[4][5] The generic name, Muhtarophis, is in honor of Turkish herpetologist Muhtar Başoğlu (with the suffix -ophis meaning "snake").

[6] The specific name, barani, is in honor of Turkish herpetologist İbrahim Baran [tr] of the Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir.

[2][7] The preferred natural habitats of M. barani are shrubland and rocky areas, at an altitude of 1,300 m (4,300 ft).

There is a distinctive black blotch under the eye, running into a narrow stripe.

The dorsal surface of the body is colored reddish brown, with no spots.