Kazakhstan
Most
distinctive of the mammals found solely in Kazakhstan is the Desert
Dormouse (EDGE)(Google
Books)
which sometimes is placed in its own family, the Seleviniidae. Other
endemic mammals include Bobrinski’s Serotine (Russian
Bat Research Group), the Pallid Pygmy Jerboa (ARKive),
the Greater Fat-tailed Jerboa (IUCN
Red List), the Gray Birch Mouse (SZMN),
and the Kazakhstan Blind Mole Rat (IUCN Red
List). The Karatau Argali (zootierliste.de)
has recently been elevated to a full species.
Two freshwater fish are exclusive to Kazakhstan: the Tubenose Sculpin Cottus nasalis (FishBase)
and the Blackspot Goby Mesogobius
nigronotatus (Freshwater
Fishes of Iran) which is known only from a single specimen.
Insects unique to Kazakhstan include a genus of butterfly Otnjukovia (BOLD),
a meadow brown Hyponephele
dzhungarica (rusinsects.com),
a looper moth Semidesertobia
ubinica (SZMN),
two longhorned beetles Dorcadion
cephalotes (SZMN)
and Asias galusoi
(SZMN),
a ground beetle Carabus
kadyrbekovi (Carabidae
of the World), a scarab beetle Aphodius dzhungaricus
(SZMN),
a click beetle Anostirus
pullatus (Elateridae),
a bee Seladonia
wollmanni (Atlas
Hymenoptera), an ant Chalepoxenus
spinosus (p. 5 of Psyche
pdf file), and a grasshopper Mesasippus
tarbagataicus (SZMN).
Other endemic invertebrates include a wolf spider Oculicosa supermirabilis
(FSU
Postage Stamps), a jumping spider Dendryphantes secretus
(Salticidae
of the World), a harvestman Redikorcevia platybunoides
(J-STAGE
pdf file), a centipede Escaryus
alatavicus (CHILOBASE),
and the land snails Laevozebrinus
lenis (b-cabinet)
and Bradybaena tzwetkovi
(Femorale).
Vascular plants found nowhere else include Tulipa orthopoda (plantarium.ru),
Tulipa regelii
(plantarium.ru),
Betula kirghisorum
(ARKive),
Allium lutescens
(MOBOT),
Allium iliense
(plantarium.ru),
Allium kujukense
(plantarium.ru),
Sterigmostemum schmakovii
(Plantes
et botanique), Malus
sirversii (plantarium.ru),
Berberis iliensis
(plantarium.ru),
Jurinea robusta
(innature.kz),
Euphorbia yaroslavii
(plantarium.ru),
Thymus karatavicus
(plantarium.ru),
Salvia trautvetteri
(plantarium.ru),
Scutellaria microdasys
(plantarium.ru),
and the Alma-Ata Hawthorn Crataegus
almaatensis (BGI
FEB RAS). Endemic plant genera include Niedzwedzkia (Plants
on Stamps), Pseudomarrubium
(redbook.ucoz.kz),
Pseudoeremostachys
(plantarium.ru),
Raphidophyton
(plantarium.ru),
and Pterygostemon
(WNS
Stamps).
Portions of Kazakhstan are included in the Mountains of
Central Asia biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots). Important ecoregions include the Kazakh
Upland (EoE),
the Kazakh Semi-desert (EoE),
and the Caspian Sea (FEOW).