Species:

Ophisops kutchensis   AGARWAL et al., 2018

Common names:

Kutch Small-scaled Snake-eyed Lizard (English)

Types:

Holotype: NCBS AU760, adult female, collected by A. Khandekar and C. Daniel on 19 April 2017. Paratypes. BNHS 2024, adult female, near Tera, Kutch District, India (23.34664°N 69.00720°E; 55 m asl), collected by A. Datta-Roy, T. Khichi and I. Agarwal 2009; NCBS AU756, NCBS AU762–764 adult males & NCBS AU755, NCBS AU757–761, NCBS AU765 adult females, same collection data as holotype.

Terra Typica:

Near Vithon, Kutch district, Gujarat, India (23.3430556°N 69.354444°E, 195 m asl

Relevant taxonomic literature:

• Agarwal, I. & Khandekar, A. & Ramakrishnan, U. & Vyas, R. & Giri, V.B. (2018) -  Two new species of the Ophisops microlepis (Squamata: Lacertidae) complex from northwestern India with a key to Indian Ophisops. -  Journal of Natural History, London, 52 (13-16): 819-847.    

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  We describe two new species of the lacertid genus Ophisops based on a series of 19 specimens from semi-arid habitats in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan in northwestern India, provide a description of Ophisops microlepis sensu stricto, and a key to Indian Ophisops. Ophisops pushkarensis sp. nov. and Ophisops kutchensis sp. nov. are allied to Ophisops microlepis and can be diagnosed from all other Indian Ophisops by the fusion of the lower and upper eyelids, their large body size (snout to vent length > 50 mm), and ≥ 50 scales around midbody. They differ from O. microlepis and each other in the number of scales around midbody, the number of dorsal scales, subtle colour pattern differences, as well as uncorrected mitochondrial sequence divergence (6–9%). These are some of the only known endemic reptiles in these semi-arid landscapes and indicate that many other such habitats may harbour endemic biodiversity.