Muhtarophis

{{Short description|Species of snake}} {{Speciesbox | name = ''Muhtarophis barani'' | image = | status = DD | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name=iucn>Kaska Y, Kumlutaş Y, Avci A, Üzüm N, Yeniyurt C, Akarsu F (2018). "''Muhtarophis barani'' (amended version of 2009 assessment)". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T164762A122877031. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T164762A122877031.en. Downloaded on 08 October 2018.</ref> | genus = Muhtarophis | parent_authority = Avci et al., 2015 | species = barani | authority = (Olgun, Avci, Ilgaz, Üzüm & Yilmaz, 2007) | synonyms = *''Rhynchocalamus barani'' <br/>{{small|Olgun, Avci, Ilgaz, Üzüm & Yilmaz, 2007}} *''Rhynchocalamus barani'' <br/>{{small|— Wallach et al. 2014}} *''Muhtarophis barani'' <br/>{{small|— Avci et al. 2015}} *''Muhtarophis barani'' <br/>{{small|— Šmíd et al. 2015}} | synonyms_ref = <ref name=RDB/> }}

'''''Muhtarophis barani''''', also known commonly as '''Baran's black-headed dwarf snake''', is a species of snake in the monotypic genus ''Muhtarophis'' in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.turkherptil.org/IcerikDetay.asp?Harf=585 |title=Amanos Dwarf Snake |publisher=AdaMerOs Herptil Türkiye |access-date=11 March 2017}}</ref> The species is endemic to the Amanos Mountains of Turkey, and was discovered in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://novataxa.blogspot.com/2015/09/muhtarophis-barani.html |title=Molecular Phylogeny and Micro CT-Scanning Revealed Extreme Cryptic Biodiversity in Kukri Snake, A New Genus for ''Rhynchocalamus barani'' (Serpentes: Colubridae)|date=30 September 2015 |publisher=Novataxa |access-date=11 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=An integrative systematic revision and biogeography of ''Rhynchocalamus'' snakes (Reptilia, Colubridae) with a description of a new species from Israel|pmc=5183090|pmid=28028461|doi=10.7717/peerj.2769|volume=4|journal=PeerJ|article-number=e2769|author=Tamar K, Šmíd J, Göçmen B, Meiri S, Carranza S|year=2016 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Etymology== The generic name, ''Muhtarophis'', is in honor of Turkish herpetologist Muhtar Başoğlu (with the suffix ''-ophis'' meaning "snake").<ref>Avci et al. (2015).</ref>

The specific name, ''barani'', is in honor of Turkish herpetologist {{Interlanguage link multi|İbrahim Baran|tr}} of the Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir.<ref name=RDB>{{cite web |url=http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Muhtarophis&species=barani |title=''Muhtarophis barani'' OLGUN, AVCI, ILGAZ, ÜZÜM & YILMAZ, 2007 |publisher=The Reptile Database |access-date=11 March 2017}}</ref><ref>Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0135-5}}. (''Rhynchocalamus barani'', p. 16).</ref>

==Habitat== The preferred natural habitats of ''M. barani'' are shrubland and rocky areas, at an altitude of {{convert|1,300|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name=iucn/>

==Description== ''M. barani'' has 17 dorsal scale rows at midbody, and 163–173 ventral scales. The head is oblique-shaped anteriorly. There is a distinctive black blotch under the eye, running into a narrow stripe. The dorsal surface of the body is colored reddish brown, with no spots.<ref name=RDB/>

==Reproduction== ''M. barani'' is oviparous.<ref name=RDB/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== *Avci A, Ilgaz Ç, Rajabizadeh M, Yilmaz C, Üzüm N, Andriaens D, Kumlutaş Y, Olgun K (2015). "Molecular phylogeny and micro CT-scanning revealed extreme cryptic biodiversity in kukri snake ''Muhtarophis gen. nov.'', a new genus for ''Rhynchocalamus barani'' (Serpentes: Colubridae)". ''Russian Journal of Herpetology'' '''22''' (3): 159–174. *Olgun K, Avci A, Ilgaz Ç, Üzüm N, Yilmaz C (2007). "A new species of ''Rhynchocalamus'' (Reptilia: Serpentes: Colubridae) from Turkey". ''Zootaxa'' '''1399''': 57–68. (''Rhynchocalamus barani'', new species).

Category:Colubrinae Category:Reptiles described in 2007