Lizard fauna of Mehran County in Ilam Province

The county of Mehran is located in one of the main plains of Ilam Province and possesses a semi-saharan, dry and relatively hot environment. In order to study the lizard fauna and assess symbiotic species and biologic adaptations of these retiles this research was conducted through an extensive field and laboratory works during April 2010 to August 2011. In this assay we collected and identified 11 species of lizards belonging to 11 genera and six families from this region. The family Gekkonidae with four taxa including Cyrtopodion scabrum, Mediodactylus heteropholis, Bunopus tuberculatus and Microgecko helena was represented as the most frequent family in this area whereas the families Eublepharidae, Scincidae, Phyllodactylidae were introduced each with only one species of Eublepharis angramainu, Trachylepis septentaeniataand Asaccus elisa, respectively. The family Lacertidae with two species Ophisops elegans and Acanthodactylus boskianus and the family Agamidae also with two taxa Laudakia nupta and Trapelus lessonae occur here. The most common lizard in this region is the snake-eyed lizard, Ophisops elegans.