Occasionally referred to as "Tiger Lizards" or "Desert Racers". Like certain other lacertid genera they are small and short-lived, reaching sexual maturity within one year. I do not recall ever having seen them offered for captive sale, but their small size and short lifespans would probably discourage many potential keepers in any case.
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Distribution | Size | Notes |
| Mesalina | ||||
| M. adramitana | Arabian peninsula and Gulf | 6?" | ? | |
| M. ayunensis | Oman | 6"? | ? | |
| M. balfourii | Yemen | 6"? | Confined to Socotra Island in the Red Sea. | |
| M. brevirostris | N Arabia, Pakistan, SW Iran, W Syria Jordan, Sinai, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates | 6"? | There are two subspecies other than the nominate, M. b. brevirostris: M. b. fieldi and M. b. microlepis. The latter is not agreed on by all authorities. | |
| M. b. brevirostris | C Somalia | 6"? | ? | |
| M. b. fieldi | C Somalia | 6"? | ? | |
| M. b. microlepis | Jordan, N Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Iran, and S Sinai | 6"? | ? | |
| M. ercolinii | C Somalia | 6"? | Described in 1975 by Lanza and Poggesi as Eremias ercolinii. Scalation details: 3 nasals; frontal in contact with 1st, 2nd and 3rd supraoculars; subocular does not contact lip; dorsal head shields nearly smooth; collar straight and free. Dorsal and ventral scalation: large, in 37 rows across body; scales imbricate and singly keeled at midbody, smooth on flanks; ventral plates in 8 straight longitudinal rows. Other: toes with three-keeled lamellae; root of tail covered by large and strongly imbricate scales, singly-keeled dorsally and smooth ventrally. Coloration (in preservative): dorsal overall hazel brown; head scalation finely dotted with dark brown or blackish tone; numerous dark brown scales on neck and trunk, some of latter being grouped in 2 paravertebral rows of 9-10 spots, each spot edged by 1-4 whitish scales laterally and sometimes by 2-3 similar scales medially; lateral whitish scales tend to form largely broken supraciliary stripe; irregular, narrow and indistinct brownish dorsolateral stripe runs from nape to base of tail; continuous whitish subocular brown-edged stripe runs along neck, consisting of 8-9 small irregular spots surrounded by some dark brown or blackish scales; limbs dorsally hazel brown; hindlimb has some small whitish, blackish-edged spots which are barely distinct on forelimb; ventrally ivory white. Reproduction: no details available. [SOURCE: Lanza and Poggesi] | |
| M. guttulata | Small Spotted Lizard/Small Spotted Desert Racer | N & W Africa through Middle East to Indian subcontinent | 6½" | A very widespread species with, surprisingly, no subspecies, although M. watsonana was once a subspecies: another, M. g. susana, is no longer considered valid. Most are brown with two dorsolateral rows of white and black ocelli, but some may be black. Ventral surface is blue-grey. Interestingly these small lacertids seem to be actively preying on food items during the hot noon period, relying on ambush techniques to seize small arthropods. In turn it is a prey item for larger lizards, snakes and birds, protected mainly by its camouflage against the usually rocky habitat. Often confused with M. olivieri (Kästle et al), but distinguishable from the latter by a less striped pattern and slight differences in scalation around the eyes (the palpebral disk). Prefers warm places and mainly rocky or sandy ground, although it can also be found on grass or salt steppes (Kästle et al). The shelter is usually a hole in substrate, preferably slightly moister than the surrounding area. Breeding takes place in April, with several clutches of 2-7 eggs being laid per year. |
| M. martini | NE Africa and SW Arabia | 6"? | African distribution is apparently confined to coastal regions of the Red Sea: see EMBL database entry. | |
| M. olivieri | Olivier's Small Lizard/ Desert-Racer | N Africa, Middle East and Arabia | 5-6" | Small, short-headed and broad-snouted lizard that is sympatric with M. guttulata over much of its range. KKS note that it was very common at the beginning of the 20th century but has been reduced in numbers by agricultural projects. It feeds on small insects, spiders, snails and mites which form a substantial part of its diet in some places. In appearance it is similar to M. simoni. Ground colour is some variation of brown, from dark to beige, while the head may be silvery grey in old specimens. Dorsal pattern is also a variation on some arrangement of six longitudinal lines. Limbs are same colour as body but bear small spots. Lower flanks may be dotted with black. M. olivieri is active all year round but diurnal activity may extend into dusk during summer. It may also estivate. It is found in a variety of habitats: flat terraces of open ground with stones and shrubs; sandy or loamy soils with Frankenia thymifolia and Zygophyllum album; Halfa grass steppes; and in the Saharan region, sandy regions with rocks [KKS]. Scalation details (as given in KKS): 4 supraoculars of which 1st and 4th are small and divided. Nostrils rounded and protruding, situated between 3 scales of which one touches rostral. Frontal region somewhat bulging. Up to 7 supralabials: in 90% of specimens to 5th touched the eye, in 10% the 6th and rarely the 7th. 4 pairs of submaxillaries, of which anterior 3 are in contact. Palpebral disk: 2-3 plates rest on row of 4-6 small plates.Throat: gular fold and collar generally distinct. Dorsal scales: granular. Ventral scales: 8 longitudinal rows plus marginal row of half-sized plates on each side. Other: 14-15 femoral pores beneath each thigh. Reproduction: males can be distinguished from females by their ventrally flattened tailbase (rounded in females). There are 2 or more clutches per year with 2-4 eggs per clutch: KKS note that spermatogenesis is almost continuous but that oviposition does not occur in mid-winter despite the lizards being active all year round. This species may be somewhat longer-lived than comparable-sized lacertids, as KKS note that the juvenile pattern lasts for 1-2 years. |
| M. o. balfouri | Socotra Island (Red Sea) | ??. | ||
| M. o. latasti | SE Algeria | Status in some doubt: see EMBL database entry and Kästle et al. KKS note that S Algerian specimens assume a reddish-sand colour in summer and usually have a spotted pattern. The lateral rows of brown spots being most pronounced and the ground colour is additionally spotted with white. | ||
| M. o. martini | Somalia and Aden | Coastal areas of Red Sea | ||
| M. o. schmidtii | Israel | |||
| M. o. susana | Iran? | |||
| M. pasteuri | Sahara Desert-Racer/Pasteur's Small Lizard | Morocco, S Algeria, Niger, Mali | 5-6" | The distribution of this species is centred on central Sahara. It is distinguished by its beige colour and white longitudinal stripes and lack of ocelli. The pattern consists of one middorsal stripe and two lateral stripes on each side which are separated by narrow white or yellowish lines: the middorsal line continues for some distance along the tail. See KKS for full details. Like M. rubropunctatus it occupies the driest regions, but unlike the latter species it does hibernate. Another difference is its preference for mobile sands with tufts of grass and sand dunes, whereas M. rubropunctatus is prefers stony, rocky areas. As with the latter species, population densities are extremely low. The lizards stay sheltered at noon during the summer months. Only small food items such as aphids, ants, termites and insect larvae are taken. M. pasteuri is predated by a number of creatures including scorpions, one species of windscorpion, the Desert Monitor V. griseus, various snakes and crows. Scalation details (as given in KKS): 4-5 (usually 5) supralabials in front of the subocular. Palpebral disk: 2 (sometimes 3 plus smaller) translucid scales, with 2-3 smaller ones on low anterior margins. Dorsal scales: granular or subimbricate, smooth or slightly keeled, in 34-41 rows at midbody. Ventral scales: 10 longitudinal rows and 28-33 transverse rows. Other: Large anal plate surrounded by two series of preanals. 10-14 femoral pores beneath each thigh. Reproduction: sexual maturity probably reached in 1 year [KKS]. No information yet available on reproduction in the wild. |
| M. rubropunctata | Red-Spotted Small Lizard/ Desert-Racer | N & W Africa east as far as Sudan and Sinai | 4½-5"? | Grey to brown species easily identifiable by clear rows (usually 4) of white spots bordered with dark red, maroon or black. Ventral surfaces are yellowish white. It is found in arid desert regions, including such extremely dry areas as the Tanezrouft where it may be the only lizard. It takes refuge in cavities (natural or self-dug) beneath rocks. Possibly because of their ability to survive such extreme habitat, their population density is usually low [KKS]. They will also take shelter during the hottest part of the day. This species does not hibernate, but mild weather causes greater activity and the lizards do not shelter at noon. Food consists of ants and small coleoptera, especially tenebrionids, although in captivity they will take crickets [KKS]. Males are intensively hierarchical and will establish rank through fighting. Scalation details (as given in KKS): internasal mostly contacts rostral. 2 large supraoculars, 2nd separated from supraciliaries by 2-3 rows of granules. 5th supralabial normally touches the eye. Palpebral disk: several translucid scales. Other: large anal plate bordered by semicircle of 2-3 rows of small preanals. Reproduction: mating begins in March and ends in June. The mating process is fairly lengthy and leaves distinct bite marks on the female [KKS]. Clutches are laid between April and the first half of July: up to 2-3, sometimes 4, clutches are laid, consisting of 3-7 (usually 4-5) eggs. KKS note that sexual maturity may be reached in the second year. They also observe that the scorpion Androctonus amoureuxi is a major predator of the juveniles, who are also found with wounds inflicted by termite soldiers. |
| M. simoni | Simon's Desert-Racer | Morocco | 5-6"? | Distribution limited to Atlantic Coast: the only Mesalina species within its range. For a time it was considered a subspecies of M. olivieri: see KKS for summary of differences. In appearance it differs mainly by a heavier pigmentation of dark grey on the gular and ventral regions, and by having light dorsal stripes bordered with black (this black bordering lacking in M. olivieri). Scalation is very similar to M. olivieri apart from the palpebral disk, which is made up of 7-8 opaque or translucid plates which are never bordered in black, unlike those of M. olivieri. This species inhabits rocky plateaus with scarce vegetation [KKS], being found at above 3,000 ft but also on coastal plains. As it has only recently been differentiated from M. olivieri, details on ecology and reproduction are still lacking. |
| M. watsonana | Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan | 6"? | ? | |
"On a new Eremias from Central Somalia", Benedetto Lanza and Marta Poggesi, Monitore Zoologico Italiano (Italian Journal of Zoology) 16, 31 December 1975. Describes M. ercolinii.
For further bibliography please refer to main Lacertidae page.
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