{"id":5193,"date":"2020-03-24T15:51:30","date_gmt":"2020-03-24T15:51:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moroccoherps.com\/?page_id=5193"},"modified":"2025-08-11T14:28:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T14:28:30","slug":"ophisops_occidentalis","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.moroccoherps.com\/en\/ficha\/ophisops_occidentalis\/","title":{"rendered":"Species page Ophisops occidentalis"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n
\n

North-African Snake-eyed Lacertid
\n<\/span>Ophisops occidentalis <\/strong><\/em>(Boulenger, 1887)
\n<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

By Gabriel Mart\u00ednez del M\u00e1rmol<\/strong>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Updated: 11\/08\/2025<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Taxonomy: Lacertoidea | Lacertidae | Ophisops | Ophisops occidentalis<\/p>\n

\"\"
Adult. Tiouli. Photo: \u00a9 Gabri Mtnez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\"\"\u00a0 Ophisops occidentalis
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Distribution map of Ophisops occidentalis<\/em>
\nin Morocco.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

1) Phylogenetic frame<\/h2>\n

Neither Ophisops elegans<\/em> nor O. occidentalis<\/em> is monophyletic\u00a0 (Kyriazi et al.<\/em> 2008).\u00a0Current evidence indicates that a single taxon should be recognized across North Africa, including populations morphologically assigned to O. occidentalis <\/em>or O. elegans, <\/em>and it suggests the need for a detailed taxonomic revision of the O. elegans<\/em> species complex. (Harris et al<\/em>., 2025).<\/p>\n

\"\"
Ophisops elegans. Kermanshah (Iran)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Ophisops elegans. Mitzpe Ramon (Israel)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2) Description<\/h2>\n

Small lizard species that reach a maximum aproximately size of 50 cm of snout-vent-leght and a tail that can be the double of large of the SVL (Schleich et al.<\/em>, 1996).<\/p>\n

They have a characteristic keeled scales in the body and immovable eyelids. Striped pattern.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Ophisops occidentalis, close-up<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3) Ecology and habits<\/h2>\n

Shy and elusive species.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Ophisops occidentalis with regenerated tail, in situ. Tiouli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4) Distribution, habitat and abundance<\/h2>\n

Ophisops occidentalis<\/em> occurs from eastern Morocco to Egypt, with populations also in Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt.<\/p>\n

The habitat consist in steppes with abundant of bushes. It seems very dependent of the local vegetation and habitat alteration provokes the local extintion of this species (for example the population between Debdu and Ain Bni Mathar of Bons & Geniez, 1996).<\/p>\n

\"\"
Habitat of Ophisops occidentalis in Tiouli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bibliography<\/h2>\n