BAUER, DEBOER, & TAYLOR: ATLAS OF THE REPTILES OF LIBYA 
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Bibron in Guichenot, 1848). Schleich et al. 
(1996) considered the two forms only weakly 
differentiated as did Joger (in McDiarmid et al. 
1999), and Sindaco et al. (2013) and Geniez 
(2015) treated deserti as a subspecies. Sindaco 
et al. (2013) traced the single Cyrenaican 
record plotted by Schleich et al. (1996) and ear¬ 
lier authors to a paper by Ribolla (1923 [incor¬ 
rectly cited as 1930 by Schwarz 1936]), which 
was considered unreliable by Zavattari (1930). 
Kramer and Schnurrenberg (1959) also consid¬ 
ered this record to be erroneous and regarded 
Tripoli as the easternmost edge of the species’ 
distribution. However, there is a Cyrenaican 
photographic record referred to by Sochurek 
(1979). On this basis we consider eastern 
Libyan records as at least potentially valid. 
UCN Threat Status: Near Threatened. 
Unconfirmed or Erroneous Taxon Records from Libya 
A number of species have been erroneously reported from the territory of Libya. In some cases 
such records reflect changing taxonomy and these are noted in Comments under the relevant 
species accounts. Other records reflecting misidentifications, incorrect localities, and unsubstanti¬ 
ated claims of Libyan occurrence are listed below, along with taxa likely to occur in Libya, but not 
yet verified for the country. Full bibliographic records for the taxon authorities for these species are 
provided in the literature cited section of this paper. 
Testudinidae 
Testudo hermanni Gmelin, 1789:1041 
Reported by Luiselli et al. (2012) from Libya, but without specific data. Although introduced 
individuals may exist, there are no documented records of this species outside of southern Europe 
and its associated islands (Sindaco and Jeremcenko 2008). 
Testudo marginata Schoepff, 1793:58, pi. XI, pi. XII, fig. 1. [German edition]/Schoepff, 
1793:52, pi. XI, pi. XII, fig. 1. 
Reported by Luiselli et al. (2012) from Libya, but without specific data. Peters (1880, 1881) 
reported T. campanulata [= T. marginata ] from Bir-Milrha. However, Schneider and Schneider 
(2008) argued that the likely species intended was T. kleinmanni, based on the similarity of plas¬ 
tron pattern between adult T. kleinmanni and juvenile T. marginata. 
Testudo flavominimaralis Highfield and Martin, 1990 “1989”: [9] 
The nominal taxon T. flavominimaralis was described from “North Africa. Precise range and 
biotype not known. Believed to include Libya.” According to van der Kuyl et al. (2002) this name 
belongs in the synonymy of Testudo graeca ibera Pallas, 1814, a subspecies distributed from the 
Map 66. Distribution of Daboia deserti in Libya. The 
plotted Cyrenaican record is supposedly supported by a pho¬ 
tographic voucher (Sochurek 1979) but appears biogeo- 
graphically unlikely. 
