Iran

Phylogeny and geographic distribution of rock lizards (Lacertidae, Reptilia) in Alborz mountain range

Authors: Iryshkov E. S., Solovyeva E. N., Arakelyan M. S., Rastegar-Poyani E., Moaddab M., Milto K. D., Galoyan E. A.

Rock lizards of the genus Darevskia have long been an important model object for study of reptile evolution. To understand the overall picture, it is important to know how bisexual and parthenogenetic species are distributed within this genus. The ranges of Caucasian species of rock lizards have been studied for a long time and in detail. However, recent attention to the species inhabiting the territory of Iran has been attracted after the description of several new species in 2013.

Captive breeding of the Caspian lizard (Darevskia caspica) (Reptilia, Lacertidae)

Authors: Kidov A. A., Ivanov A. A., Erashkin V. O., Kondratova T. E.

The Caspian lizard (Darevskia caspica) is a recently described endemic of the Hyrcanian forests of Northern Iran. The paper presents new data on the reproductive biology of D. caspica obtained in laboratory conditions. Breeding females have a body length of 53.4– 64.4 mm and a mass of 2.96–3.60 g. Females produce from one to three clutches per season, each of which contains 1–6 eggs. The length of these eggs is 10.35–13.95 mm, width 6.19–7.59 mm, and weight 0.27–0.45 g.