BAUER, DEBOER, & TAYLOR: ATLAS OF THE REPTILES OF LIBYA 
251 
Schnurrenberger 1963. 548: SK 981; Kramer 
and Schnurrenberger 1963. 553: MCSN 4206. 
564: MSNM [no specific number given]; Vin- 
ciguerra 1931; Zavattari 1934, 1937; Kramer 
and Schnurrenberger 1963. LIBYA: NHMW 
26662; NHMW 28595. “Bir Terrhim/Tezzhim 
(?)” [unlocated]: MCSN 4205. 
Comments. — Spalerosophis was mostly 
treated as a synonym of Coluber until resur¬ 
rected by Gasperetti (1988). The taxonomy of 
the Spalerosophis diadema complex is highly 
confused (Sindaco et al. 2013). Schatti et al. 
(2009b, 2010) recognized three subspecies, 
with S. d. schirasianus [sic, schirazianus] (Jan, 
1863) [sic, Jan in de Filippi, 1865] from Turk¬ 
menistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and the Zagros 
mountains of Iran, S. d. cliffordii (Schlegel, 
1837) from North Africa and Arabia, and the 
nominate form, S. d. diadema (Schlegel, 1837) 
(see below). Schatti et al. (2009a) identified Coluber cahirinus Gmelin, 1789 (a nomen novum for 
Coluber guttatus Forskal, 1775) and Coluber geoffroyii Gray, 1831 as senior subjective synonyms, 
(although nomina oblita ) of Coluber cliffordii Schlegel, which they declared a nomen protectum. 
Schatti et al. (2010) raised the possibility that the presumed Iranian type locality of the nominate 
form of S. diadema may be incorrect and that the type of S. d. diadema may, in fact, be referable 
to the North African form now known as S. d. cliffordii. Pending further resolution of this issue we 
retain the current usage and apply the latter name to Libyan Spalerosophis. These authors regard 
the Indian form, assigned to the nominotypical race by Sindaco et al. (2013), as yet to be properly 
named. Wallach et al. (2014) treated S. cliffordii as a full species. Kramer and Schnurrenberger’s 
(1963) designation of a surviving RMNH syntype as a lectotype is invalid (see Schatti et al. 2010). 
IUCN Threat Status.— Not assessed. 
Telescopus tripolitanus (Werner, 1909:619) 
1909 Leptodira tripolitana Wemer, Reptilien, Batrachier und Fische von Tripolis und Barka. Zoologis- 
che Jahrbiicher Abteilung fur Systematik, Geographic und Biologie der Tiere 27:595-646, pi. 30. 
Holotype. — NHMW, lost fide Kramer and Schnurrenberger (1963), “Tripolis” [from animal dealer R. 
Storch via W. Schliiter in Halle] “probably ... southern Tunisia or north-western Libya” (Crochet et al. 2008). 
Telescopus tripolitanus, Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963:529. 
Telescopus obtusus, Le Berre 1989:272. 
Telescopus obtusus, Schleich, Kastle, and Kabisch 1996:524. 
Telescopus tripolitanus, Sindaco, Venchi, and Grieco 2013:144. 
Distribution.— The species is distributed from Tripolitania west to Morocco and south to 
Senegal and thence east through the Sahel to Sudan, and is absent from the Sahara proper (see Cro¬ 
chet et al. 2008 for details). 
Libyan Records (Map 56): Zawiyah : 22: Scortecci 1939. Tripoli : 45: ZMB 51636; Wemer 
1909; Ghigi 1913; Zavattari 1934; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963. Nalut : 105: MNHN 
2004.0080; Ibrahim and Ineich 2005; Crochet et al. 2008. “Tripolitania settentrionale” Zavattari 
1937. “W-Libyen”: Sochurek 1979. 
Map 55. Distribution of Spalerosophis diadema cliffordii 
in Libya. 
