Ophisops elegans - Snake-eyed Lizard
The genus Ophisops is a mainly south-western Asian group of lizards (reaching India to the east). They all share the "snake-eyed" appearance which is caused by a transparent fixed eyelid. The only European representative of the genus is Ophisops elegans (subspecies macrodactylus), a delicate lizard which can show bright colours in spring.
In our area, it occurs on the southeastern tip of the Balkan Peninsula and numerous eastern Aegean islands. Remarkably, it didn't cross the Mid Aegean Trench westward and therefore lacks on the Cyclades.
The Snake-eyed Lizard inhabits a broad range of habitats: coastal dunes and gardens as well as rocky areas and forests in the mountains. However. this species doesn’t climb much and is rather ground-dwelling.
It can be distinguished from other species by its "rough" scales, the fixed eyelid and the sharp-edged supra-ocular scales which give them a "stern" appearance.
Within its European distribution range, it co-occurs with the following species:
- Podarcis muralis and Podarcis erhardii in Thrace and Bulgaria
- Anatololacerta anatolica on Samos and Ikaria,
- Anatololacerta pelasgiana on Rhodos and Symi.
- Lacerta diplochondrodes on some Eastern Aegean Islands and in Thrace
