KEY TO THE SPECIES OF MADAGASCAROPHIS Information is based on samples in Appendix 1 and Glaw et al. (2013).
1a. Dorsal pattern consists of distinct brown/black ocel- lae, eye color red _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ MadagascarophIs ocellatus
1b. Dorsal pattern consists of anything other than brown/black ocellae, eye color not red _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2
2a. Extended contact of the posterior inframaxillary (genial) scales, 25 dorsal scale rows _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3
2b. Posterior inframaxillary scales not in contact, 25 or more dorsal scale rows _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4
3a. Ventral scales ~ 171–174, infralabials 12 or 13, body color variable _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ MadagascarophIs fuchsI
3b. Ventral scales ~ 189, infralabials 10, gray body color with a thin black dorsal stripe _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ MadagascarophIs lolo, new species
4a. Dorsal scale rows usually ± 29, ventral scale count 187–232 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ MadagascarophIs merIdIonalIs
4b. Dorsal scale rows Ś 29, ventral scale count 180– 209 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ MadagascarophIs colubrInus