Eremias montana RASTEGAR-POUYANI & RASTEGAR-POUYANI, 2001
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Eremias montana
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| Higher Taxa | Lacertidae, Eremiadinae, Sauria, Lacertoidea, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Mountain racerunner |
| Synonym | Eremias (Eremias) montanus RASTEGAR-POUYANI & RASTEGAR-POUYANI 2001 Eremias novo RASTEGAR-POUYANI & RASTEGAR-POUYANI 2006 Eremias (Eremias) montana — SINDACO & JEREMČENKO 2008 Eremias montanus — PYRON & BURBRINK 2013 Eremias nova — ŠMÍD et al. 2014 |
| Distribution | W Iran (Kermanshah Province) Type locality: upland regions of the Zagros mountains, 60 km NE of city of Kermanshah (47° 5’ E, 34° 52’ N), Kermanshah Province, W Iran, about 1800 m elevation novo: Iran (Zagros Mountains); Type locality: upland area (about 2700 m elevation)surrounded by the Zagros Mountains, about 21 km southwest of the city of Hamedan, Hamedan Province, western Iran. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: RUZM (Razi University Zoological Museum, fide Nasrullah Rastegar, pers. comm., 12 June 2019), only a field number is given in the original description: P198. Type: RUZM 96T-104T (not explicitely called holotype) (Razi University Zoological Museum) [novo] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis and comparison: A small-sized lacertid, maximum snout-vent length (SVL)= 57.2mm, tail length = 95mm, with 13-14 longitudinal and 27-28 transverse rows of ventral plates, slightly converging posteriorly; with 63-67 small, granular scales across middle of dorsum. A species belonging to the subgenus Eremias: subocular reaches mouth edge; one frontonasal; two supraoculars which are not completely separated from frontal and frontoparietals; distance between the femoral pores being narrow; color pattern "striped"; inhabitant of steppe and mountain-steppe landscapes (Szczerbak, 1974: 83). On the other hand, it differs from all other species of its relevant subgenus based on having several distinguishing characters; the color pattern is distinctive and it is distinguishable from all other species in this character i. e., dorsum uniformly dark-brown without spots and ocelli, interrupted by five light longitudinal stripes; the vertebral stripe bifurcating on the nape, two paravertebrals on each side; a broad dorso-lateral stripe containing one or two regularly arranged light spots (different from the other Eremias species in this character); Furthermore, it differs from each species of the typical subgenus in the following character combinations (Bischoff and Bohme, 1980; Bohme and Szczerbak, 1991; Rastegar-Pouyani and Nilson, 1997; Szczerbak, 1974): From Eremias nigrolateralis Rastegar-Pouyani and Nilson, 1997 in having a much smaller size, lack of separation of the third pair of submaxillary shields by granular scales (0% versus 100%), lower count of gulars (23-24 versus 41-42), variable number of submaxillary shields (33% versus 0%), reach of femoral pores to the knee (100% versus 0%), and distinct differences in color pattern. From Eremias persica Blanford, 1874 in having a smaller size, lower count of gulars (23-24 versus 28-38), the absence of distinctly keeled upper caudal scales (100% versus 75%), variable number of submaxillary shields (33% versus 4%) and distinct differences in color pattern. From E. velox (Pallas, 1771) in having a smaller size, in the absence of distinctly keeled upper caudal scales (100% versus 0%), variable number of submaxillary shields (33% versus 5%) and in color pattern. From E. strauchi Kessler, 1878 in having a smaller size, the absence of distinctly keeled upper caudal scales (100% versus almost 0%), variable number of submaxillary shields (33% versus 9%) and in color pattern. From E. lalezharica Moravec, 1994 in having variable number of submaxillary shields (33% versus 0%), higher count of dorsals (63-68 versus 54-59), no contact of gulars with the second pair of submaxillary shields, lack of a small scale between prefrontals, and distinct differences in color pattern. From E. afghanistanica Bohme and Szczerbak, 1991 in a much higher count of dorsal scales (63-68 versus 44-46), lower count of gulars (23-24 versus 25-28), variable number of submaxillary shields (33% versus 0%), and in color pattern. From E. nikolskii Bedriaga, 1905 in a higher count of dorsals (63-68 versus 45-59), variable number of submaxillary shields (33% versus 8%), and in color pattern. From E. regeli Bedriaga, 1905 in a higher count of dorsals (63-68 versus 43-61), higher number of scales in the 9th-10th caudal annulus (27-28 versus 17-25), the absence of distinctly keeled upper caudal scales (100% versus 0%), variable number of submaxillary shields (33% versus 3%), and in color pattern. (RASTEGAR-POUYANI & RASTEGAR-POUYANI 2001) Description of holotype: An adult female, preserved in 75% ethyl alcohol in good condition; body small and moderately depressed; a species of the subgenus Eremias (Szczerbak, 1974:83); five pairs of submaxillary shields, first three pairs in contact, the fourth and fifth pairs widely separated; first pair of submaxillary shileds as large as the fifth and in contact with mental anteriorly, with first and second infralabials laterally; the fifth sabmaxillary pair each in contact with the fourth pair anteriorly, being surrounded by 8 granular scales laterally and posteriorly; 7-8 supralabials, 4-5 of which anterior to subocular which borders the mouth; two large nasals in contact with rostral anteriorly, with first and second supralabials laterally, and with frontonasal and first loreal posteriorly, the former being single, broader than long and laterally in contact with first loreal and posteriorly with prefrontals; two prefrontals each smaller than frontonasal and almost as long as broad and laterally in contact with second loreal and posteriorly with frontal and granules of supraocular region; only frontonasal with distinct concavity; frontal almost as long as prefrontal and frontonasal together, broadened and posteriorly and laterally partly in contact with supraoculars (and partly separated from the latter by 2-3 large scales, not by granules) and posteriorly with frontoparietals; two frontopariatals almost as large as a single supraocular, laterally being in contact with the second supraocular, and posteriorly with interparietal and parietals, the former being small and relatively lozenge-shaped, surrounded by frontoparietals and parietals; two vey large and plate-like parietals, almost as long as broad, being in contact behind interparietal; a vestigial occipital; two loreals, first one small, surrounded by first two supralabials, nasal, frontonasal, and the second loreal which is distinctly large with an evident keel; 6-6 supraciliaries, separated from supraocular by a series of 42-44 granules; postocular elongate, surrounded by granules anteriorly; temporal region mostly covered by granular scales becoming large towards the orbit, more than 100 on each side; tympanic scale distinct and elongated obliquely, almost the same size on both sides; tympanum vertically elongated, slightly larger than orbit; no distinct supratemporal; subocular huge, broader than long with a distinct ridge being extensively in contact with the lower edge of orbit; lower eyelids with a semitranslucent membrane made up of about 22 enlarged scales; collar well pronounced not serratted, made up of 10 scales, the two medial ones the largest; gular fold weakly developed, 23-24 gulars from symphysis of chin shields to median gular, becoming enlarged posteriorly; 13-14 longitudinal and 27-28 transverse rows of almost squarish ventral plates from collar to hindlimbs; anterior series of ventrals to some extent irregular, median ventral longer than broad; dorsal scales juxtaposed, smooth, granular, becoming slighly larger posteriorly, 63-68 scales across the middle of dorsum, and about 160-164 scales in a single row from occiput to a point just above the vent; proximal caudals larger than posterior dorsals but the change being gradual; caudals becoming large, elongate, and slightlv keeled distallv. arranged in distinct whorls. 27-28 scales in the 10th whorl behind the vent; upper forearm covered dorsally by enlarged, juxtaposed, and almost lozenge-shaped scales; lower forearm covered with granules; upper hindlimbs covered externally by granules, externally by large shields; tibia covered dorsally by slightly pointed granules, ventrally by large plates which are slightly keeled, two plates in a transverse row; no fringes on the toes, 18-20 uni-and bi-carinate lamellae under fourth toe, proximal part of lower fourth toe containing two complete rows of lamellae, distal part with a single row (in this character it is quite different from all other species of its relevant subgenus); 18-19 femoral pores in each side, the two series separated anteriorly by a narrow space consisting of three scales; preanal region encompassing 24 large shields, the four median ones being the largest; 6 plates in longitudinal row from the space between femoral pores to anterior edge of the vent. (RASTEGAR-POUYANI & RASTEGAR-POUYANI 2001) Coloration and color pattern: Dorsum uniformly dark-brown without spots and ocelli, interrupted 6 five light, narrow longitudinal stripes: one vertebral bifurcating on the nape, two paravertebrals on each side; a broad dorso-lateral stripe containing one or two regularly arranged light spots; a ventro-lateral series of dark-brown spots, to some extent forming a stripe; upper surface of head uniformly olivish-brown; temporal and labial regions suffused by dark-brown; submaxillary region light-gray-cream; ventral region dirty white, suffused by bluish-brown; upper surface of limbs dark-brown containing numerous light spots; proximal upper surface of tail brown, distal part light brownish-gray; lower surfaces of limbs and tail yellowish-white. (RASTEGAR-POUYANI & RASTEGAR-POUYANI 2001) |
| Comment | Distribution: See map in SMID et al. 2014 for distribution in Iran. |
| Etymology | Named after its apparent restriction to the the upland and mountainous steppes of the NE Kermanshah province, Iran. |
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