GUNEYDOGU ANADOLUDA VARANUS GRISEUS DADD. (<;OL V ARANI) UBER DIE WUSTENWARANE (VARANUS GRISEUS DAUD.) AUS DEM SUDOSTLICHEN ANATOLIEN ON THE VARANUS GRISEUS DADD. FROM SOUTHEASTERN ANATOLIA

Abstract

.The description of our sample is based on two specimens : The first of them
having been found in South-eastern Anatolia in a place named Akrepli · 20 km
north of Ceylanp1nar in the province of Urfa on 28th May 1971.
. Tota1 length of this specimen was 95,5 cm·; the head long and smooth (8
cm), neck thick and long (9 cm) with strong folds of the skin at the sides. Body
strong, cylindrical (26,5 cm), tail long, cylindrical round without any crest (52
cm). Limbs very strong (forelimbs II, hindlimbs 14,2 cm), digits rather long
(1,5-4 cm) with strongly curved .claws. Teeth large, dilated at the base, fixed to the innerside of the jaw, tips curved  back and sharply pointed. Tongue long slender, smooth, deeply bifid. Eyes deeply situated with round pupils and orange red irises. Canthus rostralis, eyelids and ears distinct, nostril an oblique slit much nearer to the orbit than to the end of of the snout. Head covered with small polygonal sca~es. Scales on the upper surfaces generally conical and keeled. Neck and back covered with roundish granular scales which are in the middle of rings of small granules (approximately 1,5-2 mm diameter). Tail limbs and body sides covered with the same type but feebly keeled smaller scales. Abdominal scales square, smooth, in 112 transverse rows. Ground. colour : greyish yellow (clay yellow) with hexagonal brown figures on the back, neck and limbs. Brown streaks along the sides of the temporalia and neck. Irregular vertical brown lines on the body flanks. Until the 1/3 part of the tail the ground colour becomes gradually da.rk to orange red and 22 lozeng- shaped figures become a darker and darker brown.

Section findings : In the stomach were found a partly digested large lizard
about 25 cm; an unspoiled small green lizard which may have been newly swallowed (17 cm) and some great pieces of eggshells which had dark green spots on a light greyish ground. Left ovary like a walnut in size and shape with 12 round eggs, which have soft shells approximately 1 cm diameter attached on the ovary. The second specimen was found in the museum of the Secondary School of Ceylanpmar on 4th September 1971, during an excursion arranged in this area. It has been caught and embalmed in 1967. The total length of this specimen is 95 cm (head 8, neck 11, body 28, tail 48, forelimbs 9, hindlimbs 13,5 cm). This one has the same colours and scales as the first one, but has become dry and pale.

Locally people call the Varanus griseus zagar, gomgomok or <;olkertenkelesi.
These are found in large quantities in Akrepli, 20 km north of the Ceylanpmar
area and 40 km north-east of this place, in Telhamut and beside the Habur
river on the Turkish-Syrian border.