ON THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE PALEARCTIC AN D INDOMALAYAN FAUNISTIC KINGDOMS IN THE MAINLAND PART OF ASIA, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO DISTRIBUTION OF LIZARDS (REPTILIA, SAURIA)

A proposed transition zone between the Palearctic and Indomalayan king doms was studied to determine the boundary between them. This zone was limited by the northern and western boundaries of the ranges of Indom alayan lizard genera, which penetrate far to the north and west (Calot es in the west, to Iran and Afghanistan; Japalura in the north, to nor thern India; and Gekko in the east, in China and Korea), on the one ha nd, and the southern and eastern boundaries of the ranges of Palearcti c genera, which penetrate far to the south and east (Uromastyx and Aca nthodactylus in India, Laudakia in Nepal, and Eremias in China and Kor ea), on the other hand. All species occurring within these limits were assigned to eight groups according to similarity of the ranges and or igin: Palearctic, Indomalayan, tropical, East-Asian, endemics of the z one of Palearctic genera, endemics of the zone of Oriental genus, ende mics of the zone of tropical genus, and endemics of the zone at the ge neric level. Maps of quantitative distribution of species of all group s were plotted by apposition. The studied territory was referred to a certain kingdom on the basis of predominance (50% or more of the numbe r of species) of the Palearctic or Indomalayan species. The regions wh ere none of these groups exceeded 50% were referred to as transition z ones.