Blanus alexandri SINDACO, KORNILIOS, SACCHI & LYMBERAKIS, 2014
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Blanus alexandri?
Blanus alexandri
Find more photos by Google images search: 
| Higher Taxa | Blanidae, Amphisbaenia, Lacertoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Blanus alexandri SINDACO, KORNILIOS, SACCHI & LYMBERAKIS 2014 Blanus alexandri — JABLONSKI & SADEK 2019 |
| Distribution | Turkey (Mardin), Lebanon Type locality: approximately 3.6 km NE of Derik (Mardin province, Turkey) at 37.3891°N–40.2980E°, m 1161 elevation (Fig. 6 in Sindaco et al. 2014) |
| Reproduction | oviparous (manual and phylogenetic imputation, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Holotype: MCCI R1632. An adult collected on 26 April 2011. Paratypes. MCCI-R1633. An adult collected on 28 April 2011, approximately 3 km NE of Karalar village (Şırnak prov., Turkey) at 37.3153°N, 41.7037°E, m 831 elevation; MCCI-R1634. An adult collected on 1 May 2011, approximately 1.5 km SE of Yukariokcular (Hatay province, Turkey) at 36.0778°N, 36.1518°E, m 562 elevation; MCCI-R1635 (1–3). Three specimens collected on 2 May 2011, approximately 1.3 km E of Sungur (Hatay province, Turkey) at 36.0083°N, 36.1218°E, m 944 a.s.l. MSNG 57582. An adult collected on 24 May 2012 between Yesilçe and Isikli (Gaziantep province, Turkey) at 37.1611°N, 37.2135°E, m 1081 elevation; MSNG 57583. A specimen collected on 24 May 2012 2 km W of Akdam (Adana Province, Turkey), at 37.5515°N, 35.5937°E, m 932 elevation; MCCI-R1678. A specimen collected on 24 May 2012 0.7 km SSW of Akarca Koyu (Adana Province, Turkey) at 37.5615°N, 35.6367°E, m 736 elevation. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: B. alexandri sp. nov. is easily distinguishable from the allopatric B. strauchi bedriagae by having a low number of precloacal pores (usually 3+3, more rarely 3+2 or 2+2, in a single specimen MCCI-R1678: 4+4; N = 8), widely separated by two preanal scales, while B. s. bedriagae has 10 – rarely 8 - precloacal pores arranged in a continuous row or very rarely separated by a single scale. Moreover B. alexandri has three infralabials, instead of two of B. s. bedriagae. Also B. s. strauchi has the precloacal pores widely separated, but the number is higher than in B. alexandri, since it has 4+4 precloacal pores in 18 out of 19 examined specimens. There are no obvious morphological differences between B. alexandri and B. aporus, which differ by having more body annuli, less dorsal segments and ventral segments at midbody. |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | The species is named in honour of A. Allan Alexander (1962-), who made the most valuable study on the Blanus strauchi complex and realized that the eastern populations could be distinguished from the Cilician taxon aporus. |
| References |
|
| External links |