Coastal Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Southern Russia, Kazakhstan, Western China (Sinkiang and Nei Mongol provinces), Western Mongolia, South to East Transcaucasia, Armenia, Northwestern Iran, Extreme East Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Northern Tajikistan, Kyrgysstan. 

Species:

Eremias arguta  (PALLAS, 1773)

Subspecies (5):

Eremias arguta arguta  (PALLAS, 1773)

Eremias arguta darevskii  TSARUK, 1986

Eremias arguta deserti  (GMELIN, 1789)

Eremias arguta transcaucasica  DAREVSKY, 1953

Eremias arguta uzbekistanica  CHERNOV, 1934

Synonyms:

Lacerta arguta   PALLAS, 1773

Lacerta deserti   GMELIN, 1789

Lacerta variabilis   PALLAS, 1814

Lacerta leucosticta   LICHTENSTEIN, 1823

Lacerta pustulata   EICHWALD, 1831

Lacerta boristhenis   DVIGUBSKY, 1832

Podarcis irritans   MENETRIES, 1832

Eremias variabilis  WIEGMANN, 1834

Podarcis deserti  EICHWALD, 1841

Eremias arguta  GRAY, 1845

Podarcis arguta  STRAUCH, 1876

Ommateremias arguta  LANTZ, 1928

Podarcis variabilis  WAGLER, 1830

Common names:

Steppe Runner (English)
Steppenrenner (German)
Разноцветная ящурка (Russian)

Types:

arguta: Neotype: ZISP (ZIL) 13205 (designated by Szcerbak 1974:149); Holotype: unlocated fide I. Doronin (pers. comm., Nov. 2018)

darevskii: Holotype: ZISP 20018, Kyrgyzstan, Issyk-Kul Basin, Karakol (formerly Przhevalsk), 1906, Coll. D.D. Pedashenko

transcaucasica: Holotype: ZMMU (also given as ZM MSU) Re 10098, 8.09.1952, Coll. I.S. Darevsky

uzbekistanica: Holotype: ZISP 10093, Uzbekistan, Golodnaya Steppe Station, Central Asian Railway, 05.1903, Coll. G.G. Jacobson

Terra Typica:

arguta: Type locality: between Ural River and Emba River, NW Kazakhstan [see Zhao and Adler, 1993:202 and Bauer and Günther, 1995:56 for additional comments].

darevskii: Type locality: Karakol (formerly Przhevalsk), Issyk-Kul Basin, Kyrgyzstan.

deserti: Type locality: Yaik steppe (between the Volga and the Urals).

transcaucasica: Type locality: Armenia, Basargechar district, environs p. Mets-Mazra.

uzbekistanica: Type locality: Golodnaya Steppe, Uzbekistan.


Taxonomic notes:

Subgenus Eremias sensu stricto


Relevant taxonomic literature:

  • Pallas, P.S. (1773) -  Description of Eremias arguta arguta. -  In: “Reise durch verschiedene Provinzen des Russischen Reiches. Vol. 2”. - Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, St. Petersburg. 744 pp.  

  • Bauer, A.M. & Günther, R. (1995) -  An annotated type catalogue of the lacertids (Reptilia: Lacertidae) in the Zoological Museum, Berlin. -  Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum in Berlin, 71: 37-62.    

  • Chirikova, M.A. & Kolbinzev, W.G. (2003) -  Morphologie und Unterartgliederung des Steppenrenners, Eremas arguta PALLAS, 1773, in Kasachstan. -  Salamandra, 39 (1): 49-60.    

  • Poyarkov Jr., N.A. & Orlova, V.F. & Chirikova, M.A. (2014) -  The mitochondrial phylogeography and intraspecific taxonomy of the Steppe Racerunner, Eremias arguta (Pallas) (Lacertidae: Sauria: Reptilia), reflects biogeographic patterns in Middle Asia. -  Zootaxa, 3895 (2): 208-224.    

 
 
 
 

Eremias arguta: 100  pictures (see subspecies level)

 
 
 

Eremias arguta deserti  © 2014 Igor Sarapulov