Golden Grass Mabuya – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

I saw a Golden Grass Mabuya Heremites septemtaeniatus in Dhahran recently that ran across a track but stopped under the nearby vegetation allowing me to take a few photographs. I have seen this lizard a few times here over the years but only running fast across tracks and never allowing photographs until this sighting. This species is known from Eritrea, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan. I have also seen this species in Dhahran where I live but although common, they are rarely seen.

Golden Grass Mabuya - Jubail

I saw a Golden Grass Mabuya Heremites septemtaeniatus in Jubail recently that ran across a track but stopped under the nearby vegetation allowing me to take a few photographs. I have seen this lizard a few times here over the years but only running fast across tracks and never allowing identification until this sighting. The lizards were formally known as Mabuya aurata and were generally regarded as three subspecies that were recognized on the basis of colour pattern and number of gular and ventral scales. Mausfeld et al. (2002) partitioned the genus Mabuya into four genera and restricted the application of the name Mabuya to the South American clade of these skinks. Therefore the skinks known formerly as M. aurata are assigned with the generic name Heremites. Heremites septemtaeniatus (Reuss, 1834) is the valid name for the populations, which are characterised by third supraocular shield being in contact with the frontal shield and by pattern of four longitudinal rows of small dark spots on the dorsum (the spots can fuse anteriorly and disappear posteriorly). This species is known from Eritrea, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan. I have also seen this species in Dhahran where I live but although common they are rarely seen.

Golden Grass Mabuya - Dhahran Hills

I saw a Golden Grass Mabuya in my garden in Dhahran Hills recently under the garden hedge and took a photo of it with my phone. The lizards were formally known as Mabuya aurata and were generally regarded as three subspecies that were recognized on the basis of colour pattern and number of gular and ventral scales. Mausfeld et al. (2002) partitioned the genus Mabuya into four genera and restricted the application of the name Mabuya to the South American clade of these skinks. Therefore the skinks known formerly as M. aurata are assigned with the generic name Trachylepis. Trachylepis septemtaeniata (Reuss, 1834) is the valid name for the populations, which are characterised by third supraocular shield being in contact with the frontal shield (see diagram) and by pattern of four longitudinal rows of small dark spots on the dorsum (the spots can fuse anteriorly and disappear posteriorly). This species is known from Eritrea, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan (Moravec et al. (2006).

Golden Grass Mabuya - Dhahran Hills

A few more Skinks have been seen in the garden where they particularly like resting from the sun under or behind our large plant containers. Luckily Abdulla saw one of these lizards in Bahrain on 24^th September when we were ringing together and showed it to me. I asked him if he knew the name of the species as I had seen one before in Dhahran but could not find out what species it was, so when he got home he kindly sent me the Latin name of it. The Latin name has since changed as these lizards were formally known as Mabuya aurata and were generally regarded as three subspecies that were recognized on the basis of colour pattern and number of gular and ventral scales. Mausfeld et al. (2002) partitioned the genus Mabuya into four genera and restricted the application of the name Mabuya to the South American clade of these skinks. Therefore the skinks known formerly as M. aurata are assigned with the generic name Trachylepis. Trachylepis septemtaeniata (Reuss, 1834) is the valid name for the populations, which are characterised by third supraocular shield being in contact with the frontal shield (see diagram) and by pattern of four longitudinal rows of small dark spots on the dorsum (the spots can fuse anteriorly and disappear posteriorly). This species is known from Eritrea, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan (Moravec et al. (2006).

Moravec, J.L., Franzen, M. & Böhme, W. (2006): Notes on the taxonomy, nomenclature and distribution of the Trachylepis (formerly Mabuya) aurata (Linnaeus, 1758) complex. Proceedings of the 13th Congress of the Societas Europaea Herpetologica. pp. 89-93

Mausfeld, P., Schmitz, A., Böhme, W., Misof, B., Vrcibradic, D., Rocha, C.F.D. (2002): Phylogenetic affi nities of Mabuya atlantica Schmidt, 1945, endemic to the Atlantic Ocean archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (Brazil): necessity of partitioning the genus Mabuya Fitzinger, 1826 (Scincidae: Lygosominae). Zool. Anz. 241: 281- 293.

Difference in head scalation between Trachylepis aurata and T. septemtaeniata. Third supraocular shield separated from the frontal shield in aurata (left) and in contact with the frontal shield in septemtaeniata (right).

Golden Grass Mabuya - Dhahran Hills

I saw this lizard on the wall of the house when I was leaving to go birdwatching yesterday. I have no idea what it is - anyone have any idea? if so please let me know so I can label it correctly. I have finally identified the lizard by searching the internet as a Golden Grass Mabuya. More details under the Wildlife Tab at the top of the page.