Turkmenistan
Golubev's Toad-headed Agama Phrynocephalus golubewii (Google Books) is an endemic lizard. Atayev's Whip Snake Platyceps atayevi (BHL) is often considered distinct from the more widespread Platyceps najadum.
Endemic fish include the Kughitang Blind
Loach Paracobitis starostini (FishBase)
(IUCN),
from sinkholes in the Kughitang Mountains. The Turkmen Goby Benthophiloides turcomanus
(Freshwater
Fishes of Iran WM) (IUCN),
sometimes placed in its own genus Asra,
has been
collected only twice in the Caspian Sea. Alburnoides
varentsovi (FishBase)
(IUCN)
is a riffle minnow described in 2009 from the Ashkhabadka River.
Beetles found nowhere else include the jewel beetles Anthaxia medvedevorum
(zin.ru)
and Acmaeodera ghilarovi
(zin.ru),
the scarabs Hemictenius
badkhyzicus (SZMN
WM)
and Oryctes ata
(p. 76 of ZMMU
pdf),
an earth-boring dung beetle Lethrus
arcanus (fig. 9 at Semantic
Scholar pdf), a darkling beetle Leptodes
rimicola (SZMN
WM),
a click beetle Neocardiophorus
fausti (Elateridae),
a clown beetle Reichardtiolus
pavlovskii (ResearchGate),
and a weevil Tsherepanovia
globosa (SZMN
WM).
Endemic moths include a
flightless twirler moth Catatinagma
stenoptera (BHL),
a geometer moth Lithostege
luigi (GBIF),
the owlet moths Lacanobia
dubatolovi (ResearchGate)
and Gortyna roseago
(fig. 44 at Internet
Archive),
a snout moth Myeloiodes
minimella (BHL),
and a grass miner moth Elachista
puplesisi (p. 3 of Zootaxa
pdf).
Other endemic insects include a cave-dwelling dipluran Turkmenocampa mirabilis
(Species
New to Science), a grasshopper Uvarovium
desertorum (p. 54 of ZMMU
pdf), the crickets Velarifictorus
problematicus (SysTax
WM) and Bothriophylax vlasovi (p. 5 of zin.ru pdf),
a web spinner Badkhyzembia
krivokhatskyi (BHL),
a hover fly Eumerus
badkhyziensis (biosoil.ru
pdf), the ants Temnothorax
zabelini (Antwiki)
and Plagiolepis
vladileni (GBIF),
a digger wasp Hoplisoides
leleji (ResearchGate),
a potter wasp Raphiglossa
rasnitsyni (ResearchGate),
a cuckoo wasp Chrysis
vittoriorosai (ResearchGate),
and the bees Eremaphanta
convolvuli (p. 7 of Atlas
Hymenoptera WM pdf), Epeolus
vinogradovi (ZooKeys),
and Colletes
morawitzensis
(ResearchGate).
Other endemic invertebrates include a ground spider Heser stoevi (BDJ),
a jumping spider Salticus
karakumensis (jumping-spiders.com),
an
ant spider Acanthinozodium
ovtchinnikovi (GBIF),
a wolf spider Karakumosa
badkhyzica (ResearchGate),
a
harvestman Egaenus
turkmenicus (ResearchGate),
the
scorpions Pectinibuthus
birulai (ResearchGate)
and Mesobuthus galinae
(PLAZI)
(iNaturalist)
and Orthochirus
gromovi (p. 13 of František
Kovarík WM pdf), the solifuges Rhagodes plumbescens
(fig. 2 at BHL)
and Karschia cornifera
(fig. 5 at BHL),
a millipede Jaxartes
communicans
(ResearchGate),
the amphipods Gammarus
troglomorphus (GBIF)
and Gammarus
parvioculatus (Pensoft),
the isopods Microcharon
halophilus (fig. c at ResearchGate)
and Hemilepistus
heptneri (GBIF),
and several freshwater snails: Melanopsis
turkmenica (figs. G-H at ResearchGate),
Melanopsis ashkhabadensis
(p. 41 of zin.ru
pdf),
Pseudocaspia ljovuschkini
(figs. A-B at ResearchGate),
Alocinma caspica
(fig. 2C at ResearchGate),
Turkmenamnicola
(or Pseudamnicola)
smaragdovae
(p. 233 of zin.ru
pdf), and Kainarella
minima
(p. 29 of zin.ru
pdf).
Among 175 vascular plant species exclusive to Turkmenistan are Corydalis kamelinii
(plantarium.ru),
Anemone kopetdaghensis
(FlorAlpin),
Asparagus pachyrrhizus
(plantarium.ru),
Cleome turkmena
(plantarium.ru),
Erysimum kerbabaevii
(plantarium.ru),
Reseda dshebeli
(plantarium.ru),
Ungernia spiralis
(plantarium.ru),
Euphorbia oidorhiza
(plantarium.ru),
Astragalus kjurendaghi (plantarium.ru),
Astragalus gorelovae
(binran.ru
pdf),
Salsola iljinii
(p. 84 of ZMMU
pdf), Ammodendron
eichwaldii (plantarium.ru),
Scrophularia kurbanovii
(plantarium.ru),
Psephellus iljinii
(plantarium.ru),
an orchid Ophrys
kopetdagensis (ResearchGate),
Ferula karakumica
(plantarium.ru),
Allium transvestiens
(p.
244 of ZMMU
pdf), Climacoptera
czelekenica (p. 94 of ZMMU
pdf), Reaumuria
botschantzevii (p. 106 of ZMMU
pdf), Calligonum inerme
(binran.ru
pdf), and Amberboa
gubanovii (Takhtajania
WM
pdf).
Fungi known only from Turkmenistan includes Galerina ovalispora (p. 8 of eSEIS pdf).
Turkmenistan forms part of two biodiversity hotspots: the Mountains of Central Asia (Biodiversity Hotspots WM) and the Irano-Anatolian (Biodiversity Hotspots WM). Important terrestrial ecoregions include the Kopet Dag Woodlands and Forest Steppe (EoE) and the Central Asian Southern Desert (EoE). The Caspian Sea (FEOW WM) (zin.ru) is rich in aquatic endemic species. For an overview of the plants and animals see the "Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan for Turkmenistan" (CBD pdf).