ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF REPTILIAN FAUNA OF BASRAH, SOUTH OF IRAQ
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2018.15.1.0077Keywords:
Basrah, Squamata, Serpentes, Turtles, ZoogeographyAbstract
Basrah province is situated at the extreme south of Iraq, it has an interesting reptile fauna (Squamata and Serpentes) and represents a land bridge between three different zoogeographical regions ( Oriental, Palaearctic and Ethiopian).
This situation gave Basrah province a topographic specific opportunity for raising its own faunal diversity including reptiles; in this study Basrah province was divided into four main zones: the cities and orchards, marshes and wetlands (sabkha), the true dessert, the seashore and Shat Al-Arab.
Forty nine reptile species were recorded including snakes, sea and fresh water turtles, and Lizards; brief notes and descriptions for the rare and important species were provided and supported by Plates.
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