Amphibians and Reptiles
The herpetofauna of Kyrgyzstan is generally impoverished, which is explained by the physical and climatic features of the territory, a significant part of which is occupied by high mountains with a harsh climate, and the lifestyle of amphibians and reptiles, which are the most thermophilic animals among vertebrate classes. Thus, there are nearly 5000 species of amphibians known worldwide, while only four species are found in the republic, one of which (the lake frog, a "complex" species Rana ridibunda (Pallas, 1771)) apparently penetrated here from the northwest along with humans. The number of currently living reptile species on the planet reaches, according to various estimates, 7350–7800, with at least 90 species known in Central Asia and 37 in Kyrgyzstan. Despite this relatively small number, it should not be considered final. Firstly, in recent decades, the reptile system has been intensively researched, particularly using karyological and molecular-genetic methods, and the frequency with which taxon ranks are revised has not yet begun to decrease. Secondly, among the reptiles of the republic, there is also an invasive species (the Turkestan gecko Cyrtopodion fedtschenkoi (Strauch, 1887)), and the introduction of some other species into the territory of Kyrgyzstan in the future cannot be ruled out. In the first summary of reptiles in Kyrgyzstan, the number of reliably registered species in the republic did not exceed 30. Research on the herpetofauna of Kyrgyzstan continues, despite the obvious difficulties faced by domestic herpetology in recent decades (a shortage of modern literature, a crisis in expedition budgets, lack of serpentariums, equipment, etc.).
Compared to other classes of vertebrates, among amphibians and reptiles, there is a significant proportion of modern taxa that are essentially relict. During the Mesozoic era, reptiles were the dominant group on Earth, but many of their groups became extinct during the natural process of evolution. The diversity of reptiles is steadily decreasing even now, in the era of human dominance.
Civilization is encroaching on wild nature in the most severe way, and for an increasing number of amphibian and reptile species, the prospect of following the fate of the dinosaurs is already inevitable. According to the most modest estimates, in the last three and a half decades, 30 species of the global herpetofauna have disappeared due to human actions.
In addition to the transformation of natural habitats of amphibians and reptiles (including water pollution), many other factors play an important role in the reduction of global and regional herpetofauna. Among others, there is pressure from introduced predators and competitors (the main cause of the reduction and extinction of indigenous species populations on islands), and the direct extraction of individuals from their natural environment, i.e., essentially extermination and capture, regardless of the purpose. On the one hand, among the local population, for example, in Kyrgyzstan, there are unfounded opinions about the harmfulness or, conversely, the occult-medical properties of amphibians and reptiles, leading to superstitious aversion to them, as a result of which almost every encounter between a person and, for example, a snake becomes the last for the reptile. On the other hand, significant harm to herpetofauna is inflicted by enthusiasts who capture amphibians and reptiles for keeping in terrariums. The "terrarium boom" that began in the 1960s has turned into a large-scale limiting factor that has concerned specialists, and on July 1, 1973, the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) came into force. Currently, about 4% of amphibian and reptile species of the world fauna are included in the relevant lists.
The regional situation regarding the reduction of herpetofauna diversity in Kyrgyzstan is further complicated by the fact that about half of the reptile species are found here at the edge of their natural ranges and often form isolated populations in areas with highly developed and rugged terrain. In Central Asia, biodiversity is concentrated in a relatively narrow "strip of life" between the arid desert zone and powerful mountain systems from which water flows, i.e., between two areas with an unfavorable climate. Accordingly, the area at the foot of the mountains is a zone of intensive economic development, and here are the habitats of up to 90% of amphibian and reptile species. At the state level, attention has long been paid to the process of reducing the population and habitat of amphibians and reptiles. For the first time, representatives of this group of animals were included in the lists of strictly protected species in 1968, and in 1981, a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Kyrgyz SSR approved a list of rare and endangered reptile species to be included in the Red Book. This list included 2 species of snakes and the gray monitor (subspecies listed in the IUCN Red List).
Gradually, but quite soon, the need to revise this list has arisen. The compilation of a new list of amphibian and reptile species in need of protection in Kyrgyzstan was preceded by a long and extensive effort, and one of the important activities leading to this was the conduct of several special expeditions in 2004 with the assistance of the State Forest Service of the Kyrgyz Republic, to collect necessary information about the current state of populations and habitats of species listed in the Red Book and proposed for inclusion in the new edition. The results of this work were summarized at the end of the same year at a working meeting on the revision of the list of rare and endangered species of fauna and flora for inclusion in the Red Book of Kyrgyzstan [17]. The new list of amphibian and reptile species for the Red Book, compiled based on the materials of the meeting, was approved by a resolution of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic in April 2005.
Compared to the previous list, the number of amphibian and reptile taxa included in the Red Book of the republic has increased more than threefold. Their quantitative representation is compared in Table 1, and the distribution of the number of species (from the list of this edition) by administrative regions of the republic and by main types of ecosystems is shown in Table 2.
The qualitative composition of the species in the Red Book has also changed – 2 species have been excluded: the Striped Racer (Coluber karelini (Brandt, 1838) — Karelin's Racer) and the Red Racer (Coluber rhodorachis (Jan, 1865) — Cliff Racer).
Both species belong to the family Colubridae of the order Squamata and were included in 1981 with the status of "Rare species known from a single specimen," however, modern data indicated that the status of their populations in Kyrgyzstan does not correspond to the status of needing special protection.
Each of the taxa included in the Red Book was assigned to one of the categories of extinction threat, determined using quantitative risk assessment criteria according to the methodology recommended by SSC/IUCN. The use of this formalized system of criteria allows for the unification of species assessments at regional and global levels, reflects trends in species status changes during subsequent assessments by other experts, and also includes national species assessments in international Red Lists. Quantitative criteria were used in full, and in cases where there was a relatively wide range of assessment of the degree of extinction threat, the recommended SSC/IUCN precautionary principle was applied: placing the taxon in the highest deserving category, even if there was only a small amount of information about its lifestyle. In addition, in several cases, mapping of findings over long periods was used as an adequate and informative method. The formulations of categories are not provided here, as they literally correspond to those used by SSC/IUCN.
The inclusion of one-fourth of the species of fauna in the Red Book does not mean that the status of the remaining species is favorable. Of course, there are ecologically plastic species that adapt to living even in anthropogenic environments. However, there are also those that are currently classified in Kyrgyzstan according to the SSC/IUCN category system as belonging to the categories DD ("Data Deficient"), NT ("Near Threatened"), or LC ("Least Concern"). Their status will be assessed in the future when the deficit of factual material is replenished. Countries that have joined the Convention on Biological Diversity, including Kyrgyzstan (in 1996), have thereby committed themselves to the systematic implementation of a range of relevant measures, including monitoring a wide range of biodiversity components (not only those already included in red lists). Furthermore, the populations of many representatives of herpetofauna, which are still quite numerous overall, are undoubtedly decreasing locally, indicating their vulnerability. The appendix provides a list of reptile taxa that require special attention to their status, additional study, and the determination of conservation measures in Kyrgyzstan. Currently, these species do not face serious danger on a national scale, but they may be taken under protection in specific territories – in National Nature Parks, biosphere reserves, administrative districts, etc. This way, there may be a chance to avoid the necessity of including them in the next edition of the Red Book of the republic.
