Mesalina watsonana, known commonly known as the Persian long-tailed desert lizard, is a species of sand-dwelling lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Asia.

Mesalina watsonana
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Lacertidae
Genus: Mesalina
Species:
M. watsonana
Binomial name
Mesalina watsonana
(Stoliczka, 1872)
Synonyms[1]
  • Eremias (Mesalina) watsonana
    Stoliczka, 1872
  • Mesalina watsonana
    Murray, 1884
  • Eremias guttulata watsonana
    M.A. Smith, 1935
  • Mesalina guttulata watsonana
    Nilson & Andrén, 1981
  • Mesalina watsonana
    Bischoff, 1995

Etymology

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The specific name, watsonana, is in honor of "Mr. H.E. Watson" who was a Civil Officer in Pakistan.[2]

Geographic range

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Mesalina watsonana occurs in, from west to east, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.[1]

Reproduction

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Mesalina watsonana is oviparous.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Mesalina watsonana at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 12 May 2019.
  2. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Mesalina watsonana, p. 280).

Further reading

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  • Nilson G, Andrén C (1981). "Die Herpetofauna des Kavir-Schutzgebietes, Kavir-Wüste, Iran ". Salamandra 17 (3/4): 130–146. (Mesalina guttulata watsonana, p. 138). (in German, with an abstract in English, and bilingual image captions).
  • Sindaco R, Jeremčenko VK (2008). The Reptiles of the Western Palearctic: 1. Annotated Checklist and Distributional Atlas of the Turtles, Crocodiles, Amphisbaenians and Lizards of Europe, North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia. Latina, Italy: Edizioni Belvedere. 580 pp. ISBN 978-88-89504-14-7.
  • Smith MA (1935). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. II.—Sauria. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 440 pp. + Plate I + 2 maps. (Eremias guttulata watsonana, pp. 389–390).
  • Stoliczka F (1872). "Notes on Reptiles, collected by Surgeon F. Day in Sind". Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 1872: 85–92. ("Eremias [Mesalina] Watsonana", new species, pp. 86–87).