Distribution and Environmental Suitability of the European Glass Lizard Pseudopus apodus (Pallas, 1775) in the Iranian Plateau

Reza Nasrabadi, Nasrullah Rastegar-Pouyani, Eskandar Rastegar-Pouyani, Haji Gholi Kami, Ahmad Gharzi, Saeed S. Hosseinian Yousefkhani

Abstract


Iran is a hot and dry country which receives influences from marine and mountainous environments. Only a few studies have been executed on habitat and distribution of reptiles in this country. In current research, we present ecological niche models (ENMs) for European glass lizard (Pseudopus apodus) in Iran, using as predictors remote sensing and climatic data. These data are basic for the conservation and management programs on the endangered species and their habitats. Predicted map shows that the areas of northern Iran have proper habitat for Pseudopus apodus. According to the predictive map, more central and southern regions of the country are unsuitable for P. apodus. Despite some limitations, these models were considered at least «very good» (AUC > 0.95), and provide a useful predictive tool for species distribution.

Keywords


MaxEnt; reptiles; distribution; biodiversity

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2018-25-1-6-10

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