Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk).
Latest update:
October 9th, 2024.
 
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Genus
Mesalina
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Afro-Asian Desert Lizards, Desert Racers, (Sand Lizards)
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Afro-Asiatischer Wüstenrenner
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Vestpalæarktiske Ørkenfirben
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1838 |  |
Mesalina Gray (type species: Mesalina lichtensteinii Gray 1838) |
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1843 | |
Dioptroblepharis Fitzinger (type species: Eremias pardalis Dumeril & Bibron 1839; syn. Boulenger 1921) |
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1843 | |
Tachyscelis Fitzinger (type species: Lacerta rubropunctata Lichtenstein 1823; syn. Arnold 1989) |
Contents:
26 species, of which 11 (42.3%) are endemic.
Endemism: 0%  100%
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a synonym of
Eremias (e.g., Boulenger 1921).
Revalidated by Szczerbak (1975).
Validity as a separate genus confirmed by Arnold (1980).
Distribution:
N. Africa, Middle East, SW. Asia.
Reported from:
Afghanistan,
Algeria,
Bahrain,
Chad,
Djibouti,
Egypt
(incl.
Sinai),
Eritrea
(incl.
Dahlak Archipelago),
Ethiopia,
India
(Rajasthan),
Iran,
Iraq,
Israel,
Jordan,
Kuwait,
Lebanon,
Libya,
Mali,
Mauritania,
Morocco,
Niger,
Oman
(incl.
Masirah),
Pakistan,
Qatar,
Saudi Arabia
(incl.
Farasan Islands),
Senegal,
Somalia,
Sudan,
Syria,
Tunisia,
Turkey,
Turkmenistan,
United Arab Emirates,
Western Sahara,
Yemen
(incl.
Socotra Archipelago
[Abd al Kuri,
Darsa,
Samha,
Socotra]).
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Mesalina adramitana
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Hadramaut Desert Lizard
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Hadramaut-Wüstenrenner
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Hadhramaut-ørkenfirben
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1917 | |
Eremias adramitana Boulenger |
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Mesalina adramitana Szczerbak 1975 |
Distribution:
Oman
(incl.
Masirah),
Qatar,
Saudi Arabia,
United Arab Emirates,
Yemen.
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Mesalina adrarensis
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Mauritanian Desert Lizard
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Mauritanischer Wüstenrenner
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Mauritansk Ørkenfirben
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2021 | |
Mesalina adrarensis Pizzigalli, Crochet, Geniez, Martínez-Freiría, Velo-Antón & Brito |
Distribution:
Mauritania,
Western Sahara.
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Mesalina ardestanica
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Ardestan Desert Lizard
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Ardestan-Wüstenrenner
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Ardestan-ørkenfirben
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2024 | |
Mesalina ardestanica Boroumand, Bafti, Saberi-Pirooz, Böhme & Ahmadzadeh |
Distribution:
Iran.
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Mesalina arnoldi
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Yemen Desert Lizard
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Yemen-Wüstenrenner
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Yemen-ørkenfirben
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2018 | |
Mesalina arnoldi Sindaco, Simó-Riudalbas, Sacchi & Carranza |
Distribution:
Saudi Arabia
(incl.
Farasan Islands),
Yemen.
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Mesalina austroarabica
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South Arabian Desert Lizard
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Südarabischer Wüstenrenner
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Sydarabisk Ørkenfirben
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2018 | |
Mesalina austroarabica Sindaco, Simó-Riudalbas, Sacchi & Carranza |
Distribution:
Oman,
Yemen.
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Mesalina ayunensis
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Ayun Desert Lizard, Dhofar Sand Lizard
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Ayun-Wüstenrenner
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Ayun-ørkenfirben
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1980 | |
Mesalina ayunensis Arnold |
Distribution:
Oman.
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Mesalina bahaeldini
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Mount Sinai Desert Lizard
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Sinai-Wüstenrenner
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Sinai-ørkenfirben
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2002 | |
Mesalina bahaeldini Segoli, Cohen & Werner |
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2010 | |
Mesalina bahaeldini curatorum Werner & Ashkenazi |
Remarks:
Includes populations previously assigned to guttulata (Sindaco, Simó-Riudalbas, Sacchi & Carranza 2018).
Not mentioned for Saudi Arabia by Aloufi, Amr, Baker & Hamidan (2019).
Distribution:
Egypt
(incl.
Sinai),
Israel,
Jordan,
Saudi Arabia.
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Mesalina balfouri
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Socotra Desert Lizard
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Sokotra-Wüstenrenner
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Socotra-ørkenfirben
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1881 | |
Eremias balfouri Blanford |
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Eremias guttulata balfouri Neumann 1905 |
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Eremias olivieri balfouri Haas 1951 |
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Mesalina olivieri balfouri Szczerbak 1975 |
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Mesalina balfouri Arnold 1986 |
Remarks:
Records from Abd el Kuri (e.g., Wranik 1998; Schätti & Desvoignes 1999) refer to kuri, which was previously regarded as a population of balfouri.
Distribution:
Yemen
(incl.
Socotra Archipelago
[Darsa,
Samha,
Socotra]).
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Mesalina bardaskanensis
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Bardaskan Desert Lizard
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Bardaskan-Wüstenrenner
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Bardaskan-ørkenfirben
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2024 | |
Mesalina bardaskanensis Boroumand, Bafti, Saberi-Pirooz, Böhme & Ahmadzadeh |
Distribution:
Iran.
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Mesalina bernoullii
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Syrian Desert Lizard, (Bernoulli’s Short-Nosed Desert Lizard)
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Syrischer Wüstenrenner
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Syrisk Ørkenfirben
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1901 | |
Eremias bernoullii Schenkel |
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Mesalina bernoullii Smíd, Moravec, Gvozdík, Stundl, Frynta, Lymberakis, Kapli, Wilms, Schmitz, Shobrak, Yousefkhani, Rastegar-Pouyani, Castilla, Els & Mayer 2017 |
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1969 | |
Eremias brevirostris fieldi Haas & Werner (Smíd, Moravec, Gvozdík, Stundl, Frynta, Lymberakis, Kapli, Wilms, Schmitz, Shobrak, Yousefkhani, Rastegar-Pouyani, Castilla, Els & Mayer 2017) |
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Mesalina brevirostris fieldi Welch 1983 |
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a synonym of brevirostris (e.g., Szczerbak 1975).
Revalidated as a separate species by Smíd, Moravec, Gvozdík, Stundl, Frynta, Lymberakis, Kapli, Wilms, Schmitz, Shobrak, Yousefkhani, Rastegar-Pouyani, Castilla, Els & Mayer (2017).
Distribution:
Egypt
(Sinai),
Iran,
Iraq,
Israel,
Jordan,
Saudi Arabia,
Syria.
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Mesalina brevirostris
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Short-nosed Desert Lizard, Short-snouted Desert Lizard
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Kurzschnauzen-Wüstenrenner
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Kortsnudet Ørkenfirben
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1874 | |
Mesalina brevirostris Blanford |
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Eremias brevirostris Boulenger 1887 |
Remarks:
Previously included bernouillii, microlepis, and the populations now assigned to saudiarabica
(Smíd, Moravec, Gvozdík, Stundl, Frynta, Lymberakis, Kapli, Wilms, Schmitz, Shobrak, Yousefkhani, Rastegar-Pouyani, Castilla, Els & Mayer 2017).
Sindaco & Jeremchenko's (2008) claim that the species occurs in India seems to be unsupported by other sources.
Distribution:
Bahrain,
Iran,
Pakistan,
Qatar,
Saudi Arabia,
United Arab Emirates.
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Mesalina ercolinii
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Somali Desert Lizard
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Somalischer Wüstenrenner
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Somalisk Ørkenfirben
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1975 | |
Eremias ercolinii Lanza & Poggesi |
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Mesalina ercolinii Welch 1982 |
Remarks:
Welch (1982) assigned ercolinii to the genus Mesalina, but without discussion. However, Arnold, Lanza, Poggesi & Corti (1998) tentatively confirmed the assigment.
Distribution:
Somalia.
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Mesalina esfarayensis
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Esfarayen Desert Lizard
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Esfarayen-Wüstenrenner
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Esfarayen-ørkenfirben
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2024 | |
Mesalina esfarayensis Boroumand, Bafti, Saberi-Pirooz, Böhme & Ahmadzadeh |
Distribution:
Iran.
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Mesalina guttulata
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Common Small-spotted Desert Lizard
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Gewöhnlicher Kleinflecken-Wüstenrenner
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Almindeligt Spættet Ørkenfirben
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1823 | |
Lacerta guttulata Lichtenstein |
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Eremias guttulata Duméril & Bibron 1839 |
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Mesalina guttulata Blanford 1879 |
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1838 | |
Scapteira punctulata Gray (Szczerbak 1975) |
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1839 | |
Eremias pardalis Duméril & Bibron (Szczerbak 1975) |
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Mesalina pardalis Gray 1845 |
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Podarces pardalis Boettger 1880 |
Remarks:
Now restricted to Africa.
Previously included balfouri, martini, olivieri, and watsonana, as well as the populations now assigned
to arnoldi, austroarabica, and bahaeldini (Sindaco, Simó-Riudalbas, Sacchi & Carranza 2018).
A single, old record from Eritrea (Sindaco & Jeremchenko 2008; Spawls, Mazuch & Mohammad 2023).
Records from Afghanistan, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan refer to watsonana.
Records from Yemen refer to arnoldi or austroarabica.
Some Arabian records (including records from Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Syria) are of unresolved status,
but probably represent an undescribed species (Sindaco, Simó-Riudalbas, Sacchi & Carranza 2018).
Distribution:
Algeria,
Egypt,
Eritrea,
Libya,
Mauritania,
Morocco,
Niger,
Senegal,
Sudan,
Tunisia,
Western Sahara.
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Mesalina halilica
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Halil Desert Lizard
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Halil-Wüstenrenner
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Halil-ørkenfirben
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2024 | |
Mesalina halilica Boroumand, Bafti, Saberi-Pirooz, Böhme & Ahmadzadeh |
Distribution:
Iran.
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Mesalina kermanensis
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Kerman Desert Lizard
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Kerman-Wüstenrenner
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Kerman-ørkenfirben
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2024 | |
Mesalina kermanensis Boroumand, Bafti, Saberi-Pirooz, Böhme & Ahmadzadeh |
Distribution:
Iran.
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Mesalina khuzestanensis
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Khuzestan Desert Lizard
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Khuzestan-Wüstenrenner
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Khuzestan-ørkenfirben
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2024 | |
Mesalina khuzestanensis Boroumand, Bafti, Saberi-Pirooz, Böhme & Ahmadzadeh |
Distribution:
Iran.
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Mesalina kuri
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Abd al Kuri Desert Lizard
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Abd-al-Kuri-Wüstenrenner
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Abd al Kuri-ørkenfirben
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2002 | |
Mesalina kuri Joger & Mayer |
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a population of balfouri.
Distribution:
Yemen
(Socotra Archipelago:
Abd al Kuri).
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Mesalina martini
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Red Sea Desert Lizard, (Martin's Desert Racer)
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Rotes-Meer-Wüstenrenner
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Rødehavs-ørkenfirben
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1897 | |
Eremias martini Boulenger |
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Eremias guttulata martini Neumann 1905 |
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Eremias olivieri martini Haas 1951 |
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Mesalina olivieri martini Szczerbak 1975 |
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Mesalina martini Arnold 1986 |
Distribution:
Djibouti,
Egypt,
Eritrea
(incl.
Dahlak Archipelago),
Ethiopia,
Somalia,
Sudan,
Yemen.
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Mesalina microlepis
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Arabian Small-scaled Desert Lizard
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Kleinschuppiger Wüstenrenner
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Arabisk Finskællet Ørkenfirben
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1936 | |
Eremias brevirostris microlepis Angel |
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Mesalina brevirostris microlepis Szczerbak 1975 |
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Mesalina microlepis Smíd, Moravec, Gvozdík, Stundl, Frynta, Lymberakis, Kapli, Wilms, Schmitz, Shobrak, Yousefkhani, Rastegar-Pouyani, Castilla, Els & Mayer 2017 |
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a subspecies of brevirostris (e.g., Szczerbak 1975). Revalidated as a separate species by Smíd, Moravec, Gvozdík, Stundl, Frynta, Lymberakis, Kapli, Wilms, Schmitz, Shobrak, Yousefkhani, Rastegar-Pouyani, Castilla, Els & Mayer (2017).
Distribution:
Jordan,
Lebanon,
Syria,
Turkey.
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Mesalina olivieri
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Egyptian Small-spotted Desert Lizard, (Olivier's Small-spotted Desert Lizard, Olivier's Desert Lizard)
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Ägyptischer Kleinflecken-Wüstenrenner
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Ægyptisk Spættet Ørkenfirben
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1829 | |
Lacerta olivieri Audouin |
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Eremias guttulata olivieri Boulenger 1918 |
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Eremias olivieri Haas 1951 |
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Mesalina olivieri Szczerbak 1975 |
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1901 | |
Eremias guichenoti Doumergue (Szczerbak 1975) |
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1918 | |
Eremias guttulata latastii Boulenger (Szczerbak 1975) |
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Eremias olivieri latastii Haas 1951 |
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Mesalina olivieri latasti Szczerbak 1975 |
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1918 | |
Eremias guttulata susana Boulenger (Bischoff 1991; Sindaco & Jeremchenko 2008) |
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Eremias olivieri susana Haas 1951 |
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Mesalina guttulata susana Szczerbak 1975 |
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Mesalina olivieri susana Bischoff 1991 |
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1951 | |
Eremias olivieri schmidti Haas |
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Mesalina olivieri schmidtii Szczerbak 1975 |
Remarks:
Previously included balfouri, martini, and simoni.
Distribution:
Algeria,
Egypt
(incl.
Sinai),
Iraq,
Israel,
Jordan,
Libya,
Morocco,
Saudi Arabia,
Tunisia.
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Mesalina pasteuri
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Sahara Desert Lizard, (Pasteur's Desert Racer)
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Sahara-Wüstenrenner
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Sahara-ørkenfirben
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1960 | |
Eremias pasteuri Bons |
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Mesalina pasteuri Szczerbak 1975 |
Distribution:
Algeria,
Egypt,
Mali,
Mauritania,
Morocco,
Niger,
Western Sahara.
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Mesalina rubropunctata
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Red-spotted Desert Lizard
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Rotgepunkteter Wüstenrenner
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Rødplettet Ørkenfirben
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1823 | |
Lacerta rubropunctata Lichtenstein |
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Eremias rubropunctata Duméril & Bibron 1839 |
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Mesalina rubropunctata Gray 1845 |
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1838 | |
Mesalina lichtensteinii Gray (Szczerbak 1975) |
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1838 | |
Scapteira nebulosa Gray (Szczerbak 1975) |
Remarks:
Berre (1989) listed rubropunctata for Tunisia, but according to Schlüter (2007), guttulata and olivieri are the only species of the
genus Mesalina found in the country.
Not mentioned for Saudi Arabia by Aloufi, Amr, Baker & Hamidan (2019).
Distribution:
Algeria,
Chad,
Egypt
(incl.
Sinai),
Libya,
Mali,
Mauritania,
Morocco,
Niger,
Sudan,
Western Sahara.
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Mesalina saudiarabica
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West Arabian Desert Lizard
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Westarabischer Wüstenrenner
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Vestarabisk Ørkenfirben
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2017 | |
Mesalina saudiarabica Moravec, Smíd, Schmitz, Shobrak & Wilms in Smíd, Moravec, Gvozdík, Stundl, Frynta, Lymberakis, Kapli, Wilms, Schmitz, Shobrak, Yousefkhani, Rastegar-Pouyani, Castilla, Els & Mayer |
Distribution:
Saudi Arabia.
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Mesalina simoni
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Moroccan Small-spotted Desert Lizard, (Simon's Small-spotted Lizard)
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Marokkanischer Kleinflecken-Wüstenrenner
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Marokkansk Spættet Ørkenfirben
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1881 | |
Podarces simoni Boettger |
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Eremias olivieri simoni Bons 1959 |
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Mesalina olivieri simoni Szczerbak 1975 |
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Mesalina simoni Arnold 1986 |
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2021 | |
Mesalina simoni saharae Pizzigalli, Crochet, Geniez, Martínez-Freiría, Velo-Antón & Brito |
Distribution:
Morocco,
Western Sahara.
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Mesalina watsonana
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Long-tailed Desert Lizard, Persian Long-tailed Sand Lizard, Blue-tailed Desert Lizard
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Langschwanz-Wüstenrenner
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Langhalet Ørkenfirben
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1872 | |
Eremias watsonana Stoliczka |
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Mesalina watsonana Murray 1884 |
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Eremias guttulata watsonana Smith 1935 |
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Mesalina guttulata watsonana Szczerbak 1975 |
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1874 | |
Mesalina pardaloides Blanford (Smith 1935) |
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Eremias pardaloides Boulenger 1887 |
Remarks:
Previously included the populations now assigned to
ardestanica, bardaskanensis, esfarayensis, halilica, kermanensis, and khuzestanensis.
Taxonomic status of records from outside Iran are unclear.
They are provisionally included herein as watsonana, pending further studies.
Distribution:
Afghanistan,
India
(Rajasthan),
Iran,
Pakistan,
Turkmenistan.
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