Muhtarophis barani
Muhtarophis barani, also known commonly as the Amanos dwarf snake and Baran's black-headed dwarf snake, is a species of snake in the monotypic genus "Muhtarophis" in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Amanos Mountains of Turkey, and was discovered in 2007. Etymology. The generic name, "Muhtarophis", is in honor of Turkish herpetologist (with the suffix "-ophis" meaning "snake"). The specific name, "barani", is in honor of Turkish herpetologist of the Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir. Habitat. The preferred natural habitats of "M. barani" are shrubland and rocky areas, at an  altitude of . Description. "M. barani" has 17 dorsal scale rows at midbody, and 163–173 ventral scales. The head is oblique-shaped anteriorly. There is a distinctive black blotch under the eye, running into a narrow stripe. The dorsal surface of the body is colored reddish brown, with no spots. Reproduction. "M. barani" is oviparous.