'IRAQ AND THE PERSIAN GULF' [‎146v] (297/862)

204 CLIMATE, VEGETATION, AND FAUNA
between the scales a bright red, which is very striking when the male
raises the head. Another sand-snake (Psammophis schokari) calls for
mention, on account of its wide range—Sahara to India—and great
variation in colour. The largest of the Iraqi lizards is the desert
momtov {Varanusgriseus) which is not uncommon and grows to a size
of over 4 feet, of which the tail is more than half. Other lizards and rats
are its principal food, and it has a well-merited reputation for speed.
Several kinds of geckos are found in houses, caves, and ruins. They
have specially developed scales on their feet which enable them to
adhere to smooth surfaces. One of the more abundant is the rough-
scaled gecko (Gymnodactylus scaber), of a sandy brown with dark
spots, some four inches in length. There are other geckos which are
entirely ground-lizards and do not have specially developed scales
on the feet; they include the fat-tailed lizard (Eublepharis macularis),
a small brownish species with a rather short and dumpy tail.
A form of European tree-frog (Hyla arboria) is not uncommon near
Basra, and a toad (Bufo viridis) also occurs.
As far as is known there are only three snakes in Iraq whose poison
is fatal to man. They are the horned viper [Cerastes cornutus), readily
distinguished by the horn-like scales over the eyes; the blunt-nosed
viper [Vipera lebetina), of a grey and brown colour with darker spots
or cross-bands, and as much as 4 ft. 6 in. in length. The third species
is the rare cobra Naia morgani.
Fishes of the Tigris and Euphrates
The true freshwater fishes of the Euphrates-Tigris system are
dominated by the Cyprinidae, the carp family. There are no trout or
salmon, although the finest Barbus has sporting qualities which have
earned it among the British the name ‘Tigris salmon’. There are a
few catfish, and that strange fish the ‘spiny eel’, Mastacembelus, which
has a long, tapering body, more compressed than in true eels, with a
snake-like colour-pattern. Unlike the true eels, it has small, spaced
spines along the back; its narrow snout is quaintly produced in three
tentacle-like structures, two of which are tubular nostrils.
Among the Cyprinidae, the European genera Alburnus (the bleak
genus), Leuciscus (the dace genus), and Barbus (the barbel genus) are
represented by species peculiar to this region. The name Barbus,
used in the broad sense, covers numerous forms spread over Europe,
central Asia, India, Burma, and Africa. The Euphrates and Tigris
harbour several species ranging from small-scaled forms, resembling
in this feature the European barbel, to large-scaled forms recalling the