Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis (Schneider, 1799)

Jablonski, Daniel, Regan, John M., Holzheuser, Chace, Farooqi, Javeed, Basit, Abdul & Masroor, Rafaqat, 2019, Additional data to the herpetofauna of Afghanistan, Herpetozoa 32, pp. 177-193 : 177

Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis (Schneider, 1799)

Distribution in Afghanistan.

According to Wagner et al. (2016), this species is known from three isolated regions: first follows the valleys of Kabul and Kaitu Rivers in the east, second from Helmand River in the south and third from the area between the Khash and Farah Rud rivers in the south-west (provinces Farah, Helmand, Khost, Laghman, Nangarhar; Fig. 2 ).

Our records

( Fig. 2 ). Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar (17 May 2009), several dozen juveniles, subadult and adult individuals ( Fig. 4A ), grouped in large numbers in the artificial pond near the runway in semi-desert area ( Fig. 10A ).

Remarks.

Distribution of this species in Afghanistan is restricted to the aforementioned river valleys or oasis and the surrounding vicinity and represents the species’ northern distribution. Our record is the first for Kandahar Province and represents a new locality of the species.

Figures

Figure 2. Updated herpetofaunistic records from Afghanistan (white dots: data of Buchroithner, 1981; Wagner et al. 2016; Jablonski et al. 2019; red dots: data of this study). Bufotes viridis complex (including species B. oblongus, B. baturae / pseudoraddei, B. turanensis and B. zugmayeri presented by Wagner et al. 2016): 1 - Dehdadi, Balkh; 2 - Nahr Shahi, Balkh; 3 - Mazar-i-Sharif, Balkh; 4 - Arga Queshlaq, Badakhshan; 5 - Broghil Pass, Badakhshan; 6 - Camp Dubs - Kabul, Kabul; 7 - Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar. Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis: Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar. Testudo horsfieldii: 1 - Pol-e-Khomri, Baghlan; 2 - Lagman Base, Qalat, Zabul; 3 - Waza Kwah, Paktika. Phrynocephalus mystaceus: Shor Tepah, Balkh. Trapelus agilis: 1 - Camp Mike Spann Chapel, Mazar-i-Sharif, Balkh; 2 - Lashkargah, Helmand; 3 - Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar; 4 - Lagman Base, Qalat, Zabul; 5 - Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan. Trapelus megalonyx: 1 - Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar; 2 - Gardez, Gardez Base, Paktia.

Figure 4. Observed species of Dicroglossidae, Testudinidae and Agamidae families from Afghanistan: A - adult individuals of Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis from Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar; B - adult individual of Testudo horsfieldii from Pol-e-Khomri, Baghlan; C - adult individual of Phrynocephalus mystaceus from Shor Tepah, Balkh; D - juvenile individual of Trapelus agilis from Lashkargah, Helmand; E - adult male of T. agilis from Lagman Base, Qalat, Zabul; F, G - adult and subadult males of T. agilis from Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar; H - adult male of T. aff. megalonyx from Gardez Base, Gardez, Paktia; I - adult individual of T. aff. megalonyx from Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar.

Figure 10. View on selected localities from Afghanistan that were visited: A - habitat of Bufotes viridis complex and Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis from Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar; B - stony, semi-desert habitat of Eremias aff. nigrocellata from Kaldar, Balkh; C - semi-desert habitat of Trapelus agilis from Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan; D - vicinity of small village Waza Kwah, Paktika as habitat of Testudo horsfieldii; E - desert habitat of Cyrtopodion agamuroides complex from Camp Leatherneck, Washir, Helmand; F - burrows in semi-desert habitat that were used by Eremias persica as a shelter, Kandahar, Air Base, Kandahar.