Pakistan, Afghanistan and eastern Iran. 

Species:

Eremias rafiqi  MASROOR et al., 2022

Common names:

Rafiq’s Racerunner (English)
Rafiq’s Wüstenrenner (German)

Types:

Holotype: PMNH 856 (cyt b: n/a; Rag1: n/a), adult male.

Terra Typica:

Tanishpa village, Torghar Mountains, Killa Saifullah district, Balochistan, Pakistan (31.1869º N, 68.4126º E; elevation 2,506 m a.s.l.).


Taxonomic notes:

Distribution: The evolutionary clade corresponding with the new species E. rafiqi was genetically confirmed from the areas of SE Iran (Zabol in the Sistan Basin, Sistan and Balochistan Province; the Zabol clade sensu Rastegar-Pouyani et al. 2010), NW Balochistan in Pakistan and south-central Afghanistan (Rastegar-Pouyani et al. 2010, Khan et al. 2021). In Pakistan, the species is found in three Pakistani districts located along with the Afghan border including Torghar Mountains in the localities of Tanishpa village and Kunder area (Killa Saifullah district), Ashewat (Qamar Din Karez, Zhob district) and Khar in Nushki District.


Relevant taxonomic literature:

  • Masroor, R. & Khan, M.A. & Nadeem, M.S. & Amir, S.A. & Khisroon, M. & Jablonski, D. (2022) -  Appearances often deceive in racerunners: integrative approach reveals two new species of Eremias (Squamata: Lacertidae) from Pakistan. -  Zootaxa 5175 (1): 055–087    

 
 
 
 
 

Eremias rafiqi  © 1997 Khalid Javed Baig