Scientists from the Amyderya State Nature Reserve of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan conducted a traditional April census of reptiles on one of the regular routes. Senior researcher of the reserve Yevgeniy Agryzkov says:
– The scientists focused on monitoring the state of populations of rare and endangered species of reptiles (terrestrial vertebrates) – lizards, snakes, turtles. Special attention was paid to species included in the Red Book of Turkmenistan, including the Hentaun round-headed lizard – a rare species of lizard.
Although this species does not live directly on the territory of the reserve, but only in the desert zone adjacent to the oasis of the Amyderya River, regular observations of this and other varieties of the round-headed lizard are carried out, which is of great importance for preserving the integrity of ecosystems, unique components of natural complexes, including within the border of the Amyderya forests – tugay, with the desert zone.
The conducted survey showed an encouraging trend: an increase in the number of Hentown round-headed moths compared to previous years was noted. The collected information will replenish a specialized database used to take further conservation measures.
At the same time, an assessment is being made of the number of young mammals, the state of populations of other life forms in the world of wildlife - a large variety of invertebrates, the sufficiency of the fruit set of woody plants after the end of the flowering period. Work is underway with the accumulated photo and video material obtained from «camera traps», during raids, working expeditions and inspections.
Biodiversity is in constant motion, development, which determines continuous monitoring of fluctuations in numbers, natural changes in ecosystems, recording of ongoing natural, weather and hydrological processes, the need for daily research, especially in the spring. Monitoring of objects of the world of living nature is carried out within the framework of the program for studying and observing flora and fauna, and the formation of an annual package of factual data on the environment and biodiversity within the reserve – «Chronicle of Nature».
