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Reptile Diversity of Southern Morocco: Range Extensions and the Role of the Djebel Ouarkziz As a Biogeographical Barrier

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Reptile Diversity of Southern Morocco: Range Extensions and the Role of the Djebel Ouarkziz As a Biogeographical Barrier Herpetology Notes, volume 12: 787-793 (2019) (published online on 25 July 2019) Reptile diversity of southern Morocco: range extensions and the role of the Djebel Ouarkziz as a biogeographical barrier Daniel Kane1,*, Steve Goodwin1, Gerrit Jan Verspui2, Anniek Tump3, and Gabriel Martínez Del Mármol Marin4 Abstract. The present work provides new records, including range extensions for Ptyodactylus oudrii, Macroprotodon brevis and Echis leucogaster, as well as the first observations of P. oudrii south of the proposed biogeographical barrier formed by the Djebel Ouarkziz mountain range and the westernmost record of Echis leucogaster in Morocco. Data presented herein shows that at least two species of reptile thought geographically-limited by this chain of mountains, or previously not known from a particular ecoregion in the country, have ranges encompassing a greater portion of these areas than was formerly known. This new knowledge highlights the importance of faunal surveys in regions where fieldwork is often difficult, as well as the need for further surveys in such environments to help improve knowledge of species’ distributional ranges. Keywords. Reptilia; Squamata; distribution; desert; Oued Drâa; Maghreb Introduction diverse community of reptile species due to the meeting of several different ecoregions including Mediterranean Morocco has one of the best-studied herpetofaunal Acacia-Argania dry woodlands and succulent thickets, assemblages of any African country (e.g. Bons and Saharan Atlantic coastal desert and north Saharan xeric Geniez, 1996; Schleich et al., 1996; Geniez et al., steppe and woodland (Bons and Geniez, 1996; Real et 2004; Mediani et al., 2015). Situated in the northwest al., 1997; Geniez et al., 2000; Dinerstein et al., 2017; of the African continent this country presents a wide Martínez-Freiría et al., 2017). variety of ecoregions including Mediterranean High Natural boundaries of terrestrial species’ distributions Atlas juniper steppe, Mediterranean conifer and are frequently marked by geographical barriers to mixed forests, Mediterranean woodlands and forests, dispersal such as impassable water bodies or mountain Mediterranean dry woodlands and steppe, Saharan ranges which cause abrupt changes in habitat or Atlantic coastal desert and north Saharan xeric steppe climatic conditions potentially preferred by one species and woodland (Dinerstein et al., 2017). Within these over another. The Djebel Ouarkziz range, a chain of ecoregions a variety of habitat types including montane mountains up to 770 m high and approximately 300 grasslands, rocky slopes, forests, Macronesian coastal km long running in a WSW-ENE direction between vegetation and inland rocky and sandy desert plains southern Morocco and Algeria (Somerville et al., 2013) provide suitable conditions for a variety of reptiles to has been hypothesised as a biogeographical barrier for occur. In particular, southern Morocco has an especially certain herpetofaunal elements; separating, for example, species with Mediterranean affinity from those with a North Saharan affinity, as defined by Geniez et al. 2000. The authors of the present work sampled part of the region immediately north and south of the Djebel 1 Zoological Society of London, London Zoo, Regent’s Park, London, United Kingdom, NW14RY. Ouarkziz range and provide further knowledge on the 2 ROC Veiligheidsacademie, Campusplein 16, 3192 CD potential role these mountains have in forming the Hoogvliet, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. distributional limit of several reptile species. 3 Jan van Egmond Lyceum, Hoornselaan 10, 1442 AX Purmerend, The Netherlands. Materials and Methods 4 34, Calle Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, 34, 18002, Granada, Spain. Five sites adjacent to the R103 road between the * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] towns of Assa and Zag were surveyed on foot and by 788 Daniel Kane et al. car, over a period of three days and nights, between 27 Results April and 1 May 2018. A sixth survey site, from further During the course of our surveys we encountered west of our main search area, is also included due to its ten species belonging to six squamate families which potential importance in understanding the distribution warrant reporting and discussion in the present work. of species and threats posed to Moroccan herpetofauna as well as validating previous distribution modelling. Phyllodactylidae A map of these search areas can be seen in Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B. Visual encounter surveys (VES) were Tarentola boehmei Joger, 1984.—Tarentola specimens non-standardised and specific locations which were were identified as belonging to either T. boehmei Joger, expected to harbour the highest diversity of reptiles, 1984 or T. mauritanica (Linnaeus, 1758) at survey site such as rocky features or water storage buildings in two and three. Ceacero et al. (2010) highlighted the an otherwise flat landscape, were chosen to increase difficulties of separating T. boehmei and T. m. pallida the likelihood of encountering the greatest possible in the field based on morphology or colouration and variety of species. VES were undertaken by day and by some of the suggested diagnostic characters including night. Identification of individuals to species level was subdigital lamellae of the 5th toe on the hind foot, the performed in the field and photographs of each species shape of dorsal tubercles, regenerated tail colour and and habitat were taken. translucent/opaque appearance of the skin appear to A species inventory for the region is provided below. overlap between these two species (Geniez et al., 1999; GPS coordinates are provided for all survey sites, Geniez et al., 2004). T. boehmei, being associated with followed by notes on parameters such as altitude, inland pre-Saharan habitats (Geniez et al., 1999) is the habitat, surface temperature as measured by a digital more likely species as T. mauritanica is not known to infra-red non-contact thermometer and activity of the naturally occur in this area and henceforth we refer to species observed. these specimens as T. boehmei. However, with the ability Fig. 1A shows the region of southern Morocco with of T. mauritanica to disperse over wide areas via human main towns indicated and the scale bar represents 70 transport (Harris et al., 2004), and with no molecular km. Fig. 1B shows a closer view of the main study area data available to confirm species identification for our with the Djebel Ouarkziz range visible across the centre specimens, it is possible that the species represented and the scale bar represents 35 km. Across Fig. 1A and could be T. mauritanica. An individual from survey site 1B red place marks numbered one to six are used to 3 is depicted in Fig. 2F. Maximum surface temperatures indicate survey sites. GPS coordinates of survey sites as of around 16 °C were recorded on survey nights in these follows: 1) 28.2374°N, -9.3363°E, altitude 304 m a.s.l.; locations and, due to a persistent strong wind blowing, 2) 28.2840°N, -9.3370°E, 305 m a.s.l.; 3) 28.3910°N, gecko activity was mostly limited to the sheltered cracks -9.3941°E, 285 m a.s.l.; 4) 28.4632°N, -9.3749°E, 240 between rocks. m a.s.l.; 5) 28.5002°N, -9.4600°E, 208 m a.s.l.; 6) Ptyodactylus oudrii Lataste, 1880.—Many individuals 28.3722°N, -10.7208°E, 184 m a.s.l. Images downloaded were seen to be active during each survey night between from Google Earth, 2018. 27 April and 1 May in survey sites two and three. These geckos were observed climbing on rocky surfaces and in cracks between rocks, as is typical for the species. Each night maximum surface temperatures of around 16 °C were recorded at 22:00; however, there was a strong wind blowing and most geckos were observed in more sheltered areas between rocks. Ptyodactylus geckos have distinctive toe morphology with fan-shaped ends to each of their digits, on the underside of which is multiple rows of lamellae. All known species of Ptyodactylus are closely associated with rocky habitats and are reported to have a poor ability to disperse over sandy terrain (Metallinou et al., 2015). With the majority of Ptyodactylus occurring allopatrically (Metallinou et al., Figure 1. Map and survey sites south of Assa, Morocco. 2015) and with vast expanses (~1100 km) of seemingly Reptile diversity of southern Morocco 789 unsuitable sandy areas separating our study areas and during wetter times and was moving through small dry the distribution of other species in the genus, we are flakes of mud when first seen. Although this species confident in our identification of P. oudrii, it being the has a large range across arid regions of North Africa, only member of its genus reported from Morocco (Perera in Morocco it is known from only a few published and Harris, 2010). However it must be noted that future observations (see Bouazza et al., 2018 for a recent study on the deep genetic divergence between different overview). clades of P. oudrii reported by Metallinou et al. (2015) may lead to the elevation of one or more clades within Colubridae P. oudrii to species level. Telescopus tripolitanus (Werner, 1909).—On the southern edge of the Djebel Ouarkziz range, at survey Agamidae site three, a single dead-on-the-road (DOR) Telescopus Uromastyx nigriventris Rothschild and Hartert, tripolitanus was found during the day on April 27. 1912.—On the night of 27 April two specimens of U. Identification was based on the specimen having black nigriventris were observed at survey site two, deep head colouration, brown body with multiple darker within rock cracks. By 12 noon the following day circular-shaped vertebral markings and eyes with neither animal had emerged to bask, despite clear skies vertical pupils. The surrounding habitat on each side of and surface temperatures of 39.0 °C. No evidence of the the road where the snake was found comprised of rocky occurrence of Uromastyx dispar Heyden, 1827, a species steep-sided cliffs with a few small bushes in the lower hypothesised to have its northern distribution limit as areas.
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