Eremias persica

Eremias persica, the Aralo-Caspian racerunner^[2] or Persian racerunner,^[3] is a species of lizard native to Iranian Azerbaijan, most of Iran, southern Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and western Pakistan.^[2] Eremias intermedia is also known as the Aralo-Caspian racerunner.

Eremias persica
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Lacertoidea
Family:	Lacertidae
Genus:	Eremias
Species:	E. persica
Binomial name
Eremias persica Blanford, 1875
Synonyms[2]
Eremias velox persica Eremias nigrolateralis Rastegar-Pouyani & Nilson, 1998

Taxonomy and conservation

It was described by William Thomas Blanford in 1875.^[2][4] The type locality is near Isfahan, Iran.^[5] The specific epithet persica refers to its distribution in Persia (now known as Iran).^[2]

Eremias persica was assessed for the IUCN Red List in 2016 and considered a species of least concern.^[1]

Eremias nigrolateralis Rastegar-Pouyani & Nilson, 1998, the black-sided racerunner,^[6] was described based on dorsal color patterning differences but is now considered a synonym of E. persica.^[2][3] E. nigrolateralis was considered a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List based on its extensive, suitable habitat, large population, and presumed lack of significant threats.^[6] It was considered "unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category".^[6]

Description

It is most closely related to Eremias velox, of which it was previously treated as a subspecies, and they share several attributes such as having a wide range distribution across the Iranian Plateau, as well as the number of and shape of their scales.^[7][2] It can be morphologically distinguished from E. velox based on several characteristics, including:

• continuous dorsolateral black stripes (vs. E. velox with interrupted, forming ocelli with white spots),
• the stripes strongly contrasting with the base pattern (vs. not strongly contrasting),
• juveniles with 4 dark stripes on the back between dorsolateral white-spotted stripes (vs. 3 dark stripes), and
• juveniles with ventral surface of tail not red (vs. carmine red in E. velox).^[7]

Like many other lacertid lizards, the juveniles are more easily distinguished from other species than the adults.^[3] Other closely related species of Eremias racerunners include  E. kopetdaghica, E. isfahanica, E. lalezharica, E. montana, E. papenfussi, E. strauchi, and E. suphani.^[7]

Distribution and habitat

The Persian racerunner occurs in Iran, southern Azerbaijan, southern Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and western Pakistan.^[5] In Iran, Eremias persica has a broad distribution in the central plateau south of the Alborz Mountains, including the Zagros Mountains, but it is absent from the central deserts Dasht-e Lut and Dasht-e Kavir.^[5] It is found in open plains and slopes, typically in areas of low vegetation and gravel surfaces. It is also found on mixed sand or silt and gravel.^[5]