ISSN: 2476-6909; ECOPERSIA. 2020;8(4):221-229 High Diversity and Endemism of Herpetofauna in the Zagros Mountains A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T Aims The Zagros Mountains are a part of the 20th global hotspot, the Irano-Anatolian Article Type biodiversity hotspot. In this study, we aim to develop a comprehensive checklist of endemic Original Research herpetofauna species in the Zagros Mountains as one of the biodiversity hotspot regions, to provide more information about this important area and the necessity of conservation Authors programs to protect it. Kazemi S.M.1 MSc, Materials & Methods The Zagros Mountains, with an area of about 533,543km2, ranges from Hosseinzadeh M.S. *2 PhD Turkey and Iraq to western and southwestern Iran along the eastern edge of the Persian Gulf. A list of endemic species has been collected from the literature review. Findings This region contains 3 species and 7 subspecies of endemic amphibians belonging to three genera and two families, the Salamandridae (8) and the Bufonidae (2). Neurergus and Calliopersa are endemic to this hotspot. There are 40 species and 6 subspecies of endemic reptiles belonging to 24 genera and 10 families. The families with the greatest number of en- demic species are the Gekkonidae, Phyllodactylidae, and Colubridae. Three genera, Asaccus, Mediodactylus, and Eirenis, dominate the region, with 32 endemic taxa. There are also two endemic genera, Parsigecko and Lakigecko. Many amphibians in the Zagros Mountains, especially all the species of the genus How to cite this article Conclusion Kazemi S.M, Hosseinzadeh M.S. Hi- Neurergus, are categorized in IUCN (the International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red gh Diversity and Endemism of Herp- List and CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna etofauna in the Zagros Mountains. and Flora). The habitats of the Zagros Mountains herpetofauna, especially those of endangered ECOPERSIA. 2020-;8(4):221-229. and endemic species, should be protected and managed to maintain or restore populations of the declining species. Keywords Biodiversity; Amphibians; Reptiles; Endemic; Iran C I T A T I O N L I N K S [1] Hotspots ... [2] Biodiversity ... [3] Hotspots … [4] Global ... [5] Biodiversity ... [6] Hotspots ... [7] Austral ... [8] Endemism … [9] On the ... [10] Evolutionary ... [11] Systematics … [12] Endemism ... [13] Assessing … [14] Mapping ... [15] Systematic ... [16] The coincidence … [17] On areas ... [18] Areas ... [19] Historical … [20] Conservation ... [21] Plant ... [22] The ... [23] The roles … [24] Annotated ... [25] Endemism ... [26] The ... [27] Estimating ... [28] Predicting … [29] Timing ... [30] Iranian ... [31] Convergence … [32] The ... [33] The … [34] Amphibians ... [35] The ... [36] Snakes … [37] Molecular ... 1Zagros Herpetological Institute, [38] A study ... [39] Annotated ... [40] A new … [41] Description ... [42] A new ... [43] A new … [44] Qom, Iran Identifying ... [45] The complete ... [46] A new ... [47] Phylogeny ... [48] A new species … [49] Sustainable 2 Department of Biology, Faculty ... [50] Description ... [51] Alpine-Himalayan … [52] A new species ... [53] A new … [54] Topographic ... of Science, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran [55] Topographic ... [56] Environmental … [57] Climate ... [58] Genetic ... [59] Biogeographical … [60] Three … [61] Deep … [62] A novel approach … [63] Quaternary … [64] Visions … [65] Molecular … [66] Effects … [67] Habitat … [68] Challenges … [69] Biodiversity … [70] Prediction … [71] Widespread … [72] Climate … [73] The amphibian … [74] Global … [75] Status and … [76] Additive threats … [77] Population … [78] 2004 IUCN red list … [79] The conservation status … [80] Accelerated … [81] Climate *Correspondence … [82] Diagnoses of new … [83] mit einem … [84] Notes … [85] Trois formes nouvelles d’amphibies … Address: Department of Biology, Uni- [86] A new form … [87] A new subspecies … [88] [89] Taxonomic revision … [90] A versity of Birjand, Birjand, Iran. Post new species … [91] Two new species … [92] Ein neuer Hemidactylus … [93] A new species … [94] VI.- Box: 97179-414 Ü�ber eine neue … Descriptions … [95] Remarks on some geckos … [96] A new species … [97] Description of a new … [98] Phone: +98 (56) 32202041 Fax: +98 (56) 32202041 Reptiles et amphibiens … [99] Zwerggeckos aus … [100] A new species of … [101] Lacertas of south … [email protected] [102] A new species … [103] A new species … [104] Eine neue Unterart … [105] Beschreibung eines … [106] [107] Beschreibung eines … [108] A new genus and … [109] A new species Article History … [110] A new species … [111] Retraction of Ptyodactylus … [112] Herpetologische Notizen … [113] A Ü�ber eine sammlung … Received: December 11, 2019 new species … [114] Description of a new … [115] sp.(Colubridae, Serpentes) … [116] Reptilien aus … Accepted: March 12, 2020 [117] Coluber … [118] Prime linee … [119] Notes on a … [120] A new species … [121] A new species … ePublished: September 22, 2020 Copyright© 2020, TMU Press. This open-access article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License which permits Share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and Adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material) under the Attribution-NonCommercial terms. High Diversity and Endemism of Herpetofauna in the Zagros Mountains 222 Introduction province, southwestern Iran, as etone [23].al. of the The main purpose of conservation biology is richest hotspots of the Iranian reptiles identifing areas of high biodiversity and[1] to aid in According to Eskandarzadeh , the managing conservation priorities . Hence, percentages of the Iranian endemic herp species many investigations have been carried out to are as follows: 28.45% of reptiles (66 from 232 examine how to recognize regions with high reptilian species in Iran) and 22.73%[24] of diversity. Recent studies suggest that 34 amphibians (five out of about 22 species) . As hotspots include at least 42% of terrestrial reptiles and amphibians have relatively narrow vertebrate species and 50% of known plant distributions as compared to other vertebrates, species, mainly[2, 3] due to their endemic species and the diverse geographical and environmental habitats . In addition to their importance due conditions in Iran have generated herpetofaunal to their species richness, biodiversity hotspots biodiversity. Therefore, the two groups are are valuable for studying factors influencing important in terms of conservation programs diversification and associated mechanisms. and future studies. In addition, the number of Endemic species are useful in recognizing endemic herp species in the Zagros Mountains biodiversity[2, 4-6] hotspots and highly endangered and the western[25, 26] foothills of the Zagros is species . Additionally, identifying areas of remarkable . endemism is an important part of regional The Zagros Mountain range is located in theth conservation planning management. Irano-Anatolian[3] biodiversity hotspot, as the 20 Areas with high endemism are geographic hotspot region . The Zagros Mountain range is regions that contain the congruent distributions the major geographic barrier between the of two or more monophyletic species that central Iranian plateau and the Mesopotamian probably resulted from common plain in western Asia, and it also provides a biogeographical events such as geological,[7-10] corridor etfor al. the southward[25] distribution of ecological, or evolutionary processes . northern faunal elements . According to Generally, biogeography and evolutionary Noroozi , the Zagros Mountains, contain[6] the studies focus on illuminating the development of largest identified areas of endemism . In Iran, areas of endemism, whereas ecological research data about the number of species, especially concentrates on centers of endemism due to endemic species, their distribution, and ecology their importance[2, 11-17] in planning conservation are certainly inadequate and underestimated, actions . Recognizing and presenting and the issue is especially[22, serious 23, 27, 28] in the case of information on areas of endemism is a amphibians and reptiles . This study fundamental tool used in investigating historical aimed to develop a comprehensive checklist of and ecological biogeography. However, it is endemic herpetofauna species in the Zagros challenging to examine these areas from a Mountains, one of the biodiversity hotspot conservation perspective, especially in cases regions, and to provide more information about where protected areas are delineated based on this important area and the necessity of diversity hotspots sinceet al endemism[4, 18-21] is foundet al Materialsconservation and programs Methods to protect it. outside the highly diverse regions . Based on studies by Myers . and Mittermeier ., north and west of Iran are presented as parts of The Zagros2 Mountains, with an area of about the Irano-Anatolianth et al biodiversity hotspot, the[2, so-3] 533,543km , ranges from Turkey and Iraq to called 20 global hotspot region . western and southwestern Iran along the Mittermeier . defined hotspots based on eastern edge of the Persian Gulf (Figure 1). The their exceptional species endemism and part of northwestern-southeastern the Zagros extensive loss of habitat. The 34 identified Mountains, which is a part of the alpine hotspots include at least 42% of terrestrial Himalayan mountain orogeny, extends for about vertebrate species and at least 50% of known