Caucasian Rapid Racerunner (<i>Eremias velox caucasica</i> Lantz, 1928): The State of the Population on the Sarykum Sand Massif

Abstract

This article describes the status of the Caucasian rapid racerunner (Eremias velox caucasica Lantz, 1928) population on the Sarykum sand massif. Data collected on its sex-age structure in the first decade of May 2022 were analyzed. Morphometric diagrams based on body length measurements (mm) were built. The results obtained show that the population consists of immature specimens and mature males and females. Adult animals can be divided into two age groups, namely, lizards aged two years and three years or more. The core of the population is made up of immature and two-year-old males and females. Sexual dimorphism related to body length was reliably determined by the nonparametric Mann–Whitney test: males turned out to be larger than females. Although the population is generally stable, it is still negatively affected by the recreational load on the Sarykum territory and the sand overgrowth. These two factors lead to changes in the biotope inhabited by E. v. caucasica. Therefore, it is important to carefully monitor the population of E. v. caucasica on the Sarykum sand massif as this species is listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Dagestan and other southern regions of Russia.