Southern Iran, including islands in the Persian Gulf, Pakistan, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia (Ar Riyad region and Ash Sharqiyah region). 

Species:

Mesalina brevirostris  BLANFORD, 1874

Synonyms:

Eremias brevirostris  BOULENGER, 1887

Eremias bernoullii   SCHENKEL 1901

Eremias brevirostris brevirostris   HAAS & WERNER, 1969

Mesalina brevirostris  SZCZERBAK, 1989

Mesalina brevirostris  ŠMÍD et al., 2017

Common names:

Kurzkopf-Wüstenrenner (German)
Blanford’s Short-nosed Desert Lizard (English)

Types:

Lectotype. BMNH 1946.8.6.25. Designated by Šmíd et al. 2017.
Former Syntypes: BMNH 80.11.10.40/1946.8.6.34 and ZSI 3474 (fide DAS et al, 1998).

Terra Typica:

Restricta (SCHMIDT 1939) Tumb Island in the Persian Gulf (Iran) and Kalabagh in Punjab (Pakistan).


Taxonomic notes:

The Pakistani range seems to be formed by two disjunct populations – (1) coastal, which might represent an eastern continuation of the range of M. brevirostris s. s. documented in Iran, and (2) the Punjab population. Unfortunately, we were not able to obtain any Pakistani material for the genetic analyses and we thus cannot confirm whether the Pakistani populations are conspecific with those from the Persian Gulf. Khan (2006) noticed the presence of occipital shield in the Punjab population (found also in the paralectotype) which is usually absent in M. brevirostris s. s. and which may indicate a possible distinction of the northern Pakistani population.

Source: ŠMÍD et al. 2017.


Relevant taxonomic literature:

  • Blanford, W.T. (1874) -  Description of Mesalina brevirostris.  -  In: “Descriptions of new Reptilia and Amphibia from Persia and Baluchistan”. The Annals and magazine of natural history, (4) 14: 31-35.   

  • Kapli, P. & Lymberakis, P. & Poulakakis, N. & Mantziou, G. & Parmakelis, A. & Mylonas, M. (2008) -  Molecular phylogeny of three Mesalina (Reptilia: Lacertidae) species (M. guttulata, M. brevirostris and M. behaeldini) from North Africa and the Middle East: Another case of paraphyly? -  Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 49: 102-110.    

  • Šmíd, J. & Moravec, J. & Gvoždík, V. & Štundl, J. & Frynta, D. & Lymberakis, P. & Kapli, P. & Wilms, T. & Schmitz, A. & Shobrak, M. & Hosseinian Yousefkhani, S. & Rastegar-Pouyani, E. & Castilla, A.M. & Els, J. & Mayer, W. (2017) -  Cutting the Gordian Knot: Phylogenetic and ecological diversification of the Mesalina brevirostris species complex (Squamata, Lacertidae). -  Zoologica Scripta, 46 (6): 649-664.