Paralaudakia caucasia (Eichwald, 1831)

Taxon Name and Head Morphology

Paralaudakia caucasia (Eichwald, 1831) has a much depressed head; the nostril is lateral, positioned below the canthus rostralis, and slightly tubular.

Upper Head Scales

Upper head scales are smooth; the occipital scale is not enlarged.

Head and Neck Spinose Scales

Small conical spinose scales are present on the side of the head near the ear, and on the neck.

Ear Opening Size

The ear opening is larger than the eye opening.

Throat Morphology

The throat is strongly plicate, and no gular pouch is present.

Body Shape and Lateral Fold

The body is much depressed, with a very indistinct lateral fold.

Nuchal and Latero-dorsal Scales

Nuchal and latero-dorsal scales are very small and granular.

Vertebral Region Scales

The vertebral region has enlarged flat, feebly keeled, rather irregular scales.

Flank Scales

Flanks have enlarged, strongly keeled or spinose scales.

Nuchal Denticulation

There is no nuchal denticulation.

Ventral Scales

Ventral scales are smooth, and distinctly smaller than the enlarged dorsal scales.

Mid-body Scale Count

There are 150 to 160 scales around the middle of the body.

Limb and Digit Scales

Limbs are strong, with compressed digits; scales on the upper surface of limbs are much enlarged, strongly keeled, and generally spinose.

Finger and Toe Lengths

The fourth finger is slightly longer than the third; the fourth toe is a little longer than the third, and the fifth toe extends beyond the first.

Tail Scaling and Structure

The tail is rounded, depressed at the base, covered with rather large spinose scales arranged in rings, with two rings forming a distinct segment.

Tail Length

The tail length does not quite equal twice the distance from the gular fold to the vent.

Male Secondary Sexual Characters

Males have a large patch of callose preanal scales and an enormous patch of similar scales on the belly.

Dorsal Pattern

The dorsal surface is olivaceous, marked with round yellowish spots that have black edges; black color frequently forms a network across the dorsal area.

Vertebral and Limb Pattern

The vertebral region is yellowish, and limbs have more or less distinct yellowish cross bars.

Lower Surface Coloration

The lower surface is yellowish in females, and blackish in breeding males.

Snout-vent Length

The length from snout to vent is 5 inches.