Common Long-tailed Lizard
Latastia longicaudata
Description 6
The largest lacertid lizard found in Egypt. Maximum SVL 110 mm. Tail notably long, average tail/SVL ratio = 2.8 (n=5). Snout long and thick, with 5-7 supralabials (usually 6) anterior to subocular. Nostril surrounded by 3 nasals and the first supralabial. Other head shields normal. Dorsal scales small and granular, slightly but obviously carinated, ranging at mid-body between 52-65, with 6 longitudinal ventral rows; average number of femoral pores 12 (10-13) .Coloration differs considerably from all other Egyptian lacertids. Dorsal surfaces gray-brown, tending to be darker on the posterior part of the body and tail; a narrow dark mid-dorsal stripe extends from the occiput to posterior back but does not reach the tail base, flanked on each side by two stripes with indistinct darkish spots; both sides of the body from the temporal region to the sides of the tail base have dark and light lateral bars, which are interspersed by some ten bluish (males) or yellowish (females) large spots. Limbs and tail same color as back and generally plain with some dark marbling. Venter white.
Sources and Credits
- (c) 2009 Frank Teigler, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=289485&one=T
- (c) 2009 Frank Teigler, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=289486&one=T
- (c) Guérin Nicolas (messages), some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Latastia_longicaudata_%28Wroclaw_zoo%29-1.JPG
- (c) Guérin Nicolas (messages), some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Latastia_longicaudata_%28Wroclaw_zoo%29-2.JPG
- (c) Guérin Nicolas (messages), some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Latastia_longicaudata_%28Wroclaw_zoo%29.JPG
- (c) Bibliotheca Alexandrina, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/15643481
