O. G. Dely szerk.: Vertebrata Hungarica 21. (Budapest, 1982)
Alekperov, A. M.: The present state of rare and threatened species and subspecies of herpetofauna in Azerbaidzhan 19-24. o.
VERTEBRATA HUNGARICA TOM. XXI. 1982 p. 19-24 The present state of rare and threatened species and subspecies of herpetofauna in Azerbaidzhan * By A. M. ALEKPEROV Abstract: 67 species and subspecies of amphibians and reptiles in the Azerbaidzhan Republic. 18 species and subspecies may be attributed the status of rare and disappearing (26.8%). Of this number, 8 species of amphibians and reptiles have been included in the "Red Book of Rare Species of Animals and Plants of the USSR and those Endangered with Disappearance": Pelobates syrlacu s. Testudo graeca iber a, Agama ruderat a, Lacerta pa rv a. Elaphe longissima, Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus satunini. Vipera ammodytes transcaucaslan a and V. xanthln a. The species are seriously endangered in the Azerbaidzhan: Trlturus vulgari s, T. cristatus karellni l, Bufo bufo verrucoslssimus, Phrynocephalus helloscopus, Mabuya aurata, Ablepharus bivittatus, Elaphe hohenackeri, Psa mmophis lineolatum, Vipera urslni l and Agklstrodon halys caucastcus. At present, the herpetofauna of Azerbaidzhan is composed of 67 reptilian and amphibian species and subspecies with well-documented occurrence in this area. The contribution of different orders to this number is as follows: Tailed Amphibia (Caudata) 2 Tailless Amphibia (Salientia) 8 Turtles (Testudines) 3 Lizards (Sauria) 28 Snakes (Serpentes) 26 These 67 taxa represent nearly 38 per cent of the herpetofauna of the USSR. Of this number, 8 taxa have been entered into the "Red Book of Rare Species of Animals and Plants of the USSR and those Endangered with Disappearance", Studying the present-day state of the herpetofauna in Soviet Azerbaidzhan, another 10 rare or endangered amphibian and reptilian species and subspecies are to be included in the Red Book of Azerbaidzhan. Altogether, 18 taxa, i.e. more than 26 per cent of Azerbaidzhan' s herpetofauna are classified as rare or endangered consisting of 4 amphibian and 14 reptilian taxa. * Paper presented by author at the First Herpetological Conference of the Socialist Countries co the 27th August, 1981 In Budapest.
