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Taghavizad R. The Emergence of a New Record of Scincella lateralis Under the Canopy Layer of Ligustrum vulgare in Iran and the Similarity of the Ecological Niche with America. ECOPERSIA 2024; 12 (3) :233-245
URL: http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-74910-en.html

Aims: The natural dependence between the habitats of certain plants and animals can be a factor in ecosystem stability. Canopies of Ligustrum vulgare on the edge of Mohammad Shahr’s (Karaj) gardens in Iran are introduced as a new skink record habitat called Scincella lateralis. 
Material & Methods: Direct observations of behavior in habitat and glass container, checking climatic records, and studying the morphological and ecological characteristics of the newly found species.
Findings: Ligustrum vulgare provides a suitable and safe canopy for the movement of S. Lateralis due to climate change. S. lateralis lizards are omnivorous and feed on live insect larvae and small insects; the population of insects that were pests has been significantly reduced. It seems that changes in the transitional climate zone from cold and semi-arid to semi-cold and humid have created landscape fragmentation, which can be one of the reasons for the emergence of this species. The body length of the new adult S. lateralis is about 6.5 cm, which is shorter than the reported specimens. It crawls like a snake and behaves like a dinosaur. 
Conclusion: The overlap of the L. vulgare vegetation map with the geographic distribution of S. lateralis in America and the repetition of this cooperation in Iran show that this type of lizard can be a valuable indicator for monitoring ecosystem changes. In addition, it is possible to take advantage of the coexistence of these two in the design and management of ecosystems.