Euphrates softshell turtle threatened with extinction in Iran – via Herp Digest

Reporting for this story was supported by a grant from the Earth Journalism Network.

Tehran Times 6/2/19

TEHRAN – Euphrates softshell turtle is endangered in the country mainly due to habitat loss and low precipitation, environmental expert Asghar Mobaraki told YJC on Friday.

The Euphrates softshell turtle (Rafetus euphraticus), also known as the Mesopotamian softshell turtle, is a species of softshell turtle in the family Trionychidae. It is found throughout much of the Euphrates–Tigris river basin in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iranian Khuzestan province. 

This freshwater turtle can weigh up to 20 kg (44 pounds), and it has a smooth leathery shell that can reach up to 68 cm (2.2 fit) in length. They are mainly found in a wide range of freshwater habitats such as rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and marshlands.

Despite its endangered status, there are no specific conservations projects aimed at saving this species in most of its range, Mobaraki stated.

According to the IUCN anthropogenic fragmentation, alteration, and destruction of suitable habitat throughout its range are the main threats to Rafetus euphraticus.

When basking on land they are very shy, retreating to water at the slightest hint of danger, therefore, estimating their population is difficult, he explained.

Referring to ways available to estimate the population of the species, he noted that determining an exact number of the remaining species requires advanced equipment as well as fund.

In the past that water level in major lakes and wetlands were lower, we could determine the species distribution, however, with recent heavy rainfalls, water level has increased and we are no longer able to count them, he also added.

He went on to say that in 1350s to 1360s (1971-1991), Euphrates softshell turtles had a stable population in the Shadegan wetland in Khuzestan province, while their population gradually shrank.

In past recent years, their population was shrinking due to low precipitation and recurrent drought haunting Khuzestan province, he regretted.

Although the primary threats are habitat loss and fragmentation, to lesser extent also pollution is to blame, he stated, adding, some lakes have been contaminated as waste and poisonous sewage enters them.

In some cases, they are killed by fishermen due to being carnivorous and caught on fishing hooks, he further regretted, concluding, fishing nets, illegal boats, and dams which alter levels of sediment and water temperature, are among the other major threats to the species in the country.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed Euphrates softshell turtle as engendered assessing its population in 2016.

Threats in detail 

According to the IUCN anthropogenic fragmentation, alteration, and destruction of suitable habitat throughout its range are the main threats to Rafetus euphraticus. 

Major dams cause fundamental changes to water quality and the flow regime downstream, making it impossible for R. euphraticus to survive in long downstream riverine stretches. The loss of sandbank nesting habitat through flooding and sand mining is also a serious threat.

The use of pesticides in agricultural fields next to riverbanks causes pollution along the tributaries. 

Additionally the draining of the Mesopotamian Marshes in southeastern coastal Iraq and southwestern Iran after the 1991 Gulf War is likely to have impacted Iraqi populations significantly. Animals accidentally caught by fishermen may be killed as perceived competitors, and nests destroyed. 

In Iraq, various wars and political conflicts, drought, dam construction, unsustainable fishing methods, especially electro-fishing, and the use of poisons and explosive materials are the main concerns for Rafetus survival. 

Furthermore, oil development, especially in southern Iraq and gravel mining in northern rivers threatens R. euphraticus populations. 

No information is available on threats to R. euphraticus in Syria, where it occupies territories under severe political unrest and turmoil. 

The Chinese Soft Shell, Pelodiscus sinensis, has been imported into Iran illegally and has the potential to become a competitor for R. euphraticus.

Furry 'Harry Potter' Spider Discovered in Mountain Burrow

By Laura Geggel, Senior Writer | July 7, 2017 05:00pm ET

A newly identified wolf spider looks so much like Aragog, the giant, fictional spider from the "Harry Potter" series, that the creature is being named after the colossal arachnid, a new study reports.

The naming opportunity was too good to pass up, the researchers said. The animatronic puppet created for the movie "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" was based on the anatomy of a wolf spider, said study co-researcher Alireza Zamani, a graduate student of animal biosystematics at the University of Tehran in Iran.

"We found out that there was an extreme similarity between our spider and Aragog as he was depicted in the second film," Zamani told Live Science in an email. "Since it was also the 20th anniversary of the whole 'Harry Potter' series, we thought it might be a good idea and celebration of this wonderful franchise" [to name the spider after Aragog].

Continued  

Only two female Asiatic cheetahs remain in wild in Iran

Iranian Cheetah Society says situation is critical as numbers of the subspecies continue to dwindle

Saeed Kamali Dehghan Iran correspondent

Tuesday 30 August 201619.11 BSTLast modified on Wednesday 31 August 201607.30 BST

Conservationists say only two female Asiatic cheetahs are known to be alive in the wild in Iran, which hosts the last surviving population.

Asiatic cheetahs, also known as Iranian cheetahs, are a subspecies of the fastest animal on earth and classified as critically endangered, with fewer than 40 believed to remain in Iran.

As part of efforts to raise the animal’s profile, in the past decade cheetahs have been displayed on the national football team’s kit and on stamps, but it has become increasingly imperilled. 

Tuesday was Iran’s national cheetah day, marking an event more than two decades ago when a cub named Marita survived an attack by a group of villagers in which his mother and two siblings were killed. Marita became a national symbol. 

Morteza Eslami, head of the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS), a Tehran-based NGO, said camera traps in areas with the most Asiatic cheetahs had seen just two females in recent months.

“The situation is very critical,” he said. “We have been monitoring the situation closely in the past five years and the population of female Asiatic cheetahs has significantly dropped.”

Delaram Ashayeri, an independent conservationist, said: “Unfortunately the number of female cheetahs has been dwindling. In areas where camera traps have been operating for a long time … we are not seeing many female cheetahs or we’re seeing only carcasses.”

In the past 15 years, 48 cheetahs are believed to have died, seven from natural causes, 21 at the hands of farmers, 15 in car accidents and five as a result of hunting.

Read on  

The big business of trophy hunting in Iran

By Siavash Ardalan

BBC Persian

11 August 2015 

The furore over the killing by a US dentist of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe has thrown a spotlight on trophy hunting - but while Africa is commonly associated with the sport, American enthusiasts are finding another popular hunting destination - the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Every year, Iran's Environment Protection Agency issues about 500 licences to foreign visitors to hunt rare and protected breeds.

Many of these hunters come from the US, despite the absence of diplomatic relations and a state of tension between the two countries for the past 35 years.

They have been heading there since the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) made it legal for US agencies to book hunting tours to Iran more than a decade ago.

Continued ...

Iran plans new monkey space launch

Tehran (AFP) - Iran is planning to send another live monkey into space within a month, a top space official said in remarks reported by media Sunday.

"The second live animal will be ready within a month to be sent into space," said Hamid Fazeli, deputy head of Iran's space organisation, the Jomhuri Eslami newspaper reported.

Iran in January claimed to have successfully launched a live monkey into space and to have brought it safely back to earth.

The experiment’s success was disputed, however, when a different monkey was presented to the media after the landing. An earlier attempt had failed in September 2011.

Iran's space programme has prompted concern among Western governments, which fear Tehran is trying to master the technology required to deliver a nuclear warhead.

Iran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons or the means to deliver them.

Fazeli said the monkey would be sent into space via "a liquid-fuel launcher," while refusing to set a "definite date" for the launch. Iran has delayed past launches without giving specific reasons.

Akbar Torkan, the interim chief of Iran’s space organisation, said on Sunday the delays are due to budget woes.

"The decrease in the country's total revenue, and thus the budget, has impacted our space-related activities," Torkan was quoted as telling the official IRNA news agency.

Iran is under harsh Western-led international sanctions targeting its vital oil income and aimed at curbing its controversial nuclear drive.

Earlier this week, Fazeli said Iran would put three satellites into space by the end of the Iranian year, in March 2014.

The Islamic republic, which first put a satellite into orbit in 2009, has outlined an ambitious programme with plans to send a man into space within a decade.

http://news.yahoo.com/iran-plans-monkey-space-launch-141600184.html

New survey shows Iranian cheetahs edging towards extinction

Just 40 to 70 Asiatic Cheetahs Left in Iran

September 2013. Iran is home to the last known population of Asiatic cheetah which once roamed across vast ranges of west and south Asian countries. However, despite enforced protection efforts in recent years, no reliable information was available about the cheetah population in the country which made assessment of conservation measures impossible.

Comprehensive monitoring

To rectify this a comprehensive monitoring program was initiated by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) in partnership with Iran's Department of Environment, the Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project and Panthera to understand demographic characteristics of the cheetahs in Iran between 2011 and 2013. As a result of extensive research & camera trapping, a population of just 40 to 70 individuals is now accepted for the entire country, significantly fewer than the previous estimate of 70 to 100.

Read further

Albino jackal spotted in Iran

White jackal caught by camera trap

July 2013. An (probably) albino jackal, a medium-sized canid which is widespread in western Asia, has been caught on camera in south-eastern Iran during a research project into the population survey of the Asiatic cheetah in the Ravar Wildlife Refuge.

Albinism is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes. Albinism results from inheritance of recessive gene alleles and is known to affect all vertebrates, including humans. Albinism has not been common among golden jackals but there are few cases from west Asia dating back to 1970s. In contrast, recently melanistic golden jackal has been also reported from Turkey.

A ‘true' albino has no colouring at all, and many features such as eyes and ears, appear pink. This jackal does have a hint of colouring around the eyes and nose, so it may be ‘leucistic', or more probably, this is just a trick of the light as the image is taken at night.

Leucism (or Leukism) 

Leucism is a very unusual condition whereby the pigmentation cells in an animal or bird fail to develop properly. This can result in unusual white patches appearing on the animal, or, more rarely, completely white creatures. 

Click here to see our gallery of albino and leucistic animals and birds. 

Ravar Wildlife Refuge

With an area of 15,000 km2, Ravar Wildlife Refuge is part of the Asiatic cheetah monitoring program that the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) leads within multiple reserves in Iran in partnership with Iranian Department of Environment, Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP) and Panthera. Since early autumn 2012, the ICS' experts have been surveying the area while training game wardens with monitoring skills. However, unlike other cheetah habitats in the country, Ravar is not an easy area to do field surveys, as it is near the border with Afghanistan and has a high chance of encountering drug smuggling caravans. The project will continue until the end of summer 2013.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/albino-jackal.html

New Anagnorisma Moth Species from Beautiful Binaloud Mountain Iran

July 17, 2013 — Researchers described a new species of Noctuidae moth from Iran which is the fifth described species of the genus Anagnorisma.

The study was published in the open access journal Zookeys.

During an expedition at high altitude of above 2500 m of north-eastern Iran on a cold night in late summer 2012, a couple of undescribed specimens of Anagnorisma moths were collected. The specimens had been attracted to an ultraviolet light trap on the Binaloud Mountain near Mashhad city, the capital of the Khorasan-e-Razavi province of Iran. They have a wingspan of 34-35 mm. The new species was collected in a narrow river valley dominated by mountain sainfoin (Onobrychis cornuta), wild almond (Prunus (Amygdalus) scoparia), and downy brome (Bromus tectorum).

Continued

Persian leopard conservation in Iran

Research of conflict between villagers and leopards is vital in Iran for improved conservation

Courtesy of Igor Khorozyan, PhD, Department of Conservation Biology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany. 

June 2013. The Persian leopard is a globally endangered big cat that survives mainly in Iran. There are an estimated 500-850 leopards left in Iran, and Golestan National Park, located in north-eastern Iran, is an important habitat for Persian leopards.

The largest population of this highly elusive predator, estimated through camera-trapping as 23-42 individuals or 2.63 individuals/100 km2, is documented in Golestan National Park. This protected area covers 874 km2 and is comprised of lush humid forests in the west, dry grasslands in the centre and east, and parched semi-deserts in the south.

High mortality

Being apparently healthy, the local leopard population still suffers from high mortality caused by conflicts with people living in villages around Golestan and occasional kills on the Asian highway that bisects the park in the south.

In early 2013, a project was launched by a team from University of Göttingen (Germany), in cooperation with Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation (Iran) with the financial support of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (UAE) to survey local villages, to understand the scale and pattern of human-leopard conflict and to reveal trends in local knowledge and attitudes.

Conflicts are more widespread than previously thought - leopards and wolves

After surveys in all 34 villages around Golestan were finished, it became evident that leopard attacks on domestic animals are confined mostly to the western part of the park covered by dense forests. In grasslands and semi-deserts, the dominant and trouble-making predator is the wolf, but two villages still reported leopard issues. Dogs and 1-2 year-old cattle are most frequently taken. Shepherd dogs are widely used to patrol grazing livestock, but they are only seldom properly trained and so they often provoke leopards into attacks instead of repelling them. In leopards eyes, a dog is as tasty as a calf.

Continued

Just 20 individual cheetahs identified in Iran so far, including 6 surviving females

More areas left to be surveyed

March 2013. Based on recent camera trapping surveys in Iran, just 20 different Asiatic cheetahs have been identified in the country. Initiated in late 2011, the first comprehensive national population survey has been implemented by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) and Iranian Department of Environment (DoE) in partnership with Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP) and Panthera. 

Around half of the country's known cheetah population exist in central province of Yazd with multiple reserves for the species, while rest of the cheetahs roam areas such as Miandasht, Kavir, Turan & Doruneh amongst.

The Asiatic cheetah has attracted intensive attention of national and international scientific communities who are studying various aspects of its life, particularly its population size. However, so far, no precise and accurate estimate of the species population was available, making assessment of conservation measures difficult, or even impossible.

Camera traps
Camera traps have been proposed as a useful way to estimate their numbers, based on other large cat research. However, due to lack of necessary equipment and funding, limited scientific training and absence of an experienced team of trained field biologists, this technique has rarely been applied to the Critically Endangered Asiatic cheetahs.

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/iran-cheetah-population013.html#cr

Iran battles plague of 'genetically mutated' giant rats

Tehran, the capital of Iran, is battling an invasion of "genetically mutated" giant rats.

Iran has sent in sniper teams to clear Tehran's streets from the massive rodents weighting up to five kilos plaguing 26 district of the Iranian capital, the city's environmental agency said.

"They seem to have had a genetic mutation, probably as a result of radiations and the chemical used on them," Ismail Kahram, Teheran city council environment adviser and university professor Ismail Kahram told Qudsonline.ir.

"They are now bigger and look different. These are changes that normally take millions of years of evolution. They have jumped from 60 grams to five kilos, and cats are now smaller than them."

The "mutated rats" have been running rampant in the capital, as cats are scared off by their giant size and traditional poison appear to have no effect on them.

To stop them storming of restaurants' backyards and scavenging public waste containers, the council has deployed ten snipers teams armed with infra-red sighted rifles.

"We use chemical poisons to kill the rats during the day and the snipers at night, so it has become a 24/7 war," the head of the environment agency, Mohammad Hadi Heydarzadeh, said.

Rats' carcasses are burnt or buried in lime.

So far 2,205 rats have been shot dead, but the war is far to be won and the council is planning to bring the snipers team up to 40.

http://english.sina.com/world/p/2013/0228/566711.html

Old leopard still roaming Iran

Leopard was first seen in 2004

February 2013. Recent camera trapping in central Iran indicates that an old Persian leopard roams in Bafq Protected Area; the cat is estimated to be at least 12 to 14 years. This adult male was first recorded by camera traps in late 2004, and he was a prime individual at that time. Later, he was photo-trapped regularly and he was the main star in occasional encounters with game wardens and visitors, based on spot patterns comparison. In 2007, he was equipped with GPS collar for six months by CACP, WCS and Panthera, which revealed that he covered most of this 850 square kilometre reserve.
 

In 2012, the animal was still a dominant male who ranged across most of the reserve, indicating that he is the oldest ever identified Persian leopard in the wild. Large cats normally live no longer than 10 years in the wild, despite their significantly longer lifespan in captivity (sometimes up-to 25 years). Bafq Protected Area which is one of the main hotspots for the Persian leopard in central Iran, is threatened by a proposed road which is planned to pass through the heart of the area.

Read more about the work of The Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) 

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/bafq-leopard-photos.html

Survey highlights the danger of roads to Iran's endangered cheetah population

On average, two cheetah are killed on Iran's roads every year. 

Major new threat as road is built through key cheetah habitat

January 2013. Recent surveys of the causes of death amongst Iran's endangered cheetah population have revealed that out of 27 known cheetah mortalities caused by various human activities during past decade, roads were the leading cause.

At least 11 cheetah have been killed on different roads between 2005 and 2011. Turan, Bafq and Dare Anjir has experienced road accidents involving cheetahs, but Kalmand's (Just to the south of Yazd) six cheetah deaths have made it the highest-risk range for the cheetahs. These are only the known cheetah deaths, so the actual loss is almost certain to be higher.

Asiatic cheetahs are known to roam large areas and walk long distances, meaning encounter with roads inevitable. However, the majority of existing roads are around main habitats, with a few noticeable exceptions. The loss of 11 cheetah reveals a high importance of managing the entire cheetah range as whole rather than several patchy areas to ensure the species long-term survival.

Major threat
There is now a major challenge for one of the main habitats of the cheetahs in Iran, the Bafq Protected Area, which is seriously threatened due to the construction of a short-cut road through the area's core zone.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/bafq-road-cheetah.html

Cheetahs in snow? See the video

Where can you see cheetah in snow? Iran holds the only surviving population of Asiatic cheetah. Photo credit Iran Cheetah Society

Where is the only place on earth where you can see cheetahs in snow? January 2013. Many people are surprised to learn that there is a population of cheetah in Iran at all. They are the last surviving remnant of the Asiatic cheetah race. Once distributed from the Indian subcontinent across Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Iran to the Arabian Peninsula and Syria, the Asiatic cheetah is now on the verge of extinction and one of the most endangered members of the cat family in the world. The last surviving cheetahs in Iran mostly live in the semi arid and mountainous northern regions, where there are regular snow falls in winter months. The last cheetahs in India were shot in 1947. Since then, the Asiatic cheetah has disappeared from most of its former range. In the last 20 years, Iran has been the final stronghold for the Asiatic cheetah, known in Iran as yuz, although there have been occasional reports of cheetahs in Pakistan, Kazakhstan. According to the latest population surveys in Iran, the cheetah population in Iran does not exceed 70 individuals. There has been some recent controversy in Iran about the cheetah population of Iran, and it has been extensively discussed in the media. On the basis of recent camera trapping efforts ongoing since last winter by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) in collaboration with Iranian Department of Environment (DoE), Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP) and Panthera, the most robust conclusion for the population is fewer than 70.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/snow-cheetah.html

Search for cheetahs launched in new area of Iran

Pakistan border a difficult location to survey

December 2012. South-eastern Iran has always been thought to hold the Asiatic cheetahs, however, no proper survey has ever been conducted in this part of Iran to assess the species status. 

Accordingly, as part of the cheetah monitoring program initiated in late 2011, the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) has launched a new survey in the Darband Ravar Wildlife Refuge in partnership with camera traps shared by Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project and Panthera. The area, which is the south-eastern most reserve where the cheetahs have been confirmed in Iran, has been recently upgraded to Wildlife Refuge status due to recent reported cheetah sightings.

Cheetah killed in 2008
It was first noted as a cheetah site in 2008 when an adult male was killed in road incident; then a few months later, a coalition of two males were found to have been poisoned some 70 kilometres away from the first road incident location. This indicated that it was highly likely that the Ravar River valley is a suitable habitat for cheetah. Accordingly, the local Department of the Environment added more lands to the area to protect it. This semi-arid zone is the closest reserve to Pakistan where cheetah were once known to exist. Community-based programs have been also implemented in Ravar, including a conservation education program run by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS).

Camera traps to search for cheetah and leopard
Since early autumn 2012, the ICS' experts have been surveying the area and training game wardens for monitoring skills. However, unlike other cheetah habitats in Iran, it is not an easy area to survey, because it is near the border and there is a high chance of encountering drug smuggling caravans. To avoid this, eight camera traps have been deployed so far and a gradual increase in the number and area of coverage is planned. ICS are hopeful that they will find reliable evidence of the species as well as Persian leopard before the coming spring. 

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/iran-cheetah-2012.html

Iran set to launch space ape into orbit

A monkey is seen displayed behind the window of the satellite carrier, Kavoshgar-4, during a ceremony at a conference centre in northern Tehran.(REUTERS / Handout)

Iran plans to send a monkey into space following the holy month of Ramadan. Despite economic sanctions and a technological blockade imposed by a US-Israeli-led coalition, the Islamic Republic is making progress in its space ambitions.

The Iranian Space Agency (ISA) plans to blast a test monkey into orbit inside its Kavoshgar-5 (Explorer) rocket later this month. "All stages of launching the Explorer with living creatures have been accomplished," ISA director Hamid Fazeli announced on Wednesday, as cited by Fars news agency.

The primate plan was first announced in March, but Tehran had to delay the launch to conduct “complementary tests.”

Earlier, Fazeli had called the launch of a large animal into space “a prelude to preparing Iran for sending a human astronaut into space before 2021.” 

In 2010, Iran launched smaller animals like a rat, turtles and worms into space aboard a Kavoshgar-3. The country had hoped to launch a monkey into space in 2011, but postponed the project for unknown reasons. At the time, the project hoped to launch a monkey-manned life support capsule to an altitude of 120 kilometers for a 20-minute sub-orbital flight.

Iran successfully launched its first satellite into orbit in 2009 as a part of its ambitious space program. 

Western countries expressed concerns, however, that the rocket technology will be used to develop ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads. Tehran maintains that both its space and nuclear programs are completely peaceful, and are not being used for military purposes.

The US recently imposed a fresh round of sanctions against Iran's banking and oil sectors, as well as its overseas financial holdings. The sanctions are aimed at forcing Iran to abandon its alleged nuclear weapons program.

http://www.rt.com/news/iran-monkey-space-launch-653/

Iran's cheetah brothers roaming far and wide in search of food and a mate

Cheetah "brothers" Are Now in Ariz
July 2012. Born in Iran's Siahkouh National Park in the spring of 2010, two cheetah siblings are now roaming in the zone known as the ‘ Ariz No Hunting Area' in central Iran. After losing a sibling during their first few months, the cheetahs, accompanied by their mum, walked more than 130 kilometres through vast deserts of central Iran to arrive in Dare Anjir Wildlife Refuge in summer 2011. 

Since last winter, they have dispersed southward and now they are ranging in Ariz, a newly established reserve just south of Dare Anjir. After the brother's became independent from their mum, she departed Dare Anjir and returned 130 kilometres (at least) back to Siahkouh.

In the meantime, the "brothers" who roamed most of Dare Anjir (1750 km2), and occasionally even outside of the reserve boundary during the last winter, were sometimes joined by another probably un-related young male to form a coalition of three males. However, camera traps indicate that their coalition was not stable during winter, and sometimes the new male preferred a solitary life.

Now, they are together most of the time and it seems that they have established their new home range in Ariz, just north of Bafq, because fewer movements have been detected between different camera trap stations. The brothers have now safely negotiated their second year of life and were photo-trapped regularly while urinating at different cheetah sign posts. The story will continue as camera traps are still active across their range to monitor their presence and activities.

Together with lions, cheetahs are the only cats that live in groups. Males, particularly relatives, often join together to form coalition in order to have a better chance of survival, hunting and reproduction.

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/iran-asiatic-cheetah.html#cr

Blandford’s fox caught on camera across Iran

The smallest fox of Iranian deserts

June 2012. As the smallest fox species in deserts of West Asia, Blanford's fox, sometimes known as the Afghan fox, has recently been confirmed across a range of habitat types in Abbas Abad Wildlife Refuge, in central Iran.

High abundance
Blandford's fox has been rarely studied in the wild and no proper knowledge was available about this small canid in Iran before application of camera traps. Meanwhile, ongoing camera trapping efforts in central Iran reveals the species presence in scattered locations in desert ecosystems of the country. Initiated since March 2012, the systematic camera trapping survey on 40 different locations indicated relatively high abundance of the Blanford's fox comparing to other canids.

The project is jointly run by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) and Naein Office of Environment in partnership with Isfahan Provinicial Office of Environment, Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP) and Panthera.

Four species of fox known in Iran
Iran is home to four species of foxes which three of them occur in Abbas Abad, namely as Blanford's fox, common fox and Ruppell's fox. Known as the "King fox" in Iran, the Blanford's or Afghan fox occurs in warm, mountainous regions of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and south-western Russia. The canid has been reported to obtain a high proportion of its food demands based on plant materials and insects, while one of the camera trap images indicate the species predates on rodents.

Courtesy of the Iranian Cheetah Society 

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/blandfords-fox.html#cr

Cheetah in Iran migrating between 2 reserves 130 kilometres apart

Camera trap photos show one cheetah covering large distances
June 2012. Based on recent camera trapping surveys conducted in central Iran, it has been discovered that surprisingly large distances are covered by Asiatic cheetahs. A well-known female cheetah, which has been monitored over the past three years, was found to migrate between two reserves, Siahkouh National Park and Dare Anjir Wildlife Refuge, which are more than 130 kms apart as the crow flies.

The female was first recorded in Siahkouh in 2009 giving birth to a litter of three cheetah cubs; sadly she lost one of her cubs within the first months. She stayed in Siahkouh until the cubs were 2 years old, but then she was spotted in Dare Anjir in 2011 with her cubs. After her two sons became independent, she disappeared from Dare Anjir but recent camera trap photos reveal that she has returned to Siahkouh.

Passed 1 railway & 2 major roads
To complete each leg of this journey, she must have crossed one railway and two main roads. In Africa, cheetahs have been reported to walk long distances, usually following the migration patterns of their main prey. However, such a phenomenon has not been investigated among Asiatic cheetahs, and this new evidence indicates that these cheetah habitats are still connected and have to be managed as a unit. Presently, camera traps have been deployed in this area as well as its neighbouring Abbas Abad Wildlife Refuge to try to find out if the "Mother" has new cubs.

Asiatic cheetah in IranOccurring in very low density, Asiatic cheetahs have has little systematic monitoring in Iran. Three years ago, a monitoring project was launched which led to the largest ever camera trapping program in Iran, initiated last winter within four reserves in central Iran. 

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/asiatic-cheetah.html

New to nature No 67: Cyrtopodion kiabii - tiny angular-toed gecko was found in adandoned buildings via Herp Digest

The Observer, 3/10/12, Quentin Wheeler, Geckos are one of the largest families of lizards, with about 1,500 known species. The genus Cyrtopodion includes the bent-toed gecko in Pakistan and a new angular-toed species, C. kiabii, from Iran, which is named after the ecologist Bahram Kiabi.

So far, these tiny geckos (measuring less than 100mm, in body length, including the tail) are known only from the type locality, about 100 miles from the coast of the Persian Gulf. The geckos were collected in two abandoned buildings where they, like other species in the genus, seemed to be strictly nocturnal.

With the addition of this species the genus includes about 37 species, but recent analysis of DNA data suggests that Cyrtopodion is not monophyletic; that is, the species does not share a common ancestral species not also shared by at least some species outside the genus. This points to the need for additional work, to arrive at a stable classification of geckos.

The new species was reported by an international team of scientists from Iran and Germany, led by Dr Faraham Ahmadzadeh of the Shahid Beheshti University. The diminutive and delicate lizard is distinguished from related species in the region in part by differences in morphometrics and scale patterns. More data will be required before making any conclusions about the distribution or status of the species.

At the other end of the spectrum, the largest gecko is presumed extinct. It was endemic to New Zealand but is known only from a single stuffed specimen in the basement of a museum in Marseille, and from one recorded sighting in 1870.