deserts of Kazakhstan

Reptile communities of desert landscapes and analysis of the herpetofauna of Southeastern Kazakhstan

We used the route method to carry out quantitative counts of reptiles in nine regions of Southeastern Kazakhstan. The results yielded data on the population density of reptiles in fourteen habitats. We observed the greatest diversity of species and the largest number of reptiles in sandy deserts. Both measures were much smaller in loamy plains and low mountains. In desert habitats, the Central Asian tortoise Agrionemys horsfieldii and the rapid racerunner Eremias velox were more common than other species.