Muhtarophis

Muhtarophis barani
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Muhtarophis
Avci et al., 2015
Species:
M. barani
Binomial name
Muhtarophis barani
(Olgun, Avci, Ilgaz, Üzüm & Yilmaz, 2007)
Synonyms[2]
  • Rhynchocalamus barani
    Olgun, Avci, Ilgaz, Üzüm & Yilmaz, 2007
  • Rhynchocalamus barani
    — Wallach et al. 2014
  • Muhtarophis barani
    — Avci et al. 2015
  • Muhtarophis barani
    — Šmíd et al. 2015

Muhtarophis barani, also known commonly as Baran's black-headed dwarf snake, is a species of snake in the monotypic genus Muhtarophis in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae.[3] The species is endemic to the Amanos Mountains of Turkey, and was discovered in 2007.[4][5]

Etymology

The generic name, Muhtarophis, is in honor of Turkish herpetologist Muhtar Başoğlu (with the suffix -ophis meaning "snake").[6]

The specific name, barani, is in honor of Turkish herpetologist İbrahim Baran [tr] of the Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir.[2][7]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of M. barani are shrubland and rocky areas, at an altitude of 1,300 m (4,300 ft).[1]

Description

M. barani has 17 dorsal scale rows at midbody, and 163–173 ventral scales. The head is oblique-shaped anteriorly. There is a distinctive black blotch under the eye, running into a narrow stripe. The dorsal surface of the body is colored reddish brown, with no spots.[2]

Reproduction

M. barani is oviparous.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Kaska Y, Kumlutaş Y, Avci A, Üzüm N, Yeniyurt C, Akarsu F (2018). "Muhtarophis barani (amended version of 2009 assessment)". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T164762A122877031. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T164762A122877031.en. Downloaded on 08 October 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d "Muhtarophis barani OLGUN, AVCI, ILGAZ, ÜZÜM & YILMAZ, 2007". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  3. ^ "Amanos Dwarf Snake". AdaMerOs Herptil Türkiye. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  4. ^ "Molecular Phylogeny and Micro CT-Scanning Revealed Extreme Cryptic Biodiversity in Kukri Snake, A New Genus for Rhynchocalamus barani (Serpentes: Colubridae)". Novataxa. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  5. ^ Tamar K, Šmíd J, Göçmen B, Meiri S, Carranza S (2016). "An integrative systematic revision and biogeography of Rhynchocalamus snakes (Reptilia, Colubridae) with a description of a new species from Israel". PeerJ. 4: e2769. doi:10.7717/peerj.2769. PMC 5183090. PMID 28028461.{cite journal}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Avci et al. (2015).
  7. ^ Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Rhynchocalamus barani, p. 16).

Further reading

  • Avci A, Ilgaz Ç, Rajabizadeh M, Yilmaz C, Üzüm N, Andriaens D, Kumlutaş Y, Olgun K (2015). "Molecular phylogeny and micro CT-scanning revealed extreme cryptic biodiversity in kukri snake Muhtarophis gen. nov., a new genus for Rhynchocalamus barani (Serpentes: Colubridae)". Russian Journal of Herpetology 22 (3): 159–174.
  • Olgun K, Avci A, Ilgaz Ç, Üzüm N, Yilmaz C (2007). "A new species of Rhynchocalamus (Reptilia: Serpentes: Colubridae) from Turkey". Zootaxa 1399: 57–68. (Rhynchocalamus barani, new species).