Upper head-shields smooth or slightly rugose; nostril lateral, pierced between on upper and a lower nasal, and followed by one or two postnasals; frontonasal single; four supra-oculars, first and fourth very small, the two principal separated from the supraciliaries by a series of granules: occipital small, in contact with or separated from the interparietal; subocular bordering the lip, normally between the fourth and fifth upper labials; temporal scales small, smooth; usually two large supratemporal shields bordering the parietal; a large tympanic shield.

[3] Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Ophisops.

The subspecific name, schlueteri, is in honor of Wilhelm Schlüter, who was a German dealer of natural history specimens.

[4] O. elegans is found in E Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, SE Bulgaria, NE Greece (Lesbos, Limnos, Chios, Romania, Samos, Samothraki, Agathonisi, Psara), Cyprus, Turkey, Algeria, Libya, Egypt,[5] W Syria, Lebanon, Israel, W Jordan, Iraq, Iran (Kavir desert), N Pakistan, NW India.

The preferred natural habitats of O. elegans are grassland, shrubland and forest, at altitudes of 400–2,000 m (1,300–6,600 ft).