biology

Ophiomorus latastii

Ophiomorus latastii is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ophiomorus latastii rather than just read about it. In short: Ophiomorus latastii, also known commonly as Lataste's snake skink and Latast's [sic] snake skink is a species of skink, a lizard in the subfamily Scincinae of the family Scincidae. The species is native to the Near East.

Key takeaways

Ophiomorus latastii belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ophiomorus latastii to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ophiomorus latastii from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Ophiomorus latastii, also known commonly as Lataste's snake skink and Latast's [sic] snake skink is a species of skink, a lizard in the subfamily Scincinae of the family Scincidae. The species is native to the Near East.

Etymology The specific name, latastii, is in honor of French herpetologist Fernand Lataste.

Geographic range O. latastii is found in Israel, Jordan, Occupied Palestinian territories, Syria, and possibly Lebanon.

Habitat The natural habitats of O. latastii are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation.

Description O. latastii is limbless. The snout is conical. There are 16 scale rows around the body at midbody.

Reproduction O. latastii is viviparous.

Conservation status The species O. latastii is threatened by habitat loss.

References

Further reading Baker MAA, Amr ZS (2022). "On the Current Status of Ophiomorus latastii Boulenger, 1887 (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) in Jordan". Herpetological Conservation and Biology 17 (2): 343–348. Bar, Aviad; Haimovitch, Guy; Meiri, Shai (2021). Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Israel. Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Edition Chimaira. 512 pp. ISBN 978-3899731200. Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. ... Scincidæ .... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I–XL. (Ophiomorus latastii, new species, p. 398 + Plate XXXIII, Figures 2, 2a). Sindaco R, Jeremčenko VK (2008). Reptiles of the Western Palearctic. 1. Annotated Checklist and Distributional Atlas of the Turtles, Crocodiles, Amphisbaenians and Lizards of Europe, North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia. (Monographs of the Societas Herpetologica Italica). Latina, Italy: Edizioni Belvedere. 580 pp. ISBN 978-88-89504-14-7.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ophiomorus latastii

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ophiomorus latastii claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ophiomorus latastii before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ophiomorus latastii ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ophiomorus latastii

In research: Ophiomorus latastii appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ophiomorus latastii in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ophiomorus latastii is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics IUCN Red List data deficient species, Ophiomorus, Reptiles described in 1887, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ophiomorus latastii outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ophiomorus latastii in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ophiomorus latastii means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ophiomorus latastii out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ophiomorus latastii in simple terms?

Why does Ophiomorus latastii matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ophiomorus latastii?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ophiomorus latastii.