REVIEW OF ALGERIAN MACROPROTODON 



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Fig. 11 Scatter diagram showing intraspecific variation for ventrals (ordinate) and subcaudals (abscissa) in Macroprotodon. Open symbols=males, closed 

 symbols=females, symbols enclosing stars refer to type specimens. Symbols as in Fig. 7. 



from the M. cucullatus populations in the south, and M. abubakeri 

 from M. brevis in the west. Almost inevitably there are a few 

 exceptional cases where the odd individual may be divergent in one 

 of the character states. 



Aside from the nuances of the nebulous concept of 'general 

 appearance' the characters by which M. abubakeri can be distin- 

 guished from M. brevis (excluding the Iberian populations) are the 

 lower number of dorsals and the usual state of the postorbital streak 

 meeting the 'arms' of the V-mark around the last supralabial. M. 

 mauritanicus exhibits the greatest degree of homogeneity in its 

 character states and the distinction from M. abubakeri is similarly 

 clear cut. Compared with M. mauritanicus. M. abubakeri is some- 

 what less homogeneous in its character states. In five specimens the 

 dorsal count rose to 21 in stretches from 2 to 24 ventral scales. Two 

 of these from the extreme northeast of Morocco, MNHN 1912.221 

 Berkane and MCZ 29920 Taforalt ( Beni Snassene Mountains) whilst 

 exhibiting counts of 2 1 in maximum stretches of 24 and 2 1 ventrals 

 respectively conformed in all other respects to the diagnostic states 

 of M. abubakeri. The single specimen of this species out of a total of 

 four from Melilla the boundary zone, MNCN 1795, makes no 

 approach to M. brevis in any of its characters: it has an uninterrupted 

 run of 19 rows, 3+4 infralabials and no contact between the 

 supralabials and parietals. The other three, MNCN 1783, 1796, 1797 

 all have 21 rows, good supralabial-parietal contact and, except for 

 the last in which the infralabials number 7+4, the count is 6+3. Bons 

 & Geniez (1996) "...examined numerous specimens from eastern 

 Morocco all of which possessed 19 rows'. The count anterior to the 

 vent is normally 17 but may decrease further: in one specimen which 

 originated from Dj. Bou Keltoum (south of Guenfouda) the count 

 actually fell to 1 5 for a distance of 2 ventrals before settling at 1 6. In 

 three individuals (including the holotype and one of the paratypes) 

 it decreased to 1 6. Other characters the states of which may resemble 



those of neighbouring taxa such as infralabial counts and nuchal 

 collar are scattered within the body of the populations. 



M. cucullatus and M. brevis (including populations of ibericus) 

 have wide geographic ranges and possess intraspecific variations 

 which often lack consistencey from one locality to another. Al- 

 though M. cucullatus shows little of the variability in dorsal counts 

 found in M. brevis ( 19 as opposed to 19-25) it exhibits a polymor- 

 phism in head pattern at least as great, being unique in that a 

 significant number of its populations lack the 'pale collar'. By 

 contrast M. abubakeri and more particularly M. mauritanicus are 

 restricted in their ranges showing considerably less intraspecific and 

 virtually no geographic variation when their ranges are compared to 

 those of similar dimensions of populations of M. cucullatus . 



Most of the character states which could be said to define M. c. 

 ibericus. e.g. supralabial-parietal contact, 3 posterior infralabials, 

 complete nuchal collar, occasional melanocephalism apply also to 

 some populations of M. brevis occuring east of Tangiers including 

 those parapatric with M. abubakeri (Wade, unpublished). 

 Pleguezuelos (1998) noted melanocephalism in examples bordering 

 the strait of Gibraltar. The variations are greatest in M. brevis of 

 which the Tangiers-Melilla populations form only a part. The dis- 

 tinction between these ibericus-\\ke forms from M. abubakeri is 

 readily made but from M. brevis elsewhere in Morocco it is not easy 

 to make as there is considerable overlapping of character states over 

 wide areas. Nineteen midbody scale rows has been found to occur in 

 some of the Iberian populations and very exceptionally in the 

 Moroccan but this state has not been found in any of the populations 

 from Tangiers to Melilla. Busack & McCoy (1990) presented a case 

 for M. c. brevis giving rise to M. c. ibericus in Iberia largely on 

 evidence of electrophoresis. It is regrettable that they restricted their 

 samples for that analysis to populations from either side of the Strait 

 Fig. 12 Scatter diagram showing the position of the species of 



