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Paralaudakia microlepis (BLANFORD, 1874)

IUCN Red List - Paralaudakia microlepis - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaAgamidae (Agaminae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards)
SubspeciesParalaudakia microlepis microlepis BLANFORD 1874
Paralaudakia microlepis taftanica SANCHOOLI, RAHIMIAN, RASTEGAR-POUYANI & RASTEGAR-POUYANI 2015 
Common NamesE: Smallscaled Rock Agama 
SynonymStellio microlepis BLANFORD 1874: 453
Agama microlepis — BOULENGER 1885: 366
Agama microlepis — WETTSTEIN 1951: 435
Agama microlepis — ANDERSON 1963: 475
Agama microlepis — WERMUTH 1967: 17
Stellio caucasica triannulatus ANANJEVA & ATAJEV 1984
Stellio caucasius triannulatus ANANJEVA & ATAJEV 1984 (fide BÖHME 2014)
Laudakia caucasia triannulata — MACEY et al. 1998
Laudakia microlepis — MACEY et al. 2000
Paralaudakia microlepis — BAIG et al. 2012: 237
Laudakia microlepis — KHAN 2014
Laudakia caucasia triannulata — MILTO & BARABANOV 2012: 166
Paralaudakia microlepis — AZHAR et al. 2025

Paralaudakia microlepis taftanica SANCHOOLI, RAHIMIAN, RASTEGAR-POUYANI & RASTEGAR-POUYANI 2015 
DistributionS Iran, Afghanistan [HR 31: 197], W Pakistan, S Turkmenistan

Type locality: in montiubs Persiae meridionalis. “Iran, Khaneh-Sorkh Pass, between Sirjan and Kerman” fide BAIG et al. 2012. “Shiraz, Persien” fide TIEDEMANNE et al. 1994. Restricted to Kushkizard, north of Shiraz by BOULENGER 1885.

taftanica: Iran (Sistan, Baluchistan); Type locality: 25 km north of Khash, Sistan and Baluchistan province, Southeastern Iran (28° 36.0' 25.1" N, 61° 04' 47.3" E).

triannulatus: Type locality: Type locality: “Meshed sand area near Madau village, SW-Turkmenia.”  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesSyntypes: NMW 24632, ZMB 9324
Lectotype: BMNH 1946.8.28.74 (designated by RASTEGAR-POUYANI & NILSON 2002).
Holotype: ZISP 19640, adult male, “Meshed sand area near Madau village (south-western Turkmenia).” Leg: Ch. Atajev, L. I. Pavlenko, 09.IV.1975; Paratype: ZFMK 53061 [triannulatus]
Holotype: ZUTC, REP 1438, adult male, collected on 25 August 2011 [taftanica] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (as Paralaudakia). Size relatively large; head and body depressed; olivaceous or bluish grey with yellow ocelli; vertebral enlarged scales smooth or feebly keeled; flanks with or without any enlarged mucronate scales; body scales very small; tail segment of two whorls; callous glands present in both sexes [BAIG et al. 2012].


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CommentSynonymy: BAIG et al. 2012 placed Stellio caucasica triannulatus ANANJEVA & ATAJEV 1984 in the synonym of L. microlepis.

Distribution: Not confirmed from Pakistan (KHAN, pers. comm.). Not listed by DAS 1996. See map in SMID et al. 2014 for distribution in Iran. 
EtymologyNamed after its small scales; Greek micro-, micros = small + Greek lepis = scale (Maggenti, 2005). 
References
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  • Ananjeva, N.B.; Atajev, J. 1984. Stellio caucasica triannulatus - A new Subspecies of the caucasian Agama from South- Western Turkmenia. Trudy Zool. Inst. Akad. Nauk Sssr 124: 4-11
  • ANANJEVA, Natalia B.; Evgeny A. GOLYNSKY, Seyyed Saeed HOSSEINIAN YOUSEFKHANI, Rafaqat MASROOR 2014. Distribution and Environmental Suitability of the Smallscaled Rock Agama, Paralaudakia microlepis (Sauria: Agamidae) in the Iranian Plateau. Asian Herpetological Research 5 (3): 161–167 - get paper here
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  • Azhar, H., Gharzi, A., Chehri, K., & Karamiani, R. 2025. Systematics and distribution of the genus Paralaudakia Baig, Wagner, Ananjeva and Böhme, 2012 (Sauria, Agamidae): A review: Systematics and distribution of the genus Paralaudakia. Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 9 (1): 381-404 - get paper here
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