REVIEW OF ALGERIAN MACROPROTODON 



93 



21 H£> 19 ^sim „ 



2+3(5) 4+5(135) 



MNHN 1994.2341 (male) 



3+4(9) 4+5(144) 

 21 — 19 17 



3+4(8) 4+5(146) 



MNHN 1994.2339 (female) 



174 



164 



,i 4+5(12) 3+4(171) 3=3+4(173)3+4(174) 

 4+5(12) 3+4(169) 

 MNHN 1994.2340 (female) 



21 4+5J8) ^ 4+5(168) ^ 

 4+5(6) 4+5(165) 



186 



Ventrals. males 164-174, females 184-186 . Subcaudals: males 

 51-54, females 47-51. Three possessed eight supralabials, one 

 MNHN 1994.2339 exhibited 9/8; the 6th in contact with parietal. 

 Ten infralabials (6+4) in three specimens one of which, MNHN 

 1 994.2339, possessed an incomplete suture between the 1 st and 2nd 

 shield in the second series on the left side (Fig. 4b). MNHN 1994. 

 2340 exhibited nine (6+3) infralabials. 



Pattern. The nuchal collar is divided in all four specimens. A 

 subsidiary study of the mouth, in PI. 2 (Guichenot, 1850), clearly 

 refers to MNHN 1 994.2340 in which the infralabials number 9 (6+3) 

 without any partial fusion. Pileal part of V-mark indistinct in 

 MNHN 1994.2339 and 2341, discernible in MNHN 1994.2340 and 

 most conspicuous in MNHN 2172 in which it unites with the 

 temporal streak. Postorbital streak entire in MNHN 2172 and 

 1994.2339; short, terminating at the suture of the 5th and 6th 

 supralabial in MNHN 1994. 2340 and 2341, (Fig. 4c). 



The belly pattern varies from moderately strongly chequered as 

 exemplified by MNHN 2 1 72 in which the spots tend to be square and 

 arranged alternately to immaculate in MNHN 1 994.234 1 . In MNHN 

 1994.2440 the markings are somewhat reduced, squared rather than 

 barred with more gaps; in MNHN 1 994.2339 the spots are longer than 

 deep, often with spaces l-3v or more and positioned centre and off 

 centre. 



Guichenot's figure ( 1 850, PI. 2) appears to be a composite draw- 

 ing. The head incorporating character states of MNHN 1994.2339, 

 namely the slender median portion of the divided nuchal collar, the 

 complete postorbital streak and the lack of the discernable V-mark. 

 The belly pattern is portrayed somewhat fancifully as being entirely 

 black except the distal portions of the ventrals uniting at intervals 

 with transverse lateral bands enclosing ocelli. This is most closely 

 approximated by belly pattern of MNHN 2172. which is the most 

 densely chequered. 



Description. Based on 83 specimens including the syntypes: the 

 dubious specimen, (MHNG 1379.68 from 'Bordj Bou Arreridj') is 

 excluded and is discussed below. 



Sea kit ion. Dorsal scales normally in 19 rows along the body but 

 occasionally reaching 20 and 21 in short stretches (1-8 ventrals). 

 Scale row reduction usually simple: 2nd + 3rd, 4th + 5th and 

 sometimes 1 st + 2nd, 5th + 6th and even vertebral and paravertebrals 

 are involved. 



In ten specimens fusions, divisions and reformations of scale 

 rows at irregular intervals along the body occurred, where the counts 

 should have been 1 9, reaching 20 and 2 1 from the position of the 1 st 

 ventral to virtually the entire distance . In two individuals, ZSM 

 1985 ('Annabes', Algeria) and ZMB 143381 (Tunis), the reduction 

 on the neck from 21 to 19 was due to fusion of the 3rd + 4th and 4th 



+ 5th rows; thereafter divisions and fusions occured erratically 

 along the body involving the vertebral and paravertebral series alone 

 until the count dropped to 1 7 where again fusion of the 3rd + 4th and 

 4th + 5th rows occurred. 



Ventrals 162-193 (males 162-178, females 175-193); subcaudals 

 43-61 (males 46-61, females 43-59). 



Supralabials. Normally eight but occasionally an additional scute 

 may arise. Contact with parietal in seventy four (89%) of which fifty 

 seven (74%) exhibited sutural contact, sixteen 'point' contact on one 

 side and one 'point' contact on both sides. Contact was lacking on 

 one side in seven and on both sides in two specimens, one of which 

 possessed nine supralabials on both sides. 



Infralabials. 6+3/6+3 in 44 individuals (53%); twenty four 

 intermediates with mostly 6+3 or 6+4 on one side; 6+4/6+4, in 

 thirteen (16%): two possessed 7+4/7+4. 



Maxillary teeth. 6+3+II, 6+2+II (one specimen). 



Pattern, nuchal collar divided in all specimens except three in 

 which the collar was entire (BMNH 59.3.29.17, Algiers; NMB 

 2016, Medea and BMNH 47.10.30.203A, Tunis) and two which 

 were black headed (Medjana. Algeria). V-mark inverted 'Y', 'V, or 

 lyre-shaped sometimes originating as a T-shaped mark on frontal 

 and supraocular scutes, bifurcating, the 'arms' uniting posteriorly 

 with the postorbital streak around the last supralabial. Anteriorly the 

 V-mark may be in varying degrees obscured by the occasional dense 

 concentrations of the pileal vermiculations and occasionally the 

 arms' are separated from the pileal part. 



Postorbital streak short in 76%, reaching the suture of the 5th & 

 6th supralabial but, save for a few instances, not extending much 

 beyond it. recommencing at and embracing the last supralabial 

 posteriorly, sometimes uniting with the temporal streak. It is always 

 accompanied by unmarked anterior lips save for slight overspill 

 beyond its suture with the loreal. Entire postorbital streak uniting 

 with the V-mark together with the anterior part of the mouth along 

 its line smudged with black in only 17 individuals (20.5%). 



In one of the black headed individuals (Fig. 4, d.) most of the head 

 above is ink-black save for a pale streak in the canthal region, 

 involving the preocular, supraocular and prefrontal as far as the 

 suture of that shield with the internasal. The lower part of the head, 

 supralabials and adjacent lower parts of the temporals are creamy 

 white: the postorbital streak terminates at the suture of the 5th + 6th 

 supralabial and there is no smudging on the mouth. In the other black 

 headed specimen the whole of the top of the head is black; the 

 supralabials below the position of the postorbital streak and the 

 infralabials are white, the underside of the head nearly so. 



The body pattern usually consists of a vertebral series and three 

 longditudinal rows of spots on each side of the body disposed at 

 intervals of 1-3 scales. The vertebral spots vary in size from flecks 

 barely covering a single scale to clusters of as many as 6 scales; 

 where a whole scale is involved it is more or less bisected 

 longditudinally. The dorsolateral and flank series of spots are less 

 conspicuous and tend to occupy the margins of scales, in some 

 specimens small spots less than a scale wide, paler than the ground 

 colour distributed in conjunction with the dark spots dorsally and 

 dorsolateral^ sometimes giving the impression of imperfect ocelli. 

 The ground colour may be uniform but is often differentiated into 

 darker striae on the 2nd and 3rd scale rows from the ventral, and 

 sometimes the adjacent portion of the fourth, and a darkening of the 

 median 7-9 rows leaving a pale stripe some 2-2.5 scales wide. 

 These spots are obliquely connected by diagonal series of black 

 marks at the scale pockets, being often seen only when the scales are 



