Phrynocephalus horvathi

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	REPTILIA	SQUAMATA	AGAMIDAE

Scientific Name:	Phrynocephalus horvathi
Species Authority:	von Mehely, 1894
Synonym/s:	Phrynocephalus helioscopus subspecies horvathi von Mehely, 1894 Phrynocephalus persicus subspecies horvathi von Mehely, 1894
Taxonomic Notes:	We provisionally follow Melnikov et al. (2008) in considering Phrynocephalus horvathi to be distinct at the species level pending additional taxonomic studies.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Critically Endangered A2c ver 3.1
Year Published:	2009
Assessor/s:	Natalia Ananjeva, Aram Agasyan
Reviewer/s:	Neil Cox and Helen Temple
Contributor/s:
Justification: This species is listed as Critically Endangered because it has experienced a loss of over 80 percent of its habitat over the past 3 generations (12 years) due to land conversion for agriculture and urbanization. In addition, its range is highly fragmented and the population is small and declining.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species occurs as several isolated populations within the Araks River valley of Armenia, Nakhichevan (Azerbaijan), and Turkey. It is a lowland species found up to 500 m asl.
Countries:	Native: Armenia (Armenia); Azerbaijan; Turkey
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The total number of animals in the Araks River is unlikely to exceed 1,500 - 2,000 individuals. Approximately four to six animals are found per hectare.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Population of this species are largely limited to a limited patches of saltwort and wormwood semi-desert with sparse xerophytic herbaceous vegetation and takyr-like (clay desert) soils. Animals are particularly numerous on weakly-stabilized sandy soils (such as that found in the Gorovanskie peski protected area, Armenia). Animals can marginally also be found on traditional arable land. The females lay clutches of eggs two or three times in a season. This species is difficult to reproduce in captivity.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

Population of this species are largely limited to a limited patches of saltwort and wormwood semi-desert with sparse xerophytic herbaceous vegetation and takyr-like (clay desert) soils. Animals are particularly numerous on weakly-stabilized sandy soils (such as that found in the Gorovanskie peski protected area, Armenia). Animals can marginally also be found on traditional arable land. The females lay clutches of eggs two or three times in a season. This species is difficult to reproduce in captivity.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The habitat of this species is being significantly fragmented by conversion to intensive agriculture and urbanization in the Araks River valley. Much of the appropriate habitat has been lost within the past few years.

Major Threat(s):

The habitat of this species is being significantly fragmented by conversion to intensive agriculture and urbanization in the Araks River valley. Much of the appropriate habitat has been lost within the past few years.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	This species has been recorded from the Gorovanskie perski protected area in Armenia; although protection measures for this species within the park need to be improved. There is an urgent need to identify and protect any remaining populations of this declining species. Formerly this species was included into the Red Data Book of the USSR (as P. h. persicus) (1984) - category 1. It is included in the Red Data Book of Armenia (1987).

Conservation Actions:

This species has been recorded from the Gorovanskie perski protected area in Armenia; although protection measures for this species within the park need to be improved. There is an urgent need to identify and protect any remaining populations of this declining species. Formerly this species was included into the Red Data Book of the USSR (as P. h. persicus) (1984) - category 1. It is included in the Red Data Book of Armenia (1987).

Citation:	Natalia Ananjeva, Aram Agasyan 2009. Phrynocephalus horvathi. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2013.
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