Lizards and snakes from southwestern Asia, collected by Henry Field

LIZARDS AND SNAKES FROM SOUTHWESTERN ASIA, COLLECTED BY HENRY FIELD GEORG HAAS' AND YEHUDAH L. WERNER' CONTENTS Abstract 327 Intniduction 327 Localities 328 Metliods 328 S>stematics 33 1 Lacertilia -33 1 Gekkonidae 33 1 Aganiidae 335 Lacertidae 341 Scincidae 359 Amphisbaenia — 361 Trogonophidae 36 1 Ophidia 36 1 T\ phlopidae 36 1 Boidae 362 Colubridae 362 Elapidae 366 \iperidae -366 Discussion 367 Ackno\\'ledgments 370 Bibliography 370 ABSTRACT The squamate reptiles (428 specimens; 63 species and subspecies) collected by Dr. Henry Field in Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and West Pakistan (Peabody Museum-Harvard Expeditions, 1950 and 1955) are described. Each form is treated under the following headings: material examined (and localities), pholidosis, mea-surements, coloration, and remarks. Empha-sis is put on the relatively abundant ^ Attention is called to a paper by Loveridge (1959: 226-227) in which determinations are given for some specimens from West Pakistan (Baluchistan and Sind) and Saudi Arabia ( Al Uqair). material of the genera Agama, Acantho-dactyhis, Ophis-ops, and Eremios. The meristic variation of large series is sum-marized in histograms and statistical tables. Two new forms are described: Agama persica fieldi and Eremias brevirosiris fieldi. Several probable novelties are pointed out. The concluding discussion begins with a brief presentation (with map) of the two main views on the zoo-geographical subdivision of Southwestern Asia: according to Bodenheimer, the Medi-terranean Sub-region of Wallace is com-posed of three Sub-regions, Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian, and Saharo-Sindian, which together occupy a greater area than Wal-lace's Mediterranean. Regional species lists (of the above material) follow. INTRODUCTION The collection here reported on consists of 428 specimens of lacertilians, amphis-baenians, and ophidians, comprising at least 63 species and subspecies. It con-stitutes the squamate part of the herepe-tological material that was assembled by Dr. Henry Field during the Peabody Museum-Harvard University Expeditions of 1950 and 1955 (the amphibians and chelonians have not been examined by us). The material has been collected in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf (Bahrain Island and Trucial Oman Coast), and West Pakistan. The huge area concerned (roughly 2400 327 Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 138(6): 327-406, December, 1969