Status of the Dwarf Lizard (Parvilacerta parva) at the edge of its range in Armenia

Abstract

Studying the geographic distribution of the Dwarf Lizard (Parvilacerta parva) at the north-eastern edge of its geographic range in Armenia, we compiled a list of 31 locations in six regions (marzes) of northern and central Armenia. Three occurrences remain unconfirmed, and we interpret those as outliers in the context of the fundamental climate-driven niche we estimated using maximum entropy modelling. The species’ niche is determined by the minimum temperature of the coldest quarter, the seasonality of precipitation, and the mean monthly diurnal range of temperature. While nearly 50% of this climate driven niche is currently occupied by developed lands, 10 out of 26 reasonably confirmed Armenian populations of P. parva (38.5%) have been lost over the past 110 years. Despite the documented decline of P. parva in Armenia, habitat protection measures for this species are lacking and there is a need for enhanced conservation strategy.