zoogeographlc groupings (e.g., sochurekt x carina tus - 

 Zoologlsches Museum der Humboldt Unlverlstat, Berlin no. 

 18565; coloratus x leakeyl , lehmann 1980) obtained in 

 captivity, cannot contradict this statement since, in the 

 first place, in view of the great polymorphism of vipers, 

 hybrid analysis is relevant only with regard to vipers from 

 an area of sympatry; secondly, a certain number of hybrids of 

 reptiles of different species is generally known; and thirdly 

 only single hybrids of the first generation have been 

 obtained to the present time. Therefore, the species E. 

 carina tus which has until now been considered to consist of a 

 number of subspecies is, in fact, a complex of species. 

 Neither Paleoaslatic nor African groups can be considered as 

 subspecies and must, therefore, be identified as independent 

 species . 



Therefore, we recommend the following taxonomy of snakes 

 of the genus Echis : Paleoaslatic species - E^. mu 1 tisquam tus , 

 E^.jB. sochureki , E . s . as to lae , E^._c. coloratus ; Indian species 

 - E . c . carina tus , E . c . sinhaleyus ; African species - _E_. p, 

 py ramidum, E . p leakeyl , _E_. _£_. a llaborri , _E_. ocel la tus , E 

 leucogas ter » 



[Literature Cited] 



Hepnoe C. A. OpecMbiKaiomHecH.— CTa-TiiHa6aa, 1959. — 204 c. — (OavHa Taj>KiiKCKOH 



CCP; 18). 

 'JepAUH B. A. HoBbifl BHfl 3(pH Echis multisquamatus sp. nov. H3 nepejHeii ii CpeaHeft 



A3HH. — B KH.: OavHa h 3Ko.iornH a.M4)H6nH h penTH.iufi na-ieapKrHMecKOM Asmi Jl , 



1981, c. 92—95.— (Tp. 3oo.i. HH-xa AH CCCP; 101). 

 Bohme W. Zur Herpetofaunistik des Senegal.— Bonn. zool. Beiiz.. 1978, H, 4, N 29. 



S. 360—417. 

 Constable J. D. Reptiles from the Indian Peninsular in the Museum of Compar. Zoologv. 



Harvard, 1949. 103, N 2. p. 159—160. 

 Deoras P. J., Vad X. E. Studies on snakes of Maharashtra state. I. Some observations on 



the ecology of Echis carinatus.— Repr. 34, p. 3, 5. 

 Deranijagala P. E. P. Some new race of the snakes Ery.x, Callophis and Echis.— Spolia 



Zeylanica, 1951, 26, p. 2, p. 147—150. 

 Drews R. C, Sacharer J. M. A new population of carpet vipers Echis carinatus from N'or- 



dern Kenya — J. E. Afr. Nat. Hist. Soc. and Nation. Mus.. 1974, N 45, 7 p. 

 Geoffroy S.-H., E.. T. Description des reptiles que setrouvent en Egypte. — In: .Audouin, 



V. Description de'Egypte, on Recueil des observations et des recherches que out ete 



Eatesen Egvpt pendant I'e.xpedition de I'.Armee Francaise.— Hist. Nat., 1827, I, 



p. 121 — 160.' 

 Gunther A. On reptiles from Midian collected bv Major Burton.— Proc. zool. Soc. London, 



1878, p. 977-978. 

 Hughes B. Notes on .African Viperes, Echis carinatus. E. leucogaster, and E. ocellatus 



(Viperidae, Serpentes).— Rev. suisse zoo!., 1976, 83, fasc. 2, p. 359—391. 

 Lehmann M. Haltung und Nachzucht von Echis carinatus leakevi X Echis cooratus. — 



Herpetofauna, 1980, N 4, S. 32—34. 

 Mertens R. Die Amphibien und Reptilien West-Pakistans. I. Nachtag.— Stuttgart. Beitr. 



Naturk., 1970, \ 216, S. 55. 

 Roman B. Deux sous-especes de la vipere Echis carinatus (Schneider) dans les territores 



de Haute-Volta et du Niger Echis carinatus ocellatus Stemmler — Echis carinatus 



leucogaster n. ssn — Not., Documents voltaiques. 1972, 5. N 4. p. 1 — 11. 

 Roman B. Le Vipere Echis carinatus leucogaster, Roman, 1972 de Haute Volta et du Niger 



erevee au rang d'espece: Echis leucogaster — Ibid.. 1975, 8, 4, p. 3—26. 

 Schneider J. G. Historia Amphibiorum naturalia et literariae, 1801, fasc. 2.-364 p. 

 Stemmler O. Die Sandrasselotter aus Pakistan; Echis carinatus sochureki subsp. nov. — 



Aquaterra, 1969, 6, N 10, S. 118—125. 

 Stemmler O., Sochurek E. Die Sandrasselotter von Kenya: Echis carinatus leakevi subsp. 



nov.— Ibid., 1969, 6, N 6, S. 89—94. 

 Stemmler 0. Die Sandrasselotter aus West-Afrika: Echis carinatus ocellatus subsp. nov. 



(Serpentes, Viperidae) — Rev. suisse Zool., 1970. 77. fasc. 2, S. 273—282. 



3oo;)orHMecKHH HHCTHTy? AH CCCP PIocTvnH.ia a pcaaKUHio 



17.11 1981 r. 



