Phrynocephalus

Kamali, Kamran & Anderson, Steven C., 2015, A New Iranian Phrynocephalus (Reptilia: Squamata: Agamidae) from the hottest place on earth and a key to the genus Phrynocephalus in southwestern Asia and Arabia, Zootaxa 3904 (2), pp. 249-260 : 256-257

Key to the genus Phrynocephalus in southwestern Asia and Arabia*

( Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Arabian Peninsula)

1 Large fringed cutaneous fold at angle of mouth........................................ Phrynocephalus mystaceus

- No cutaneous fold at angle of mount...................................................................... 2

2 Dorsal scales heterogeneous, small scales intermixed with strongly enlarged....................................... 3

- Dorsal scales subequal, homogeneous (but in P. r a d d e i clusters or single scales may appear to be different size than the sur- rounding scales because they are swollen and tubercular with upraised posterior margins)............................ 8

3 Dorsal surface of head and anterior dorsum of back with distinct large black spots............. Phrynocephalus euptilopus

– No distinct large black spots on dorsum of head or body...................................................... 4

4 Enlarged dorsal scales flat, not tubercular, not sharply upturned; sides of back of head and neck with long, flat, upturned den- ticulations.................................................................... Phrynocephalus luteoguttatus

- Some enlarged dorsal scales nail-like, often tubercular; large part of scale raised free of back; sides of back head and neck

without long, flat, upturned, fringe-like scales (but sometimes with short, spiny scales).............................. 5 5 A half-moon shaped red patch on each scapular region....................................................... 6

- No half-moon shaped red patch on each scapula region................................... Phrynocephalus scutellatus

6 A distinct transverse fold of skin across back of neck................................... Phrynocephalus helioscopus

- Usually no transverse fold of skin across back of neck........................................................ 7

7 A longitudinal nuchal row of 3-8 mucronate tubercular scales............................... Phrynocephalus persicus

- No longitudinal nuchal crest of mucronate scales........................................... Phrynocephalus raddei

8 Sides of head and neck with long, projecting, fringe-like scales; row of enlarged, upraised, tubercular scales of posterior margin of thigh and sides of tail forming short fringe; often a row of slightly enlarged scales along flank................................................................................................ Phrynocephalus interscapularis

- Sides of head and neck without projecting, fringe-like scales; no fringe of scales on posterior margins of thigh or tail; no enlarged scales along flank.............................................................................. 9

9 Tail without jet black crossbars ventrally, tip of tail black or gray.............................................. 10

- Tail with 4 or 5 jet black crossbars ventrally, tip of tail not black nor gray....................................... 12

10 Usually 4 or even 5 lateral rows of scales above supralabials counted at anterior edge of eye; Largest individuals exceed 60 mm SVL, Tail 130–160 percent of snout-vent length; distal tail less than 3rd black, or tail not tipped with black.............................................................................................. Phrynocephalus maculatus

- Usually 3 or occasionally 2 horizontal rows of scales above supralabials counted at anterior edge of eye............... 11

11 Largest individuals less than 60 mm SVL; distal tail less than 3rd black, or tail not tipped with black; usually 3 or occasionally 2 horizontal rows of scales above supralabials counted at anterior edge of eye ( Phrynocephalus arabicus complex*)..... 13

- Largest individuals exceed 60 mm SVL, distal 3rd or more of tail black; number of internasals between nasals usually 2 or more.......................................................................... Phrynocephalus lutensis sp. nov.

12 Distinct dark-margined light dorsolateral stripe from posterior angle of eye along body onto tail; single very elongate suborbital scale, two or three times as long as adjacent scales.................................. Phrynocephalus clarkorum

- No light stripe along sides of body; three suborbital scales of about equal size................... Phrynocephalus ornatus

13 Snout pointed, Tail white below, only distal 4th with small black bars......................... Phrynocephalus arabicus

- Snout rounded, tail variable in length and color............................................................. 14

14 Enlarged thorny scales on the dorsal side of the body, forming distinguishable crest on the neck, short tail, shorter or equal to the body, in males slightly longer and short extremities; scales on the extremities not keeled; without jet-black tail tip; longitudinal row of enlarged scales along the vertebrae; large distance between nostrils (up to 5 scales in one row).............................................................................................. Phrynocephalus ananjevae

- No crest on neck; tail distinctly longer than body, without longitudinal row of enlarged scales along vertebrae........... 15

15 Small body size; long tail both in males and females; uniform coloration of dorsal parts without patches on head and dorsum; coloration of the ventral white in life in calm condition, and distal half black and proximal half is white without pattern in alerted animals.................................................................. Phrynocephalus ahvazicus

- Size of body and tail color otherwise, with dorsum of body patterned with color.................................. 16

16 Largest, and most short-tailed species of the P. arabicus complex — the tail almost the same length as body even in males; no bright color marks on dorsum of body, general coloration one color tone, in life with contrasting yellow-brown or yellow-reddish-orange with dark-brownish transverse bands; upper side of head with same pattern and color as body; white dots on middorsal line, with some individual spots appearing as a longitudinal row along the vertebral line; many black transverse tail bands (up to seven) covering about half of the ventral surface of tail, these bands sometimes not well distinguished in alert individuals, especially in males, as entire distal half of tail becomes black and bands just slightly visible, but the additional bands in the proximal half of the tail appear; black tail coloration of the alert animal recognizable on upper side of tail, while in calm condition it is whitish......................................................... Phrynocephalus nejdensis

- Body and tail proportions similar to above; distal third of tail black and no additional crossbars on the rest of the ventral surface of tail..................................................................... Phrynocephalus macropeltis