New locality records of the snake-eyed lizard, Ophisops elegans ménétriés, 1832 (Squamata: Lacertidae), in the western Black sea region of Anatolia

Abstract

We report 18 specimens of Ophisops elegans from Kastamonu and Sinop provinces in the western Black Sea region of Anatolia. Previously, the northernmost known locality for O. elegans in Anatolia was Sinop Province. These new records extend the known distribution area of the species and fill the gaps in the distribution range of the species in the Black Sea region. The specimens were compared with the geographically closest subspecies, O. e. centralanatoliae from Uluki{dotless}şla, Niǧde. On the basis of pholidosis, coloration, and pattern, the new specimens can be included in the subspecies O. e. centralanatoliae. © TÜBİTAK.