Ophiomorus, A.M.C.Dumeril & Bibron, 1839

Kazemi, Seyed Mahdi, Qomi, Masood Farhadi, Kami, Haji Gholi & Anderson, Steven Clement, 2011, A new species of Ophiomorus (Squamata: Scincidae) from Maranjab Desert, Isfahan Province, Iran, with a revised key to the genus, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 5 (1), pp. 23-33 : 31

Revised key to the genus Ophiomorus

Based on Anderson and Leviton (1966), Nilson and Andrén (1978), Anderson (1999).

1a. Limbs absent, scale rows less than 20 at midbody …………………………………. 2

1b. Limbs present, scale rows 20 or more at midbody …………………………………. 3

2a. Prefrontals small; frontonasal half or less than half as long as the frontal; scale rows 18 around posterior third of body …………………………….……. O. punctatissimus

2b. No prefrontals; frontonasal much more than half as long as the frontal; scale rows 16 around posterior third of body ………………..………….………………. O. latastii

3a. Fingers 4, toes 3 …..………………………………………………………………….. 4

3b. Fingers 3, toes 2 or 3 ………………………………………………………………... 7

4a. Scale rows 20 at midbody …………...……………………….………… O. blanfordi

4b. Scale rows 22 or more at midbody …………..…………………………………....... 5

5a. Scale rows 22 ….……………………………………………………………………. 6

5b. Scale rows 24 …………………………………………………………… O. chernovi

6a. Nuchals equal to or about 1-1/2 times size of dorsal scales …………….. O. brevipes

6b. Nuchals about 2-1/2 times size of dorsals …………………………...….. O. nuchalis

7a. Toes 2 ….…………………………….…………………………………… O. persicus

7b. Toes 3 ..………………….…………………………………………………………… 8

8a. Parietals in contact posteriorly; prefrontals not in contact with upper labials ……... 9

8b. Parietals not in contact; prefrontals in contact with upper labials ………………... 10

9a. 20 scales at midbody …...……….……………….…………..……………... O. streeti

9b. 22 scales at midbody ……………………….…………….……….. O. maranjabensis

10a. Parietal in contact with anterior temporal; postocular scale about as large: as posterior suboculars; usually 7 or 8 scales on third (longest) toe ……....... O. tridactylus

10b. Parietal not in contact with anterior temporal (posterior temporal intervenes); postocular scale much larger than posterior suboculars; usually 4 scales on third (longest toe) ……...…....………… ……………………………………… O. raithmai

Etymology: The species name refers to the name of the locality where it was discovered.

Acknowledgments. ˗˗˗We thank Gören Nilson for his remarks cited above and for the photograph of the tracks ( Fig. 7 ).

Figures

Figure 7. Tracks of Ophiomorus maranjabensis (courtesy of Gören Nilson).