Ophiomorus Explained
Ophiomorus is a genus of Old World skinks.[1] The limbs are either reduced or absent, depending on the species. They are sometimes known as limbless skinks or snake skinks. Members of the genus live under rocks or in burrows.[2]
Species
The following 12 species are recognized:[1]
- Ophiomorus blanfordii (Blanford, 1879) – Blanford's snake skink
- Ophiomorus brevipes (Blanford, 1874) – short-legged snake skink
- Ophiomorus chernovi S.C. Anderson & Leviton, 1966 – Chernov's snake skink
- Ophiomorus kardesi Kornilios, Kumlutaş, Lymberakis & Ilgaz, 2018
- Ophiomorus latastii Boulenger, 1887 – Latast's snake skink
- Ophiomorus maranjabensis Kazemi, Farhadi Qomi, Kami & S.C. Anderson, 2011 – Maranjab's snake skink
- Ophiomorus nuchalis Nilson & Andrén, 1978 – Nilson's snake skink, plateau snake skink
- Ophiomorus persicus (Steindachner, 1867) – Persian snake skink
- Ophiomorus punctatissimus (Bibron & Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1833) – Greek snake skink
- Ophiomorus raithmai S.C. Anderson & Leviton, 1966 – eastern sand swimmer, the three-fingered sand-fish
- Ophiomorus streeti S.C. Anderson & Leviton, 1966 – Street's snake skink
- Ophiomorus tridactylus (Blyth, 1853) – three-toed snake skink, Indian sand-swimmer
Further reading
- Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. ... Scincidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I-XL. (Genus Ophiomorus, p. 393).
- Duméril AMC, Bibron G (1839). Erpétologie générale ou Histoire naturelle complète des Reptiles, Tome cinquième [Volume 5]. Paris: Roret. viii + 854 pp. (Ophiomorus, new genus, p. 799). (in French).
- Greer AE
- Wilson GDF (2001). "Comments on the scincid lizard genus Ophiomorus, with a cladistic analysis of the species". Hamadryad 26: 261–271.
- Kazemi SM, Farhadi Qomi M, Kami HG, Anderson SC (2011). "A new species of Ophiomorus (Squamata: Scincidae) from Maranjab Desert, Isfahan Province, Iran, with a revised key to the genus". Amphibian and Reptile Conservation 5 (1): 23-33 (e23). (Ophiomorus maranjabensis, new species).
Notes and References
- www.reptile-database.org.
- Camaiti. Marco. Villa. Andrea. Wencker. Lukardis C. M.. Bauer. Aaron M.. Stanley. Edward L.. Delfino. Massimo. August 2019. Descriptive osteology and patterns of limb loss of the European limbless skink Ophiomorus punctatissimus (Squamata, Scincidae). Journal of Anatomy. en. 235. 2. 313–345. 10.1111/joa.13017. 0021-8782. 6637703. 31125128.
