Paralaudakia caucasia (Eichwald, 1831:187)

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 : 471-473

Paralaudakia caucasia (Eichwald, 1831:187)

1831 Stellio caucasius Eichwald, Zoologia Specialis quam Expositis Animalibus tum Vivis tum Fossilibus Potissimuni Rossiae in Universum, et Poloniae in Specie, in Usum Lectionum Publicarum in Universitate Caesarea Vilnensi Habendarum. Pars Posterior; Specialem Expositionem Spondylzoorum Continens, Pars Posterior [= Vol. 3]. Jospehi Zawadski, Vilnae [Vilnius], Russia [now Lithuania]. (3) + 404 pp., 2 folding pls. (Decima Classis. Amphibia [pp. 116–197]. Explicatio Tabularum [pp. 395–396]. Index Generum [pp. 397–404]).

TYPE (S).— Not located, from “Hab. in Caucaso, prope Tiflisium [= Tbilisi, Georgia], Bacuam [= Baku, Azerbaijan].”

SYNONYMS.— Lacerta muricata Pallas, 1814 “1827” from “in deserto Magno”; Stellio persicus Anderson, 1872 from “ Teheran ” (holotype ZISP 4830); Agama reticulata Nikolskii, 1912 from “Tschubek, Ost-Buchara”.

LOCALITIES.— Ajar Valley ( RMNH 25954–58 ) ; Bamiyan 8000 ft. ( Smith 1940: 384; probably BMNH 1938.2.4. 7–9) ; Bamiyan, NW of Kabul MCZ R-97297–98 ); 1–8 km East of Bamiyan Hotel , Bamiyan ( MVZ R-97302–05) ; road N of Band-e-Amir [ca 35°05′N, 67°47′E] ( CAS 243989 ) ; Baraki Barak [Logar Prov.] ( USNM 194605 ) ; 1/2 hr E (by car) Chacharan on Shina River ( CAS 147407 ) ; 40 mi S Characharan ( CAS 147465 ) ; Chinkiloh ( Boulenger 1889: 96); Chudjomborak [Maidan Prov., 2500 m] ( ZFMK 20983 ) ; NE Dashi-Doab (on road to Kundus) n. of Kabul ( MCZ R-97300) ; Doab 5000 ft. ( Smith 1940: 384; probably BMNH 1938.2.4. 4–6) ; Kharzar ou Tang-Djangal Baz ( MZLU L957 /3052) ; Khwadja Ghar ( ZFMK 8546 ) ; Pass to Dasht-e-Nawar [Ghazni Prov., 2700–3000 m] ( ZFMK 8600 , ZFMK 8607 ) ; Gardez ( ZMUC R-36136) ; 40 km S of Herat ( CAS 120747–49 ) ; Kundus R. NE Dashi-Doab N of Kabul ( MVZ R-97300) ; 15 km N Ghazni ( CAS 120551–53 ) ; 20 mi N of Ghazni [33°40′N, 68°30′E] ( CAS 98969 ) ; NW of Kabul ( MVZ R-97297–98) ; 80 km S Kabul ( CAS 120750 ) ; Kharzar ( LC, Wetsstein 1960) ; 1 mi N Kurdkabul Dam ( CAS 151227 ) ; 4 mi from Kurdkabul Dam towards Buthak ( CAS 151229 ) ; Masdjed-Tchoubi ( MZLU L959 /3051) ; Meiden Khula, about 30 mi ENE Gardez [33°40′N, 69°50′E] ( CAS 96246–47 ) ; Narai ( NW of) [31°31′N, 70°04′E] ( CAS 96248–49 ) ; Obeh [= Owbi, Herat Prov.] ( ZMUC R-36137–44, 36187–88) ; Paghman ( CAS 151231–34 , FMNH 161058–62 , FMNH 161174 , FMNH 161176 , FMNH 161209–12 , FMNH 161214–15 , FMNH 161219 , ZFMK 5382–83 ) ; Paghman [34°36′N, 68°56′E] ( CAS 115926–31 ) ; above Pagham (Smith 1940: 384; probably BMNH 1940.3.1. 18) ; nr Paghman River , 10 km SW of Kabul ( CAS 92329 , CAS 92338 ) ; Paghman, 15 mi W of Kabul [34°36′N, 68°56′E] ( CAS 96251–52 ) ; Paghman, Darrehe Cape ( CAS 147424 ) ; Paghman, Kohe Katasang ( CAS 147421– 22 ) ; Pari Kham ( ZFMK 8547 ) ; Pini Share Valley , 150 mi NE of Kabul [Kapisa Prov.] ( USNM 194981–85 ) ; Pul-e-Khumeri [1300 m] ( CAS 120324 , 120738–41 , ZFMK 8588 ) ; Rabatak ( ZFMK 8548 ) ; Shibar Pass ( RMNH 25962 ) ; 20 km W. of Shibar Pass , road from Bamiyan to Kabul ( MCZ R-97301) ; Southern side of Safed-Koh [Prov. Paktia, Ali Khel , 2100 m] ( ZFMK 8626 ) ; Toward Ghazni, a few km from village of Shash Gao ( CAS 91590–98 ) ; 20 km W. of Shibar Pass , road from Bamiyan to Kabul ( MVZ R-97301) ; 24 km E Taliqan ( CAS 120745–46 ) ; Tang-e-Tashaurghan, Khuin [Samangan Prov., 700 m] ( ZFMK 8601–03 ) ; 10 km W of Tashkurgan ( CAS 120742–44 ) ; Urgun ( ZFMK 8549 ) [see pl. 3, fig. 2 for distribution].

REMARKS.— Sindaco and Jeremčenko (2008) recognized P. caucasia ( Fig. 7 ) only from northwestern and northeastern Afghanistan whereas our records show that this species is widespread at higher elevation across the country. Wagner and Dittmann (2014) mentioned that dried individuals of Paralaudakia caucasia were sold in a Chinese market in Kabul as medicine ( Fig. 8 ), and have a use similar to that of Gekko gecko in East and Southeast Asia.

Figures

FIGURE 7: Paralaudakia caucasia from Feyzabad (Badakshan Province), Afghanistan. Photo by Frank Joisten.

FIGURE 8: Dried individuals of Paralaudakia caucasia sold as medicine in a Chinese market in Kabul. Photo by A. Dittmann.