Notes on some Egyptian Lacertidae, including a new subspecies of Mesalina, involving the Seligmann effect

Abstract: These notes on some Egyptian lacertid lizards contribute to faunal data for the planning of biodiversity conservation. Mesalina bahaeldini curatorum n. subsp. is described from Suez, characterized by coloration and larger (fewer) body scales. Range extensions are documented for Acanthodactylus aegyptius, Mesalina olivieri, and M. rubropunctata. The previously reported occurrence of A. opheodurus in Sinai is doubted. The fact that the M. b. curatorum types were collected in the 1820s demonstrates the importance of museum collections