Jeroen Speybroeck wrote:My first thought was Malpolon too, but I'm wondering if seemingly grooved scales could be caused by post mortem dessication...?
Right thought, Jeroen, but I think, even if this fact "could" maybe also happen, those scales have too deep longitudinal grooves for this being due to pure desiccation processes...
Last year I've photographed two "old" bodies of a DOR girondica and maura, found in the same day in my province, and, even if the pictures are rather blurred, there is no or very little sign of longitudinal grooving of the dorsal scales...
Interesting the fact that the girondica had freshly eaten at least one podarcis, as you can notice from the body (bodies?) of the lizard(s) on the lower (and probably also mid) left side of the picture!
- N.maura
- C.girondica with its prey