Sexual size dimorphism in Ophisops elegans (Squamata: Lacertidae) in Iran |
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| Authors: | Hamzeh Oraie Nasrullah Rastegar-Pouyani Azar Khosravani Eskandar Rastegar-Pouyani |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran;2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran;3. Iranian Plateau Herpetology Research Group (IPHRG), Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran;4. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran |
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| Abstract: | Twenty-three morphological features of 140 specimens of Ophisops elegans were analysed in order to identify sexual dimorphism in west and northwestern populations of Iran. Sexual dimorphism is significant (P<0.05) in nearly all metric features except for trunk length (TL) and length of widest part of belly (LWB), and in only two meristic characters, the number of dorsal scales around mid-body (DSN) and the number of femoral pores (FPN). Males have a relatively longer snout-vent length (SVL) than females and males have generally relatively larger heads compared to females. |
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