Eublepharidae, Boulenger, 1883

Wagner, Philipp, Bauer, Aaron M., Leviton, Alan E., Wilms, Thomas M. & Böhme, Wolfgang, 2016, A Checklist of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Afghanistan *, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 63 (13), pp. 457-565 : 483-484

Family Eublepharidae

? Eublepharis afghanicus Börner, 1976:10

1976 Eublepharis afghanicus Börner, Second contribution to the systematics of the southwest Asian lizards of the geckonid genus Eublepharis Gray 1827 : materials from the Indian subcontinent. Saurologica (No. 2) 1976:1–15 + 22 unnumbered pages.

HOLOTYPE.— FMNH 161142 , from “ Jalabad [sic, = Jalalabad], Afghanistan ” ; Paratype.— AMNH 57594 ).

SYNONYMS.— Eublepharis gracilis Börner, 1974 (see Remarks) from an unkown locality [nomen dubium].

LOCALITIES.— Char-e-Kar [35°05′N, 69°10′E] ( CAS 96245 ); Rig-Revan (cave) near Golbahar, 65 km N of Kabul ( LC, Wettstein 1960); Jalalabad ( FMNH 161142 , MMB 28451–53 ); vic. of Jalalabad (Brück 1968); Kandahar ( MZLU L959 /3050); Khoast ( CAS 133826 ); 5–10 mi ENE of Nimla, on old Kabul-Jalalabad rd, and about 10 mi SW of Balabagh [34°19′–21′N, 70°10′–15′E] ( CAS 96212 ) [see pl. 5, fig. 6 for distribution] .

REMARKS.— Afghan populations were described by Börner (1976) as “ Eublepharis afghanicus ”

(see Fig. 12 ), which has subsequently often been recognized as a synonym or subspecies of E. macularius (e.g., Grismer in Estes and Pregill 1988). This taxon now seems to be distinct from E. macularis , but it must be clarified if the description was published according to the criteria of Article 8 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999). The diagnostic characters of Eublepharis afghanicus (fide Börner 1976) are: transversally enlarged lamellae under the toes tuberculated; first postmental always in contact with the first labial; body pattern consists of transverse bands (in juveniles and adults) and spots (in subadults and adults); no sacral band; body pattern bands tend to a pentagonal, rhombic, or triangular shape (tip always pointed toward the tail) in adults, and to a rectangular shape in juveniles; body pattern bands never tend to converge; spots on occiput subcircular and/or confluent. In these characters it is similar to Eublepharis fuscus Börner (1981) , which may also not be validly published under Article 8 of the code (ICZN 1999).

Two years before the description of E. afghanicus, Börner (1974) described Eublepharis gracilis , referring to a single female specimen from an unknown locality (obtained from pet trade) living at the Cologne Zoo. In a subsequent publication (Börner 1976), Börner mentioned, without any information about further material, the range of E. gracilis as “inner or coastal [sic] Afghanistan ”. From the description, the only striking difference between the taxa, afghanicus and gracilis , is the lack of “body pattern bands” in the latter species. But as the holotype is most probably lost and no typical locality is given, this taxon needs a revision to clarify its status. Meanwhile, we recognize it as a nomen dubium and a likely synonym of E. afghanicus .

Figures

FIGURE 12: “Eublepharis afghanicus” from an unknown locality. Photo by H. Seufer.