Amphibians and reptiles of the Aammiq region

Introduction

The amphibians and reptiles listed below have all been recorded in the Aammiq region either by A Rocha personnel or people working with A Rocha from 1996 onwards. As with the other species lists, the Aammiq region is here taken to include not just the valley floor wetlands, which are very rich in reptiles, but also the adjacent farmlands and the rocky slopes of Jebel Barouk.

Salamandra infraimmaculata

Herpetology, the study of reptiles and amphibians, is a specialised field and as yet there has been no systematic A Rocha herpetological survey of this area. Far more species are known to exist in the area than are reported here. Any skilled volunteers wishing to study the reptiles and amphibians of the Aammiq area would be gladly accepted!

Amphibians

Salamanders: Salamandridae

Salamander Salamandra infraimmaculata

True Frogs: Ranidae

Levantine Frog Rana bedriagae

Tree Frogs: Hylidae

Mediterranean Tree Frog Hyla savignyi

Toads: Bufonidae

Green Toad (Bufo viridis)

Green Toad Bufo viridis

Reptiles

Tortoises and Turtles: Testudinidae

Spur-thighed Tortoise Testudo graeca
Caspian or Marsh Turtle Mauremys caspica

Lizards: Lacertidae

Lebanon Lizard Lacerta laevis
Levant Green Lizard Lacerta media
Snake-eyed Lizard Ophisops elegans
Wall Lizard sp. Podarcis sp.

Skinks: Scincidae

Ocellated Skink Chalcides ocellatus
Bridled Skink Mabuya vittata
Schneider’s Skink Eumeces schneideri

Agama Lizards: Agamidae

Hardun, or Starred Agama Laudakia stellio

Chameleons: Chamaeleonidae

European Chameleon Chamaeleo chamaeleon

Geckos: Gekkonidae

Levant Fan-fingered Gecko Ptyodactylus puiseuxi
Kotschy’s Gecko Cyrtopodion kotschyi
Turkish Gecko Hemidactylus turcicus

Worm snakes: Typhlopidae

Worm Snake Typhlops vermicularis

Colubrid snakes: Colubridae

Large Whip Snake Coluber jugularis
Roth’s Dwarf Snake Eirenis rothi
Montpellier Snake Malpolon monspesslanus
Dice Snake Natrix tesselata

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For further information contact lebanon@arocha.org.