REVIEW OF ALGERIAN MACROPROTODON 



97 



between supralabials and parietal in less than half; 4 as opposed to 3 

 in the posterior series of infralabials; postorbital streak usually 

 separate from the 'arms' of the V-mark. The entire nuchal collar and 

 lack of the 'textilis' pattern distinguishes it from the parapatric M. 

 cucullatus . 



Description of the Holotype. Adult male snout-vent length 

 386 mm; tail 78 mm from Oran, Algeria. 



Scalation: Scales at midbody 19, ventrals 170, subcaudals 51 + 1. 

 Dorsal scale row reduction formula: 



t 3+4(6) 19 4+5(115) 17 _ vertebra](170)16 . 



3+4 (6) 



4+5(121; 



170 



Supralabials 8/8, the 6th falling short of contact with the parietal 

 on both sides; infralabials 6+4/6+4. 



Maxillary teeth. Arranged in a series of six teeth increasing in size 

 followed by a diastema and a series of four smaller in size preceding 

 the fangs on both sides of the maxilla. 



Coloration. Colour (in alcohol) grey with black and light brownish 

 markings. 



Pattern. V-mark poorly defined at its apex becoming more distinct 

 posteriorly where it unites with the postorbital streak around the 8th 

 supralabial and the 10th infralabial extending also beyond the suture 

 on the 9th. Postorbital streak dark, black on its upper margin 

 commencing on the 5th, occupying most of the 6th and 7th 

 supralabials and extending on to the 9th and the whole of the 10th 

 infralabial where it unites with the V-mark. From the anterior 

 margin of the eye it continues as a widening, forwardly directed 

 emarginate band its lower margin crossing the apices of the 3rd— 5th 

 supralabials and enclosing the loreal and most of the nasal including 

 the nostril, extending on to the anterior parts of the prefrontals and 

 most of the internasals but failing to contact the rostral. Anteriorly, 

 the rostral, supralabials and less conspicuously the infralabials are 

 smudged with black along the mouth. Temporal streak ill defined. 

 Nuchal collar not divided dorsolateral^ being about three scales 

 wide at the narrowest point, extending forwards sagittally and 

 terminating to a point some two fifths along the suture dividing the 

 parietals. 



Body pattern consists of a uniform ground colour; a vertebral 

 series of somewhat darker, emarginate, more or less 'x' shaped 

 spots, at points of articulation of 4-6 scales, is disposed at intervals 

 of about two scales distance along the body. Two other series of 

 alternating dorsolateral and lateral spots reduced in size, not visible 

 much beyond the imbrications of the scales, are imperfectly con- 

 nected by markings situated at the scale pockets: these being best 

 seen on exposure of the scales by bending the specimen. The belly 

 is marked by rectangular bars sometimes alternating, occasionally 

 disposed sequentially in single or fused units; these are occasionally 

 separated by unmarked ventrals (Fig. 6f). 



Description. Based on 3 1 specimens including the holotype: the 

 dubious specimen, (MHNG 1214.40 'Chellala' ) is excluded and is 

 discussed below (p. 105). 



Scalation. Dorsal scales in 1 9 rows along the body but reaching 20 

 and 21 in stretches of 1 to 51 and in one male (BMNH 1931.2.9.2 

 from Algeria, without precise locality) the count, save for two short 

 intervals (lv) where the count dropped to 19, the dorsals numbered 

 2 1 from the 3rd to the 1 1 8th ventral. As in M. mauritanicus the 

 counts can fluctuate as much as fifteen times. Ventrals in males 



(n=16), 154-175; females (n=15). 172-185. Subcaudals in males 

 (n=15), 46-53; females (n=15), 42-52. 



Supralabials. Eight supralabials on each side, in which thirteen 

 individuals exhibited contact between the 6th supralabial and the 

 parietal, in eleven of these contact was sutural, two exhibited 'point' 

 - contact; three showed contact on one side and in fourteen contact 

 was lacking. 



Infralabials. Contact on both sides (n=25), single specimens with 

 6+5/6+4, 6+5/6+4s, 5+4 on both sides, 6+4/6+3 and two individuals 

 with 6+3 on both sides. 



Maxillary teeth. 6+4+11 in all the material examined. 



Pattern. Nuchal collar entire n=22 (71%), divided n=6 (19%). V- 

 mark variable; indistinct, solid or obscured by vermiculations, 

 fragmented and/or discrete in varying degrees but often 

 (approximately 40%) entire. In all except four individuals the V- 

 mark unites with the postorbital streak. Postorbital streak embracing 

 the 8th supralabial (n=28), either entire (n=21) or interrupted 

 (n=3).The V-mark-postorbital streak connection is separated from 

 the nuchal collar by 2-\ scales (n=18) but may be connected to the 

 nuchal collar by a bar at the level of the mouth of 0.25-2 scales 

 thickness. 



Extensive melanocephalism occurs in two individuals: the top of 

 head and snout is black, save for a white streak on the first 5 or so 

 supralabials and another, oblique, occupying the upper part of the 

 supralabials+the lower parts of the temporals extending from the 

 eye to the corner of the mouth, or beyond. In one (BMNH 1 93 1 .2.4.23 

 from Algeria without locality) the white streak commencing at the 

 eye continuing uninterrupted beyond the 8th supralabial for 3 scale 

 rows abruptly changing course downwards and forwards termin- 

 ating near the last infralabial from which it is separated by a single 

 scale. The throat is heavily smudged with black: the penultimate 

 infralabial save for its posterior margin is white. The other speci- 

 men, (MCZ 27502 from Djebel Mourdjadjo) is similar but differing 

 in that the white streak is shorter, more oblique and terminates at the 

 posterior margin of the 8th supralabial; the black pigment on the last 

 two infralabials and the postorbital streak formes its lower margin, 

 the black pigmentation is concentrated on the anterior part of the 

 lower jaw. The configuration of the pattern of the melanocephalic 

 specimen purportedly from 'Bona' (NMB 2017) approximates the 

 last specimen very closely. 



Body pattern very similar to that in M. mauritanicus but slightly 

 more variable, consisting of a vertebral series of dark spots 2-2.5 

 scales apart, each 1-3 or more scales wide; each of the contributing 

 scales is longditudinally bisected and emarginate. These are 

 accompanied by a dorsolateral series of spots or flecks of reduced 

 size. As in M. mauritanicus these spots are diagonally connected by 

 smaller series which are often obscured by imbrication: pale flecks 

 may accompany the vertebral or paravertebral spots. Ground colour 

 uniform or darkening at the median 7 or so rows and the 2nd and/or 

 3rd from the ventrals leaving a paler stripe the equivalent of two 

 scales wide. A melanocephalic and partially melanocephalic speci- 

 men, both from Algeria but lacking further locality data exhibited 

 diffuse pale interspaces between the vertebral spots. 



Belly pattern likewise similar to that of M. mauritanicus, consist- 

 ing of squares, bars, occasionally chevrons of varying size but with 

 a somewhat greater tendency towards central disposition, n=3 (9.7%) 

 cfn=l (1.2%). 



Geographic variation. None discernible. 



