REVIEW OF ALGERIAN MACROPROTODON 



91 



variable, body pattern usually tessellated-reticulated (the textilis) 

 pattern. Midbody scales in 19 rows. Sixth supralabial usually not in 

 contact with parietal. Usually four posterior infralabials. Separable 

 from M. mauritanicus mainly in the maxillary tooth count; 4 or 5 as 

 opposed to 3 and from that race and the new species (see below) in 

 its possession of the 'textilis' pattern in contrast to the undifferenti- 

 ated or the 'taeniatus' pattern. 



REDESCRIPTION OF THE HOLOTYPE OF Lycognathus textilis Dumeril 

 & Bibron 1854. Adult female MNHN 849, (Figs. 3a & 6a): snout- 

 vent length 287 mm; tail 57 mm. Type locality, 'Deserts of Western 

 Algeria', collected by F. Schousboe. 



Scalation. Scales at midbody 19, ventrals 168, subcaudals 45+1. 

 Dorsal scale row reduction formula: 



21 



3+4 (8) 

 3+4 (7) 



19 4+5(119) 1? 



4+5(128) 



168 



Supralabials 8/8 the 6th well separated from the parietals on both 

 sides; infralabials 6+4 /4+4. 



Maxillary teeth. 6+4+II; a diastema occurs between the 1st and 

 2nd tooth in the second series (both sides) i.e. that which precedes 

 the fangs. 



Coloration. Spirit-faded, cream coloured the darker ground colour 

 only just discernible; dark markings undiminished. 



Head pattern. V-mark indistinct; postorbital streak fairly thin 

 extending obliquely from the eye to the 6th supralabial whereupon 

 it abruptly assumes a horizontal course, narrowing and petering out 

 on the 7th; nuchal collar fragmented, consisting of a median and two 

 lateral portions. 



Body pattern. Conspicous black dorsal and dorsolateral markings 

 in varying degrees on the margins of the scales they occupy are 

 connected diagonally by black slivers usually confined to the inner 

 margins of the scales: the ground colour faded and only just 

 discernable thus poorly differentiating these from the pale patches. 



Belly pattern. Immaculate, no trace of any markings visible. 



Remarks. Doumergue ( 1901 ) believed the type locality to be in the 

 region of El Aricha (34°13'N, 1°01'W). This is supported to a large 

 extent by the character states of the holotype agreeing with almost 

 all those of the nearest populations, allowing for variation in small 

 sample sizes (Berguennt n=3; Tadmit-Djelfa n=3). Although the 

 condition of 4 maxillary teeth in the second series is normal for 

 material from eastern Morocco and western Algeria the diastema 

 between the 1st and 2nd is but a small step from a socket into which 

 an additional tooth would easily fit suggesting a recent departure 

 from the 5-toothed condition and that its provenance may lie closer 

 to the 5-toothed populations the nearest of which in Algeria is Oum 

 Ali. 



Description. Based on 51 specimens including the holotype of 

 Lycognathus textilis. Restricted to material from north Africa between 

 3°W and 10°33'E. Lampedusa Island (Italy) is included. 



Dorsal scale rows. 1 9 rows at midbody commencing from the 3rd 

 to the 1 1th ventral. In one individual from the Hoggar for a distance 

 of 20 ventrals and another from Gafsa for a distance of 1 the count 

 dropped to 17 before the 40th ventral: in two from southern Tunisia 

 the count was 1 8 in stretches of 4 and 5 ventrals. The count anterior 



to the vent varied from 1 7 to 1 5. Seventeen in 40% (n=19), decreasing 

 to 15 in 30% (n=14) and reverting from 15 to 17 in 30% (n=14). 



Ventrals. 153-182 (males 153-163, females 167-182). 



Subcaudals. 43-54 (males 43-55, females 40-54). 



Supralabials. Eight supralabials the 6th, with one exception (CAS 

 132803), always out of contact with the parietals. 



Infralabials. Usually ten (6+4): one (USNM 195463b from 

 Berguennt) exhibited 7+3. Four (MNHN 19 16.31 from Kebili, SMF 

 57648, CAS 132803 from near Gabes and MNHN 1930.181 from 

 the Hoggar possessed nine (6+3). 



Maxillary teeth. 6+4+II or 6+5+II. 



Pattern. Nuchal collar, in specimens in which the pattern elements 

 are sufficiently discrete, is usually divided and sometimes frag- 

 mented; the lateral portions are fragments may be either vertically 

 aligned in relation to the median spot a few scales distant from the 

 last supralabial displaying a 'pale collar", or are anteriorly situated 

 so as to exclude it. Anterior head pattern very variable. V-mark 

 conspicuous, indistinct or even absent; connecting the nuchal 

 elements, discrete or fragmented. Postorbital streak highly variable: 

 it may be curved, oblique-straight, or straight; thick, thin or tapering; 

 entire or fragmented; a 'spur' may be present on its lower margin. 

 Melanocephalism present in varying degrees: jet black or diluted, 

 and/or partial to virtually complete. 



Body pattern of the 'textilis' type. Typically this consists of a 

 vertebral and two lateral series of spots connected diagonally by 

 black markings situated on the unexposed parts of the scales in- 

 volved and expands to form a reticulated-tessellated pattern with 

 some darkening of the ground colour leaving the spaces so formed as 

 discrete pale areas. The black markings may be conspicuous or they 

 may be occasionally reduced even to a condition in which the spots 

 are barely discernible except when the scales have been parted. 



Belly pattern presents conditions in which the spots may oppose, 

 alternate or coalesce; they may progressively fade - often from the 

 centre - be uniform or be completely absent. 



Remarks on the synonymy. Two of the synonyms listed above, 

 Lycognathus textilis Dumeril & Bibron and Macroprotodoncucullatus 

 melanocephala Mosauer & Wallis pertain to the form of M. c. 

 cucullatus from the regions under consideration in this work. Only the 

 holotype of Lycognathus textilis has been examined. With regard to 

 Macroprotodoncucul Units mclanoceplialaMosauerandWa\\is(\921) 

 neither indicated the institution in which the single specimen was 

 deposited nor did they give a full description. The general appearance 

 of the specimen, its possession of the 'textilis' pattern and its having 

 originated in Gafsa confirm its belonging with M. cucullatus . 



Geographic variation. Some of the character states show dis- 

 tinct geographical variation. In specimens from the west, in the 

 Hauts Plateaux as far as the Moulouya valley the nuchal collar 

 fragments when sufficiently discrete, i.e. not obscured by encroach- 

 ing melanocephalism, are often disposed to show a 'pale collar'. 

 This state is also accompanied by that of 6+4+II maxillary teeth. 

 There is an eastward trend towards exclusion of the 'pale collar' and 

 an increase in the number of maxillary teeth, 6+5+II being the 

 condition most frequently met with in populations from southern 

 Tunisia. There is a noticable east-west reduction in the degree of 

 chequering in the belly patterns. Supralabial-parietal contact was 

 lacking in all except one individual CAS 132803 from near Gabes 

 and 4 posterior infralabials, or more, were manifest in all except for 



