A Preliminary Study on the Biology of the Black-tailed Toad Agama, Phrynocephalus Maculatus Maculatus in Iran

The understudied Black-tailed toad agama, Phrynocephalus maculatus maculatus, (Anderson, 1872) belongs to the Agamidae family. Iranian specimens are rare in collections and are distributed in the central and south-eastern deserts of Iran. In this research, biological studies including food habits, morphology, behaviors and habitats of these species were performed from April to September, 2013. A total of 30 adult specimens including 15 adult males and 15 adult females were collected by hand at midday from southern parts of Damghan County, located in Semnan Province of Iran. Results show that the animal is active from early April to September, and that it hibernates from October to March. They are sit-and-wait predators. They are insectivores and their main food items belong to seven insect families including: Formicidae, Tenebrionidae, Acrididae, Noctuidae, Termitidae, Muscidae and Ixodidae. No plant consumption was observed in this species. This agama inhabits the desert, especially harder sandy surfaces. Ph. maculatus maculatus is a fairly understudied subspecies in the Middle East region and this study presents some useful information regarding this poorly known animal.