O. G. Dely szerk.: Vertebrata Hungarica 21. (Budapest, 1982)
Rustamov, A. K. ; Shammakov, S.: On the herpetofauna of Turkmenistan 215-226. o.
the purposes of this paper it was deemed necessary to supplement this scheme of natural regionalization of the lowlands in Turkmenistan with one more region, namely, the Sarykamysh natural region (Fig. 1). Table 2 gives a list of the species and their distribution in the eight natural regions adopted here. It is not difficult to see that there are 25 typically lowland species within the area in question, whereas the remaining 28 occur both in the mountains and on the plains and can be named mountain-lowland species. In order to give an idea of the species composition of the herpetofauna in Turkmenistan as a whole, it was considered expedient to list the species that are known to occur in highlands only. These 25 species are as follows: Eublepharis turcmenicu s, Alsophylax spinicaud a, A. tuberculatus, Gymnodactylus turcmenicu s. G. longipes, Agama hymalayn a, A. caucasic a, A. erythrogastr a, A. lehman i. Ophiosaurus apodu s, Ophiomorus c hern ov i, Chalcides ocellatus, Eremias strauchi, E. persic a. Lacerta raddei, Typhlops vermicularis, Eryx tataricus, E. elegáns, Lycodon striatus, Coluber najadu m, Eirenis meda, E. persicus, Ol.ygodon taeniolatus, Telescopus rhynopoma , and Psammophis schokar i. The natural regions differ with respect to the number of species. Besides, a number of species may be identified which were discovered to occur only In one region (Table 2, Fig. 1). Thus, for example, Phrynocephalus maculatu s and Phr. rossikowi shammakow i are known from the Kara-Kum, Elaphe quatuorlineat a - from the Caspian coast, Natrix natri x - from the Atrek River basin, Ptyas mucosu s - from the Murgab River valley, Alsophylax loricatu s - from the Amu Darya basin, as well as the nominative subspecies of Phrynocephalus rossikowi rossiko wi and Phr. reticulatus reticulatu s, Eremias regel i, E. argut a and E. nigrocellat a - also from the Amu Darya, and Alsophylax pipien s - from the Sarykamish depression. Eleven species of reptiles, namely, Agrionemys horsfieldi. Gymnodactilus caspiu s, Agama sanguinolent a, Varanus griseus, Eremias velo x. E. intermedia, Eryx miliaris. Natrix tessellat a. Coluber karelin i. Spalerosophis diadem a and Psammophis lineolatu m are common to all the natural regions of the Lowland Turkmenistan. The herpetofauna is represented abundantly in the Kara-Kum natural region. This is understandable, for aridity and warmth are fundamental conditions for reptiles. The favourable climatic conditions and the availability of proper food, together with historic factors, have formed a rich and original faunistical complex in the deserts of Central Asia, including the Kara Kum. The large number of spcies in the Kara-Kum natural region is also due to reptiles pervading here Table 1. Abundance of reptilian species of Turkmenistan and of its plains Order, suborder and family Number of species Order, suborder and family Turkmenistan Lowland Turkmenistan in this number Te studine s 3 3 Emydidae 2 2 Testudinidae 1 1 Sauria 47 32 Gekkonidae 13 8 Agamidae 12 8 Varanidae 1 1 Anguidae 1 Scincidae 7 5 Lacertidae 13 10 Serpentes 28 18 Typhi opidae 1 Boidae 3 1 Colubridae 20 13 Elapidae 1 1 Viperidae 2 2 Crotalidae 1 1
