A. Depicts the physical map of northern Iraq (delineating Iraqi Kurdistan with a solid line) with the first record of Elaphe urartica in Iraqi Kurdistan (1) and the record from Iran (2), positioned three kilometers away from the Iraqi border. The question mark indicates potential areas where further field research is necessary to ascertain the species’ presence. The orange shading represents the anticipated distribution range within the southern region of Turkey and western Iran; B. Depicts the distribution range of the species based on the combination of Sindaco et al. (2013), Kamali (2020), and Jablonski et al. (2023). Question marks denote regions where the presence of the species is uncertain and/or requires verification.