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Species: |
| elegans MÉNÉTRIÉS, 1832 |
Subspecies (7): |
| elegans elegans MÉNÉTRIÉS, 1832 elegans basoglui BARAN & BUDAK, 1978 elegans blanfordi SCHMIDT, 1939 elegans centralanatoliae BODENHEIMER, 1944 elegans ehrenbergii (WIEGMANN, 1835) elegans macrodactylus BERTHOLD, 1842 elegans schlueteri BOETTGER, 1880 |
Population (1): |
| elegans Aures Population CHIRIO & BLANC, 1993 |
Synonyms: |
| Ophisops elegans MÉNÉTRIÉS, 1832 Amystes ehrenbergi WIEGMANN, 1835 Gymnops meizolepis STOLICZKA, 1872 |
Common names: |
| European Snake-eyed Lizard (English)
Europäisches Schlangenauge (German)
Стройная змееголовка (Russian) |
Types: |
| elegans: Syntype: USNM 21396
basoglui: Holotype: ZDEU (also given as SZE) 167/1975.1, Turkey, Alanya
blanfordi: Holotype: FMNH 19721, paratypes: MSNG
centralanatoliae: Syntypes: ZMUI (`Zoological Institutes at Istanbul University and Ankara (Y.Z.E.)`, BMNH (123+ specimens)
ehrenbergii: Holotype: ZMB
macrodactylus: Holotype: ZFMK 21219, cited erroneously as ZDFMK by Böhme 2010
schlueteri: Lectotype: SMF 13841
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Terra Typica: |
| elegans: Surroundings of Baku, Azerbaijan.
basoglui: Alanya, Turkey (south coast).
blanfordi: Halfaya ( = Al Halfayah) east of Amara ( = Al Amarah), Iraq.
centralanatoliae: Ankara, Turkey.
ehrenbergii: Syria.
macrodactylus: Istanbul, W Turkey.
schlueteri: Cyprus. |
Taxonomic notes:
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| The subspecies of Ophisops elegans are currently among the most difficult chapters in the classification of Lacertidae, this is mainly because there is no comprehensive analysis of the complex. The few existing studies are limited to narrow areas, such as Iran by ANDERSON (1999) or Jordan by Y. WERNER (1971). Another problem are some very old subspecies, which were then still described as species, so it may be assumed that the authors were unaware of the `Type form`. These species were later (In some cases arbitrarily) assigned to subspecies on geographically and morphologically defined population groups. DAREVSKIJ & BEUTLER (1981, `Handbuch...`) gave a brief overview of the main differences between the, at that time, recognized subspecies.
Recently, a fairly comprehensive genetic study was released about the species, unfortunately lacking material from the vicinity of the terra typica (Baku, Azerbayjan) and material of the ssp. blanfordi (Southern Mesopotamia), so that the attempt of allocation clades to particular sub-species is hardly possible here. However, the taxonomic significance of analysis inherited only through the female line by mitochondrial DNA is low, because such results for many other species do not correspond to morphologically identifiable subspecies.
WERNER MAYER
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Relevant taxonomic literature:
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Ménétries, E. (1832) - Description Genus Ophisops; typ. sp. elegans. - In: Catalogue Raisonné des Objets de Zoologie, recueillis dans un voyage au Caucase et jusqu’aux frontières actuelles de la Perse. St.-Pétersbourg.  Darevsky, I.S. & Beutler, A (1981) - Ophisops elegans Ménétries 1832 - Schlangenauge. - In: Böhme, W. (Hrsg.): Handbuch der Reptilien und Amphibien Europas. Band 11 Echsen I. 461-477. Kyriazi, P. & Poulakakis, N. & Parmakelis, A. & Crochet, P.A. & Moravec, J. & Rastegar-Pouyani, N. & Tsigenopoulos, C.S. & Magoulas, A. & Mylonas, M. & Lymberakis, P. (2008) - Mitochondrial DNA reveals the genealogical history of the snake-eyed lizards (Ophisops elegans and O. occidentalis)(Sauria: Lacertidae) - Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 49 (3): 795-805.  × The snake-eyed lizards of the genus Ophisops (Lacertidae) have been through a series of taxonomical revisions, but still their phylogenetic relationships remain uncertain. In the present study we estimate the phylogeographic structure of O. elegans across its distributional range and we evaluate the relationships between O. elegans and the sympatric, in North Africa, species O. occidentalis, using partial mtDNA sequences (16S rRNA, COI, and cyt b). All phylogenetic analyses produced topologically identical trees where extant populations of O. elegans and O. occidentalis were found polyphyletic. Taking into account all the potential causes of polyphyly (introgressive hybridization, incomplete lineage sorting, and imperfect taxonomy) we suggest the inaccurate taxonomy as the most likely explanation for the observed pattern. Our results stress the need for re-evaluation of the current taxonomical status of these species and their subspecies. Furthermore, our biogeographic analyses and the estimated time of divergences suggest a late Miocene diversification within these species, where the present distribution of O. elegans and O. occidentalis was the result of several dispersal and vicariant events, which are associated with climatic oscillations (the late Miocene aridification of Asia and northern Africa) and paleogeographic barriers of late Miocene and Pliocene period.
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