Modern state and perspectives of amphibian and reptile synantropisation in anthropocoenosiss of Eastern Azerbaijan

Abstract

Three species of amphibians and 21 species of reptiles were found on the investigated anthropogenically transformed territories of the eastern part of Azerbaijan, which was 32% of 75 species representing the herpetofauna of the republic as a whole. A consistent decrease in the abundance and index of species diversity was revealed with an increase in the degree of development of the territory and the level of anthropogenic impact. The ratio of species in anthropocoenosiss varied depending on the size of their areas. The recreational pressing has presumably less influence on the numbers, but more on the species diversity of amphibian and reptile. In less developed areas, their numbers increase due to the presence of background species. The effectiveness of adaptation of some species of amphibians and reptiles is apparently associated with an adequate response to environmental changes brought about by anthropogenic impact on the natural environment. As the research has shown, anthropogenic impacts contributed to the spread and growth of the numbers of 7 species (2 species of amphibians and 5 species of reptiles). For Absheron Peninsula and Gobustan, such species were Bufotes variabilis, Pelophylax ridibundus, Eremias velox, Cyrtopodion caspius, Emys orbicularis, Natrix tessellata, Macrovipera lebetina. During the period of research, all these species were observed practically in all anthropogenic landscapes and now can be considered promising synanthropes for the regions studied.