The Lacertid Lizards of East Azerbaijan ‎Province, Northwestern Iran‎

The East Azerbaijan Province (Āzarbāijān-e Sharqi) is in the northwest of the country, bordering Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the provinces of Ardabil, West Azerbaijan, and Zanjan. Its capital is Tabriz, The province covers an area of approximately 47,830 km², The highest peak of East Azerbaijan is Sahand Mountain at 3,722 m of elevation, lying south of Tabriz, whereas the lower lying areas are around Garmadooz (Ahar). The heights of the province may be classified into three sectors, namely: the Qara Daq Mountains, the Sahand and Bozqoosh Mountains, and the Qaflan Kooh Mountain, Generally speaking, East Azerbaijan enjoys a cool, dry climate, being in the main a mountainous region. But the gentle breezes off the Caspian Sea have some influence on the climate of the low-lying areas, we collected 7 species and subspecies of lizards belonging to five genera. The Lacertidae family, have been documented from the East Azerbaijan area with the following species: Darevskia raddeii, Iranolacerta brandtii, Eremias strauchi, Eremias arguta, Lacerta media, Lacerta strigata, Ophisops elegans.