58 genera and 21 families. Seven species are endemic to the country, whereas 18 taxa have to be delet- ed from previous lists of the Afghan herpetofauna. Afghanistan’s primary zoogeo- graphic relationship to the Palearctic Region is reaffirmed but with secondary influ- ence from the Oriental Region. Immediately following the checklist, two sections provide information about species probably occurring in Afghanistan and previous- ly mentioned species that are now recognized as absent.