Map_thumbnail_large_font

Phrynocephalus persicus

Status_ne_offStatus_dd_offStatus_lc_offStatus_nt_offStatus_vu_onStatus_en_offStatus_cr_offStatus_ew_offStatus_ex_off

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
ANIMALIA CHORDATA REPTILIA SQUAMATA AGAMIDAE

Scientific Name: Phrynocephalus persicus
Species Authority: de Filippi, 1863
Common Name/s:
English – Persian Toad Agame
Synonym/s:
Phrynocephalus helioscopus subspecies persicus de Filippi, 1863
Taxonomic Notes: This taxon has previously been recognised as a subspecies of Phrynocephalus helioscopus.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria: Vulnerable A2c ver 3.1
Year Published: 2009
Assessor/s: Steven Anderson, Boris Turiyev & Soheila Shafiei Bafti
Reviewer/s: Cox, N. & Temple, H.
Contributor/s:
Justification:
This species is listed as Vulnerable because it has experienced more than 30 percent habitat decline over the past 10 years. With low population densities, this habitat loss has led to significant fragmentation.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description: The species is distributed as fragmented populations in the northwestern and western parts of the Central Plateau in Iran. There are records from the highlands of Zuvand in Azerbaijan, but there are no records from the past 50 years and it is possibly extinct here. It has been recorded up to 1,150 m asl.
Countries:
Native:
Iran, Islamic Republic of
Regionally extinct:
Azerbaijan
Range Map: Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population: It is fairly common in suitable habitat (Anderson, pers. comm. 2008), but it is patchily distributed. Overall, this species is found at low population densities (Shafti, pers. comm. 2008).
Population Trend: Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology: This species inhabits plateaus, where it is generally found in saltwort and wormwood semi-desert with sparse xerophytic herbaceous vegetation, grassy areas, and on takyr-like soils. It is an egg-laying species.
Systems: Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s): This species is significantly threatened by conversion of land to intensive agricultural use, including ploughing, overgrazing, and irrigation of semi-desert habitats.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions: There are protected areas within its range, and it is possible that populations of this species are present here.
Citation: Steven Anderson, Boris Turiyev & Soheila Shafiei Bafti 2009. Phrynocephalus persicus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 May 2013.
Disclaimer: To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
Feedback: If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided