Abstract
Based on an examination of about 1000 specimens from all over its range, and employing univariate statistics, geographic variation in the ground agamid Trapelus agilis complex is discussed. A morphological analysis revealed considerable variation among various populations and showed that all populations are sexually dimorphic. Some of the conventional subspecies of this complex are questioned. The syntypes of OLIVIER’S Agama agilis, and the paralectotypes of BOULENGER’S Agama isolepis were examined and their taxonomic status re-evaluated. Most peripheral populations have undergone intensive change and speciation. All populations of the T. agilis complex are divided into four distinctive forms for which an ANOVA-based pairwise comparison shows that in most morphological characters these forms are significantly different. The name “agilis” is retained for the central Iranian Plateau as well as southern Afghan and western Pakistani populations (T2) as the central core of the complex and the subspecific name “sanguinolentus” is retained for the Central Asian populations (T4). The distinctiveness of the lowland south-western Iranian (T1) as well as south-eastern Pakistani populations (T3) warrants their separate taxonomic recognition.
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