Muhtarophis

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. The species is endemic to the Amanos Mountains of Turkey, and was discovered in 2007.

Etymology

The generic name, Muhtarophis, is in honor of Turkish herpetologist Muhtar Başoğlu.
The specific name, barani, is in honor of Turkish herpetologist of the Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of M. barani are shrubland and rocky areas, at an altitude of.

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.

Reproduction

M. barani is oviparous.