Telescopus dhara dhara ( Forsskål, 1775 ), dhara (Forsskal, 1775

Crochet, Pierre-André, Rasmussen, Jens B., Wilms, Thomas, Geniez, Philippe, Trape, Jean-François & Böhme, Wolfgang, 2008, Systematic status and correct nomen of the western North African cat snake: Telescopus tripolitanus (Werner, 1909) (Serpentes: Colubridae), with comments on the other taxa in the dhara-obtusus group, Zootaxa 1703 (1), pp. 25-46 : 38-40

Telescopus dhara dhara ( Forsskål, 1775)

Junior synonyms

Tarbophis guentheri, Anderson, 1895 , Proceedings of the general meetings for scientific business of the Zoological Society of London 1895: 656. Name-bearing type(s): 6 syntypes, still extant: Natural History Museum (London) BMNH 1946.1 .2.32 (formerly 95.5.23.86) from Lahej near Aden, collected by Col. Yerbury; BMNH 1946.1 .2.56 (formerly 95.5.23.85) from Sheikh Othman near Aden, collected by Col. Yerbury; BMNH 1946.1 .4.86 & 87 (formerly 97.3.11.113 & 114) from Hadramaut, collected by Dr. J. Anderson and BMNH 1946.1 .21.54 (formerly 87.11.11.24) & 1946.1.7.21 (formerly 91.2.9.49) from Muscat, collected by A.S.G. Jayakar. Type locality: Lahej (= Lahij) and Sheikh Othman (= Ash Shaykh Uthman) (both now in Yemen), Muscat (= Masqat) (now in Oman) and Hadramaut (= Hadramawt) (a region now in Yemen and Oman) .

Diagnosis. A mostly Arabian form of Telescopus with the following characters combination: head broad but longer than in obtusus , with square snout; head never darker than body; nearly always a pale Y on the pileus; no dark line along the upper edge of labials but each labial has a darker area along its posterior edge; body general coloration yellowish to orange-brown, grey-brown or grey in adults; dorsum with more than 50 dark blotches, usually poorly marked but separated by contrasting narrow (1 scale wide) pale transverse lines (sometimes two staggered half lines shifted from each others); flanks rather uniform, darker than pale line but paler than dark elements of dorsum; sometimes uniformly dark brown (picture in Leviton et al., 1992) or pale brown with well separated contrasting dark brown spots similar to the spotted form of obtusus (picture in Leviton et al., 1992); belly uniformly pale. Mid-body scale rows 21, occasionally 19 (23 according to Parker, 1949); ventral scales 228–259 in our limited sample (up to 274 according to Disi et al., 2001); subcaudal scales paired, 56–81 pairs in our small sample; anal entire in most specimens (83 % in Parker, 1949). 9–10 (sometime 8 on one side) upper labials, usually 9, of which three (usually 3, 4, 5), sometimes two on one side, touch the eye. See T. tripolitanus and T. gezirae for separation from these species, and obtusus and somalicus for separation from these taxa.

Distribution. The Arabian peninsula, mostly in the mountainous periphery ( Leviton et al., 1992), west to the Sinai peninsula (Baha el Din, 2006), north to Israel ( Werner, 1988) and Jordan ( Disi et al., 2001).

Specimens examined. ISRAEL: 50: Mitzpe Ramon [30.61°N / 34.80°E], MHNG 2613-017 , coll. A. Fürst ; 51: Ein Gedi [31.45°N / 35.38°E], MHNG 1374-071 , coll. Mendelssohn. YEMEN: 52: between Huth and al- Harf [16.30°N / 44.03°E], MHNG 2456-099 , coll. B. Schätti ; 53: at-Tur [15.73°N / 43.18°E], MHNG 2582-004 & 005 & 006, coll. B. Schätti ; 54: Wadi Zabid, 6 Km upstream from suq Kawlah (interpreted as 6 km upstream from Al Kawlah) [14.06°N / 43.65°E], MHNG 2547-031 , coll. A. Panchaud ; 57: Abu Zaqer (= Abu Zahr), Al-Khawkhah [13.83°N / 43.23°E], MHNG 2554-025 ; 58: between Al Mafraq (= Mafraq Al Mukha) and Al Mukha ( Mocca ), km 9 [13.33°N / 43.53°E], MHNG 2582-008 , coll. B. Schätti & km 9.5 [13.33°N / 43.53°E], MHNG 2546-076 , coll. B. Schätti ; 59: between at-Turbah and Taizz, km 19 [13.37°N / 44.06°E], MHNG 2582-007 , coll. B. Schätti ; 60: ad-Dimnah, Al Jashaih, Wadi Warazan [13.41°N / 44.24°E], MHNG 2546-073 , coll. B. Schätti ; 61: between ad Dali and Lahej (= Lahj = Lahaj = Lahij), km 8 [13.62°N / 44.75°E], MHNG 2546-074 , coll. B. Schätti ; 62: Al Kirsh (Taizz – Lahej) [13.36°N / 44.49°E], MHNG 2546-075 , coll. B. Schätti ; 63: Bir Ali [14.03°N / 48.34°E], MHNG 2593-032 , coll. B. Schätti ; 64: Qusayr (= Qusei'ar ) [14.94°N / 50.34°E], MHNG 2582-010 , coll. B. Schätti ; not mapped: “ Sayhut-ar-Raydah ” (interpreted as between Sayhut and Ar-Raydah, imprecise locality), MHNG 2582-009 , coll. B. Schätti ; not mapped: al-Harf, km 60 (imprecise locality), MHNG 2456-098 , coll. B. Schätti.

Telescopus dhara obtusus ( Reuss, 1834)

Coluber obtusus, Reuss, 1834 , Museum Senckenbergianum: Abhandlungen aus dem Gebiete der beschreibenden Naturgeschichte, von Mitgliedern der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Frankfurt , M.: 137. Name-bearing type(s): Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum (Frankfurt) SMF 19664, lectotype by subsequent designation of Mertens (1964). Type locality: Egypt.

Remarks on name-bearing type (s). The original type series includes at least the specimen illustrated in figure 1 of Savigny (1809): Reptiles (Suppléments), Pl. 5 in Illustrations de Description de l’Egypte [...] Histoire naturelle, T.1 and at least two specimens brought back from Egypt by Rüppell ( Reuss, 1834).

Diagnosis. An northern African form of Telescopus with the following characters combination: head broad, usually well separated from body, longer than in tripolitanus , shorter than in dhara , with sub-rectangular snout; head never darker than body; pileus uniform or with dark lines or spots; a dark longitudinal line along head side (along upper edge of supralabials) apparently present in life in all or most specimens but sometimes difficult to see in preserved specimens; supralabials pale before the eye, pale with dark upper edge after the eye; body coloration pale to dark, creamy-brown, olive-brown, yellowish- to orange-brown; dorsum either uniform or with more than 50 dark blotches, sometimes poorly marked but separated by contrasting narrow (1 scale wide) pale transverse lines as in dhara , sometimes with contrasting rectangular or oblique dark blotches (pale brown to dark brown); flanks rather uniform or, in the blotched morph, with two rows of dark spots, of similar coloration to the marks on dorsum; belly uniformly pale. Mid-body scale rows 21 – 23, most often 23 (up to 25 according to Parker, 1949); ventral scales 240–270 in our small sample (230 – 278 according to Parker, 1949), 61–87 paired subcaudal scales in our small sample (down to 57 according to Parker, 1949); anal plate usually divided ( Parker, 1949). 9–11 (sometime 8 on one side) upper labials, usually 10 or 11, of which three (usually 4, 5, 6), sometimes two on one side, touch the eye.

For separation from tripolitanus and gezirae see these species. Separated from dhara by differences in frequency of specimens with divided anal (common in obtusus , rare in dhara ), 22 or 23 dorsal scales rows (approx. 75% in obtusus , very rare in dhara ), and 10 or 11 supralabials (approx. 76% in obtusus , 6% in dhara ). None of these characters is diagnostic alone, but differences in head shape, body coloration and coloration pattern of head allow unambiguous assignment of all individuals that we seen in pictures or as specimens. For separation from somalicus, see that taxon below.

Note: there seems to be some geographical components in the variation in coloration. Most Egyptian specimens except in the south are uniform or weakly contrasted (own observation, Baha El Din pers. com.) while the blotched morph is apparently the most common form in extreme southern Egypt (pictures from Aswan and Gebel Elba) southward ( Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti) and in central Sahara (Southern Algeria, Chad).

Distribution. See Fig. 2 . North-eastern and north-central Africa, from the north coast of Egypt west of Suez (Baha el Din, 2006) to southern Sudan, southern Somalia (and presumably northern Kenya), presumably across most of Ethiopia, Erithrea, Djibouti, and northern and central Somalia, west to eastern Chad. Populations in the mountains of southern Algeria are presumably isolated.

Specimens examined. EGYPT: 65: El Wasta (= Al Wasta ) [27.18°N / 31.22°E], ZFMK 50303 ; 66: Gizeh [30.09°N / 31.21°E], SMF 21743 ; 67: El Hammam , west of Alexandria [30.83°N / 29.38°E], MHNG 2429-082 , coll. A. Hansen; 68: Mudiriyet al Tahrir , E of Sadat City [30.64°N / 30.77°E], MHNG 2429-083 , coll. A. Hansen; not mapped: “ Egypt ”, MNHN 1857 & 5434 & 1991.1714, obtained from Delort de Gléon & MNHN 3808 & SMF 19664 (lectotype of obtusus ), coll. E. Rüppell & SMF 19665 & MHNG 1373-047 (received from F. Werner, originally NMW 16406) ; not mapped: “Upper Egypt ”, ZMB 5477 . SUDAN: 69: Gellabat (= Ra’s Al Fil ) [10.55°N / 25.00°E], MNHN 1932.0112 ; 70: Boma (= Towot = Towoth ) [6.20°N / 34.42°E], MNHN 1997.6557 - 6558 & 2001.0187, coll. Dr. Haxaire ( Haxaire & Ineich, 1999); 71: Erkowit [18.77°N / 37.12°E], ZFMK 35379-80 ; 72: Torit [4.41°N / 32.57°E], ZFMK 30808 ; 73: Sennar (= Sennaar ) [13.55°N / 33.63°E], ZMB 4323 . ETHIOPIA: 74: Addis Ababa [9.03°N / 38.70°E], MNHN 1991.1731 , received from Dr. Roger , December 1903 & MNHN 1903.0286 & ZMB 27459 . DJIBOUTI: 75: Djibouti [11.60°N / 43.14°E], ZFMK 54282 ; 76: Obock [11.96°N / 43.29°E], MNHN 1986.1016 , coll. Martin, 1902. CHAD: 77: Oum El Adam [17.20°N / 21.20°E], LACM 25310 , coll. J. S. Edwards, 31/01/1960. ALGERIA: 78: Mertoutek, Hoggar [24.23°N / 5.53°E], ZFMK 42092 ; 79: In Sebuk Oua Mellen, Immidir , [25.73°N / 4.56°E], photo P. Lluch in P. Geniez pictures collection; not mapped: Hoggar, MNHN 8727 .

Telescopus dhara obtusus ?: SOMALIA: 80: Lugh (= Luug) [3.80°N / 42.55°E], BMNH 1946.1 .23.53, paralectotype of somalicus, coll. Capt V. Botego, provisionally included in obtusus .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Distribution of the Telescopus specimens records examined in the course of this study (based on museum specimens, published or unpublished pictures and descriptions). Dots: Telescopus tripolitanus; triangles: Telescopus dhara obtusus; squares: Telescopus dhara dhara; rhombi: Telescopus dhara somalicus; stars: Telescopus gezirae. Black signs represent specimens that were used on multivariate analyses, white (open) signs specimens with incomplete data. Numbers correspond to locality numbers in the text. Note that this map represents all the known records from T. gezirae, most of the known records for T. tripolitanus but only a small fraction of the known records for the other taxa.