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PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
Series 4, Volume 64, No. 8 
I’Egypte has been elucidated by Sherbom 
(1897) and Tollitt (1986). Cherlin (1990) and 
Cherlin and Borkin (1990) recognized a large 
number of species and subspecies in the 
E. pyramidum complex, including E. arenicola 
leucogaster Roman, 1972 (type locality: 
Boubon, Niger) reaching its easternmost extent 
in west central Libya and E. pyramidum lucidus 
Cherlin, 1990 (type locality: Faiyum, Egypt), 
which they considered to be distributed across 
northern Libya and Egypt west of the Nile. 
Golay et al. (1993) synonymized E. arenicola 
with E. pyramidum. Despite obvious color dif¬ 
ferences (Hughes 1976), Echis leucogaster was 
found to be minimally genetically distinct from 
E. pyramidum (Arnold et al. 2009) and has not 
subsequently been recognized at the specific 
level by some authors (e.g., Sindaco et al. 
2013), although it has by others (e.g. Wallach et al. 2014). Following Hughes (1976) and Sindaco 
et al. (2013), the nominotypical form is regarded as extending from Egypt southwards to Kenya, 
whereas E. p. leucogaster occupies the western portion of the species distribution. These authors 
did not explicitly indicate into which subspecies Libyan populations should be placed. Alternative 
interpretations have been reached by McDiarmid et al. (1999), David and Ineich (1999), Pook et 
al. (2009), and Wallach et al. (2014). Pending further study of the group we consider all Libyan 
populations as assignable to E. pyramidum pyramidum. 
UCN Threat Status: Least Concern. 
Daboia deserti (Anderson, 1892:20, pi. 1, figs. 6-7) 
1892 Vipera lebetina var. deserti Anderson, On a small collection of mammals, reptiles, and batrachians 
from Barbary. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1892:3-24, pl.l. 
Holotype.—BMNH 1946.1.18.28 (formerly BMNH 1891.5.4.150), “Duirat, Tunisia” [= Douirat, 
Ghomrassen Govemate, Tunisia]. 
Vipera mauritanica deserti, Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963:547. 
Vipera lebetina, Le Berre 1989:302. 
Macrovipera deserti, Schleich, Kastle, and Kabisch 1996:546. 
Daboia mauritanica deserti, Sindaco, Venchi, and Grieco 2013:194. 
Distribution.— Western Sahara eastwards into Libya. In Libya they are found in western 
Tripolitania with two questionable records from Cyrenaica (see Comments). 
Libyan Records (Map 66): TRIPOLITANIA: Zawiyah : 20: Joger and Bshaenia 2010; Bshae- 
na and Joger 2013. Jafara : 31: Joger and Bshaenia 2010; Bshaena and Joger 2013. Tripoli : 45: 
Werner 1909; Ghigi 1913; Zavattari 1930, 1934; Schwarz 1936; Scortecci 1939. Nalut : 108: 
NHMW 25235; GNM-2005-3117; Schleich et al. 1996. Jabal al Gharbi : 148: SK 421; Kramer 
1959; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1959, 1963. “Tripolitania settentrionale”: Zavattari 1937. 
CYRENAICA: Butnan : 499: Sochurek 1979. “Cyrenaica”: Ribolla 1923; Zavattari 1930, 1934. 
Comments.— Kramer and Schnurrenberger (1959) provided morphological evidence for the 
recognition of deserti as a distinct form from Vipera (now Daboia ) mauritanica (Dumeril and 
Map 65. Distribution of Eryx pyramidum in Libya. 
