Ophisops jerdonii explained

Ophisops jerdonii, commonly known as Jerdon's cabrita, Jerdon's snake-eye, and the Punjab snake-eyed lacerta, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is native to South Asia.

Etymology

The specific name, jerdonii, is in honor of British biologist Thomas C. Jerdon.^[1]

Geographic range

O. jerdonii is found in India, Pakistan, and eastern Afghanistan.

Description

Head moderate, feebly depressed. Upper head-shields rugose, keeled and striated; nostril lateral, pierced between 3 or 4 shields, viz. an anterior, or an upper and a lower anterior nasal and two superposed postnasals; a large frontonasal; frequently one or two small azygos shields between the pair of prefrontals; four supraoculars, first and fourth small, the two principal separated from the supraciliaries by a series of granules; occipital small, sometimes a little broader than the interparietal, with which it forms a suture; subocular bordering the lip, between the fourth and fifth (or third and fourth) upper labials; temporal scales small, keeled; one or two large subtemporal shields border the parietals externally; tympanic shield small or indistinct. No gular fold extending from ear to ear; collar quite indistinct. Dorsal scales large, strongly keeled, much imbricate, scarcely larger on the back than on the sides; 28 to 35 scales round the middle of the body (ventrals included). A large postero-median preanal plate. The hind limb reaches the shoulder or halfway between the latter and the ear in the male, not to axilla in the female; 7 to 11 femoral pores on each side. Tail once and a half to twice as long as head and body; caudal scales about as large as dorsals. Coppery-brown above, with two pale golden lateral streaks bordered with black, the upper extending from the supraciliaries to the tail, the lower from the upper lip to the groin; frequently a series of large black spots between the two lateral streaks; lower surfaces yellowish white.^[2]

From snout to vent 1.65inches; tail 3.2inches.^[2]

Central India (Saugor, Mhow), N.W. Provinces (Agra), Punjab, Sind, Madras Presidency (Bellary).^[2]

Reproduction

O. jerdonii is oviparous.

Further reading

• Arnold EN (1989). "Towards a phylogeny and biogeography of the Lacertidae : relationships within an Old-World family of lizards derived from morphology". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Zoology 55 (2): 209–257.
• Beddome RH (1870). "Descriptions of some new lizards from the Madras Presidency". Madras Monthly Journal of Medical Science 1: 30–35.
• Blyth E (1854). "Notices and Descriptions of various Reptiles, new or little known [Part I]". Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 22 [1853]: 639–655. ("Ophiops Jerdoni ", new species, p. 653).
• Böhme W, Bischoff W (1991). "On the proper denomination of Cabrita jerdonii Beddome, 1870 (Reptilia: Lacertidae)". Amphibia-Reptilia 12: 220–221.
• Das I (2002). A Photographic Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of India. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 144 pp. . (Ophisops jerdoni, p. 103).
• Das I, Dattagupta B (1997). "Rediscovery of the holotypes of Ophisops jerdoni Blyth, 1853 and Barkudia insularis Annandale, 1917". Hamadryad 22 (1): 53–55.
• Jerdon TC (1870). "Notes on Indian Herpetology". Proc. Asiatic Soc. Bengal 1870 (March 1870): 66–85.

Notes and References

1. [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens B]
2. Boulenger GA (1890). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. (Ophiops jerdonii, p. 174).