|
چکیده
|
This study aimed to present a comprehensive snake fauna database and new distribution data of Yazd Province in addition provide the patterns of snake species richness in the province. Field surveys were conducted in ten counties and 39 sites across the province from 2008 to 2020. 23 snake species from 223 specimens were recorded (28% of snakes in Iran) belonging to six families (Colubridae, Erycidae, Lamprophiidae, Leptotyphlopidae, Typhlopidae, Viperidae), of which three represent new records for Yazd Province, including Eirenis walteri, Lytorhynchus diadema, Myriopholis macrorhyncha. In addition, first point localities were reported for Lytorhynchus ridgewayi, Platyceps schmidtleri, Spalerosophis microlepis, Telescopus rhinopoma, Eryx jaculus, Psammophis lineolatus in Yazd Province. All of new species records were non-venomous snakes, while Viperidae had the greatest number of specimen observations during the field study period. In the present study the most diverse snake family in Yazd Province was Colubridae with 13 species, and the most abundant species were Pseudocerastes persicus, with 33% of dominance, and Spalerosophis diadema with 13% of dominance. Among the habitats, Bagh-e Shadi Protected Area in Khatam County and Shir-Kouh Wildlife Refuge in Taft County contained the highest snake species richness. Each of Khatam and Taft counties with 12 species had the highest species diversity. The main threats to snake populations in Yazd Province are snake-human conflict particularly intentional killing by farmers and shepherds due to fear of snakes, road mortality, habitat loss through mining and road construction, dead traps, and the use of poison baits to control rodents
|