''Eremias przewalskii'' ,
commonly known as the Gobi racerunner, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
lizard in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Lacertidae. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
.
Etymology
The
specific name, ''przewalskii'', is in honor of Russian explorer and naturalist
Nikolai Mikhailovitch Prjevalsky.
Geographic range
''E. przewalskii'' is found in
China,
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...
,
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
, and
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
.
Habitat
The preferred
habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
s of ''E. przewalskii'' are
desert,
forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
,
shrubland, and
wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...
s, at altitudes of .
[ Orlova V, Terbish K, Wang Y, Guo X, Shi L, Bi J (2019). "''Eremias przewalskii'' ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T47755920A47755929.en.]
Reproduction
''E. przewalskii'' is
viviparous
Among animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. This is opposed to oviparity which is a reproductive mode in which females lay developing eggs that complete their development and hatch externally from the ...
.
[
]
References
Further reading
* Bischoff W, Schmidtler JF (2013). "''Nikolai Michailowitsch Przewalski und “sein” Wüstenrenner'' Eremias przewalskii ''(Strauch, 1876)''". ''Die Eidechse'' 24 (3): 90-95. (in German).
* Boulenger GA (1887). ''Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. Lacertidæ ...'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I-XL. (''Eremias przewalskii'', pp. 105-106).
* Strauch A (1876). " eptiles. ''In'': Przewalski NM (1876). 'Mongolia and the Tangut Country. A Three-year Travel in Eastern High Asia'' Volumes I & 2. St. Petersburg, Russia: mperial Russian Geographic Society (''Podarces przewalskii'', new species, p. 43 + Plate VII). (in Russian).
Eremias
Reptiles described in 1876
Taxa named by Alexander Strauch
Reptiles of Russia
{{Lacertidae-stub