Eirenis, Jan, 1863

Akbarpour, Morteza, Rastegar-Pouyani, Nasrullah, Fathinia, Behzad & Rastegar-Pouyani, Eskandar, 2020, A new species of the genus Eirenis Jan, 1863 (Squamata: Colubridae) from Kerman Province in South-central Iran, Zootaxa 4868 (1), pp. 117-128 : 125-126

Key to the species of Eirenis in Iran

An updated key to the one proposed by Fathinia et al. (2019).

1 15 scales at mid-body (Subgenus Eirenis (Collaria ))......................................................... 2

- 17 scales at mid-body (Subgenus Eirenis ( Eirenis ))......................................................... 11

2 More than 186 ventral scales, loreal scale mostly absent...................................................... 3

- Less than 186 ventral scales, loreal scale present............................................................ 6

3 Dorsal body pattern consists of distinct dark and light bars across body and tail........................ E. nigrofasciatus

- Dorsal body unicolor, without dark spots on the bases of anterior dorsal scales..................................... 4

4 Fewer than 60 subcaudal scales............................................................... E. occidentalis

- Mostly more than 60 subcaudal scales.................................................................... 5

5 Up to 214 ventrals, 54–83 subcaudals............................................................. E. persicus

- More than 214 ventrals, 80–104 subcaudals......................................................... E. walteri

6 6 upper-labial scales...................................................................... E. kermanensis

- 7 upper-labial scales.................................................................................. 7

7 A black crown on head.................................................................... E. coronelloides

- Head without black crown.............................................................................. 8

8 Ventrals 152–177, subcaudals 50–63, dorsum unicolor............................................... E. collaris

- Ventrals 129–167, subcaudals 37–59, dorsum not unicolor with transverse or longitudinal bars....................... 9

9 Subcaudals 51–59, loreal in contact with first upper labial........................................... E. rechingeri

- Subcaudals 37–58, loreal not in contact with first upper labial................................................ 10

10 Subcaudals 37–45, ventral surface whitish-yellow with brown dots.................................... E. coronella

- Subcaudals 42–58, ventral surface white without dots................................................. E. medus

11 Posterior chin shields in contact........................................................................ 12

- Posterior chin shields not in contact..................................................................... 14

12 Dorsal of body and head unicolor, without dots, blotches, transverse bars or stripes....................... E. yassujicus

- Dorsal of body and head not unicolor.................................................................... 13

13 Longitudinal stripes on dorsal body and neck, subcaudals 64–85, ventrals 159–180, ventral of body uniformly creamy............................................................................................ E. decemlineata

- Dorsal body with dots or blotches, subcaudals 62–86, ventrals 150–181, ventral surface yellowish creamy................................................................................................... E. punctatolineatus

14 Both transverse band and longitudinal stripes on the dorsal body, neck with transverse bands, posterior chin shields triangular in shape............................................................................ E. rafsanjanicus sp. n.

- Dorsal patterns are only present on the head and neck, dorsal body without transverse or longitudinal stripes or bands................................................................................................ E. modestus