A Morphological Study of Teratoscincus bedriagai Nikolsky, 1899 (Sauria : Sphaerodactylidae), in North Sistan and Baluchestan Province

Teratoscincus bedriagai (Bedriaga’s Plate –tailed Gecko) was included in Gekkonidae family but based on recent molecular studies was separated from this family and moved to the family Sphaerodactylidae. In order to study morphologic, morphometric and meristic characters of this nocturnal lizard the sampling was conducted in the dry lands of Sistan (north of Sistan and Baluchistan Province) at night hours in 2014 and 2015. Eighteen specimens were collected. The gecko specimens were transferred to the laboratories of Shahid Beheshti and Golestan universities. The identification key of Anderson was used for scientific naming of the specimens. The following results were obtained based on the morphologic, biometric and meristic characters on 12 males and 6 females. The body length ranged from 52.8 to 64.3 mm. and from 52.1 to 64.3 mm. for males and females respectively; scales number were 28-35 , 61-76 , 9-12 and 8-11 for head width , head length , supralabials and infralabials respectively ; number of scales round middle of body less than 60 scales ; and number of plate like scales 8-11. There are no posterior chin scales.