Table 1. Definitions of, and abbreviations used for, measurements, mensural ratios, and scale counts.
Symbol Description
Measurements
A Head length from snout to anterior dorsal margin of tympanum
B Head width at maximum span of postorbital arch
C Head depth at midpoint of orbit
D Head–neck length from tip of snout to gular fold
E Body length from gular fold to cloaca
F Tail length from cloaca to tip of tail
G Facial length from centre of nostril to anterior margin of orbit
H Snout length from tip of snout to centre of nostril
TL Total length
SVL Snout to vent length
Mensural ratios
1 Relative tail to body length – F/ SVL
10 Relative head length to head width – A/B
11 Relative head length to head height – A/C
Scale counts
S Midbody scale rows
XY Dorsal scale rows from posterior margin of tympanic recess to anterior margin of hind limbs
T Rows of ventral scales from gular fold to anterior margin of hind limbs
X Rows of dorsal scales from posterior margin of tympanic recess to gular fold
m Scales around neck at anterior margin of gular fold
N Rows of ventral scales from tip of snout to gular fold
P Scales from rictus to rictus across dorsum of head
Q Scales around tail base
R Scales around tail counted at 1/3 of tail length from the base
DOR Number of dorsal scale rows from the last occipital scale to a point
dorsal to the posterior margin of the cloaca
VEN Ventral scales from the gular fold to the anterior margin of the cloaca