A new species of Eremias (Squamata: Lacertidae) from the arid mountains of Pakistan

Abstract

A new, morphologically distinctive lacertid lizard of the genus Eremias (Rhabderemias) is described from the arid mountains of northwestern Balochistan Province in Pakistan. Eremias kakari sp. nov. has an isolated distribution and can be easily distinguished from all other species of mainly desert subgenus Rhabderemias (E. andersoni, E. cholistanica, E. fasciata, E. lineolata, E. pleskei, E. scripta, E. vermiculata). Apart from other differences, E. kakari sp. nov. can be distinguished from geographically close members of the subgenus Rhabderemias (E. cholistanica, E. fasciata, and E. scripta) by having a single row of subdigital lamellae and a complete row of lateral scales and hence three scales around the penultimate phalanx of 4th toe. The new species is morphologically (dorsal pattern) very similar to E. fasciata but can be distinguished from this species for having 22–26 subdigital lamellae under 4th toe, 48–55 dorsal scales across midbody, ventrals in 11–14 oblique longitudinal series across the belly, 17–21 femoral pores and 17–21 scales in the 9th–10th annulus posterior to the postcloacal granules. The new species is currently known only from the type locality situated in the Toba Kakar Range, near to Tanishpa village. However, we expect that Eremias kakari sp. nov. would have a broader range in northwestern Pakistan and southeastern Afghanistan. An identification key for the Pakistani Eremias, together with other remarks to the new species, is presented.

Molecular phylogeny of Eremias spp. from Pakistan contributes to a better understanding of the diversity of racerunners

“…Compared to other Central Asian regions, the diversity of Eremias is not high in Pakistan (five to seven species; Khan, 2006; Masroor et al., 2020). However, our results suggest that this is an underestimation as the morphologically identified samples of E. persica turned out to represent the two deeply divergent clades E and F, the latter showing further substructure (subclades F1/F2).…”

“…However, some authors regarded it later as a valid species (Anderson, 1999; Das, 1992; Khan, 2006). Except for apparently lost specimens reported by Boulenger (1921), E. fasciata has never been subsequently recorded from Pakistan (Lantz, 1928; Masroor et al., 2020; Mertens, 1969; Minton, 1966; Smith, 1935).…”

“…About twenty species of the genus Eremias occur mainly in Southwestern Asia (Iranian Plateau); the remaining taxa are distributed in Southern, Central, and Eastern Asia (Barabanov, 2009; Guo et al., 2011; Orlova et al., 2017). Several endemic species are known from Afghanistan, China, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan (Anderson & Leviton, 1967; Baig & Masroor, 2006; Dujsebayeva, Chirikova, & Belyalov, 2009; Masroor, Khisroon, Khan, & Jablonski, 2020; Mozaffari, Ahmadzadeh, & Parham, 2011; Orlova, 2008; Orlova et al., 2017; Orlova & Terbish, 1997; Rastegar‐Pouyani et al., 2016; Sindaco & Jeremčenko, 2008; Wagner et al., 2016; Zhao & Adler, 1993; Zhao, Zhao, & Zhou, 1999; Zhao, Liu, Luo, & Ji, 2011). For some species, morphologically defined subspecies are recognized, whose validity has been only rarely examined using molecular approaches (Guo et al., 2011; Liu et al., 2019; Orlova et al., 2017; Poyarkov, Orlova, & Chirikova, 2014; Zhou, Li, Dujsebayeva, Liu, & Guo, 2016).…”

“…For Pakistan, the knowledge of Eremias species is largely anecdotal, with big sampling and knowledge gaps. Five to seven taxa are currently recognized (Baig & Masroor, 2006; Khan, 2004, 2006; Masroor et al., 2020; Mertens, 1969; Smith, 1935): E. acutirostris (Boulenger, 1887), E. aporosceles Alcock and Finn, 1897, E. cholistanica Baig & Masroor, 2006, E. fasciata Blanford, 1874, E. kakari Masroor et al., 2020, E. persica Blanford, 1874, and E. scripta Strauch, 1867. Eremias aporosceles was regarded for a long time as a synonym of E. acutirostris (Szczerbak, 1974).…”