92 



E. WADE 



three in USNM 196463b (near Berguennt, Morocco), MNHN 

 1916.31 (Kebili, Tunisia), SMF 47648 and CAS 132803 (near 

 Gabes, Tunisia). From Libya eastwards the incidence of 6+5+II 

 maxillary teeth increases, 6+4+II being of rare ocurrence in Egypt; 

 labial-parietal contact in 33-50% of specimens (Busack & McCoy, 

 1990) and in none did the posterior infralabial count exceed three. It 

 is likely that, given the magnitude of the range and the degree of 

 variation in M. cucullatus, further work will result in the description 

 of an additional subspecies. Should the character states which 

 distinguish any of the western forms from that occuring further east 

 be considered sufficiently trenchant as to warrant separation the 

 name available for the Algerian and Tunisian population is M. c. 

 textilis (Dumeril & Bibron): it is to this form that those of the 

 northeastern Moroccan steppe from Berguennt to the Moulouya 

 valley belong. M. c. melanocephala Mosauer & Wallis would be a 

 synonym of M. c. textilis (see also p. 91). 



Affinities. The infralabial count is an exceptionally stable 

 character with respect to this species not only in the populations of 

 the nominate form in the area of this study but in those from Libya 

 eastward (Busack & McCoy, 1990). Any departures from the norm 

 are regarded as significant. Thus specimens from Kebili and Gabes 

 are seen as belonging to the eastern form of M. c. cucullatus. 



The demarcation line drawn by Busack & McCoy ( 1 990) between 

 these populations and those further east is the Tunisian-Libyan 

 border, approximates that which Cherlin (1990b) separates popul- 

 ations of Echis arenicola from those of E. pyramidum. 



Localities 



MOROCCO - Taourirt (34°25'N, 2°53'W ) MNHN 1 927. 1 30- 1 : El Agreb 

 (34°20'N, 3°,08'W); Bons & Geniez, 1996: Ain Fritissa (34°09'N, 3°14'W); 

 Bons & Geniez, 1 996: Rchida (33°55'N, 3° 1 3'W); Bons & Geniez. 1 996: El 

 Ateuf (33°51'N, 3°02'W) 1.5km S, aprox 1 1km S, aprox 201m S; Bons & 

 Geniez, 1996: Berguennt (34°01'N, 2°01'W); Pellegrin, 1926: Werner, 

 1929; Bons, 1960 MNHN 1925.219; 25km S; Bons, 1960; Bons & Geniez. 

 1996 and 43km W, Bons & Geniez, 1996: between Missour (33°03'N, 

 4°01'W) and Talsinnt (32°32'N. 3°26'W); Bons, 1967: Ain Benimathar 

 (34°05'N, 2°00'W) 10 km S; Busack & McCoy, 1990 USNM 196463a-b: 

 Meridja (34°02'N, 2°24'W) approx 8km W, approx 5km E; Bons & Geniez, 

 1996. 



ALGERIA - 'Deserts of Western Algeria'=?El Aricha (34° 1 3'N, 1 ° 1 6'W) 

 MNHN 849 (holotype of Lycognathus textilis), Dumeril & Bibron, 1854; 

 Gervais, 1857, 1869; Olivier, 1894: Wade, 1988; Busack & McCoy, 1990 

 Ain Sefra (32°45'N, 0°35'W); Werner, 1929; Busack & McCoy, 1990 MCZ 

 27501: Beni Ounif (32°3'N, 0°15'W), Foley, 1922: Mecheria (33°33'N, 

 0°17'W), Doumergue, 1901: Djelfa (34°40'N, 3°15'E) NMB 13774: 

 Douis=Bordj Douis (34°22'N, 2°43'E) MNHN 1927.149: Talmit=Tadmit 

 (34° 17'N, 2°59'E) MHNG 899.55: Biskra (34°5 1 'N, 5°44'E), Jan & Sordelli, 

 1 866; Busack & McCoy, 1 990 MNCN 1 802: Bir Oum Ali=Oum Ali ( 35°0 1 'N, 

 8°19'E), Wade, 1988; Busack & McCoy, 1990; BMNH 1920.1.20.3859: 

 Djebel Ilaman, Hoggar (23°16'N, 5°31'E). Angel & Lhote, 1938; Witte, 

 1930 MNHN 1930.181: 'Algeria' Busack & McCoy, 1990 USNM 10940. 



TUNISIA - no locality MNHN 1894; ZFMK 4844: Feriana (35°57'N, 

 8°34'E2), Slavtchev & Chadli, 1984; Wade. 1988; Busack & McCoy, 1990; 

 BMNH 1920.1.20. 3109; MNHN 1885.447-8: Redeyef (34°24'N, 8°09'E) 

 MNHN 1961.664-5: Gafsa (34°25'N, 8°48'E) (Oasis), Busack & McCoy, 

 1990 UCM 37371: Djebel Hattig nr Gafsa, Mayet, 1903: between Gafsa 

 and Redeyef ('Bled Douara'), Busack & McCoy, 1990 UCM 37345-37358, 

 37360, 37363-37370, 48083; CM 54559: Gabes (33°53'N, 10°07'E) 15 km 

 N, Busack & McCoy, 1990 SMF 57648 and 16 km N, ibid CAS 132803: 

 Chott Fedjedj (33°55'N, 9°20'E), Lataste, 1881: Kebili (33°42'N, 8°58'E), 

 Chabanaud, 1916b MNHN 1916.31: Tozeur (33°55'N, 8°08'E); Lavauden, 

 1926: 'Mateur' MHNG 1379.84. 



SPAIN - Southern Spain, Busack & McCoy. 1990 SMF 20170. 



ITALY - Lampedusa Island (35°31'N, 12°35'E), Camerano, 1891; 

 Lanza & Bruzzone, 1959; Busack & McCoy, 1990; Sindaco, 1990 UCM 

 31078. 



Macroprotodon mauritanicus Guichenot 



Macroprotodon mauritanicus Gervais 1848 (nomen nudum). 

 Guichenot 1 850:22, PI. ii. Fig. 2. Type locality: Algeria. Syntypes, 

 MNHN 2172, 1994.2339-41. Miiller 1882b:169. 



Macroprotodon mauretanicum: Miiller 1878:467; Macroprotodon 

 mauret. [abbreviation for mauretanicum], ibid: 666. 



ICoronella austriaca: Gervais (part). 1836:312 . 



ICoronella laevis: Schlegel (part), 1837: 65 . 



Lycognathus taeniatus: Dumeril & Bibron, 1854:930. Wade, 

 1988:242. Busack & McCoy, 1990:268. 



Coronella taeniata: Strauch, 1862b: 57. 



Lycognathus textilis: Busack & McCoy, 1990:268. 



Lycognathus cucullatus: Dumeril & Bibron (part), 1854: 926. Bosca, 

 ' 1877:55. Miiller 1890:692. 



Coronella cucullata: Giinther 1958:35. Strauch, 1862b:055. 

 Lallemant (part), 1867:29. Boettger (part), 1883; 1885:457^158; 

 1896:297. ?01ivier, 1894: 25; ? 1896:1 24. LeCerf (part), 1907:24. 



Psammophylax cucullatus: Jan, 1862:312; Jan & Sordelli, 1866, PI. 

 i, fig. 3B. 



Macroprotodon cucullatus: Tristram, 1859; Boulenger (part), 

 1891: 149-150; (part), 1896:175-176. Escherich, 1896:279. Gough 

 ?(part), 1903:468. ?Mayet, 1903:24. Chaignon, 1904:20-22. 

 Gadeau de Kerville, 1908:95. Werner, 1892:352; 1894:85; (part), 

 1909:620-621. Lavauden (part), 1926:158, 159. Hediger (part), 

 1929:24-26. Mosauer (part), 1934:58 . Chpakowsky & Schneour: 

 1953:134 {forme septentrionale), PI. XVI, 3, XVII, 7. Mertens & 

 Miiller (part), 1940:53. Bellairs & Shute, 1954:226. Lanza & 

 Bruzzone, 1954:55 Fig. 2, PI. xli. Mertens & Wermuth (part), 

 1 960: 1 84. Kramer & Schnurrenberger (part), 1 963:508. Davidson, 

 1964:14,15. Schneider, 1969:250, PL ii. Johann, 1977:320-321. 

 Sura, 1983: 29. ?Blanc, 1988:22. Bischoff & In den Bosch, 

 1991:170. 



Macroprotodon cucullatus cucullatus: Bons (part), 1967:192. Fig. 

 16. Sochurek (part), 1985:71. Sindaco (part), 1990:151. 



Macroprotodon cucullatus melanocephala: Busack & McCoy, 

 1990:269. 



Macroprotodon cucullatus mauritanicus: Wade (part), 1988:242, 

 Figs. 3a, 5 & 4c. Busack & McCoy (part), 1990:268-269, Fig. 2, 

 codes 2 & 4. Gruber (part), 1989. Joger & Bischoff, 1989:100, 

 PL 3. 



DIAGNOSIS. A species of Macroprotodon characterised by a series 

 of three maxilliary teeth preceding the grooved fangs; divided 

 nuchal collar; a short, or less frequently, an entire postorbital streak. 

 Dorsal pattern of the 'undifferentiated' or the 'taeniatus' state. 

 Supralabial-parietal contact on both sides in the majority of speci- 

 mens. Dorsal scales in 19 rows, sometimes 20 or 21 at points 

 irregularly along the body but never in 21 rows continuously. 

 Ventral scutes 162-193, subcaudals 43-61. Readily distinguishable 

 from M. abubakeri and M. cucullatus by the number of maxillary 

 teeth in the series preceeding the fangs (3 as opposed to 4 and 4 or 5 

 respectively). From M. cucullatus it is separable by the high 

 incidence of supralabial - parietal contact (as opposed to virtually no 

 contact) and possession of the 'undifferentiated'-'/aerc/arHs' as 

 opposed to the 'textilis'' body patterns. 



Description of the syntypes. Males: MNHN 2172 (Fig. 4a), 

 1994.2341; snout- vent length 386^162 mm, tail 83-95 mm. Fe- 

 males: MNHN 1994.2339 & 2340 (Figs. 4b-c & 6c) snout-vent 

 length 384-392 mm, tail 68-95 mm. 



Scalation. Dorsal rows 19 at midbody, reduction formula simple. 

 MNHN 2172 (male) 



