Zamenis hohenackeri

Hofmann, Sylvia, Mebert, Konrad, Schulz, Klaus-Dieter, Helfenberger, Notker, Göçmen, Bayram & Böhme, Wolfgang, 2018, A new subspecies of Zamenis hohenackeri (Strauch, 1873) (Serpentes: Colubridae) based on morphological and molecular data, Zootaxa 4471 (1), pp. 137-153 : 147

Key to snake taxa of Zamenis hohenackeri and Z. situla

For exampleS of principal colour morphS and taxa See Fig. 5.

1a Upper side of head with three groups of distinct markings ( Fig. 6 ): 1) the anterior end of the dorsal band or equivalent horseshoe-shaped nuchal blotch reaching as a thick line along the parietal suture up/into to the frontal plate, 2) upper ends of the bilateral postocular line beginning above each eye on the supraoculars/parietals/frontal, 3) a thick line reaching across the suture of the frontal/prefrontals, connecting the eyes, but in some specimens being dissolved into broad blotches; 25–27 dorsals at mid-body; dorsal blotches usually rusty, reddish or orangish in juveniles and adults, 3–5 dorsal in width along the body axis; dorsal blotches can form two paravertebral lines; 220–255 ventrals............................... Zamenis situla

1b Upper side of head usually without distinct black markings ( Fig. 6 ); 1) the nuchal blotch barely reaching the parietals or continuing along the suture only as a thin line, sometimes with a blotch on each parietal, 2) upper end of the thick postocular line beginning at mid-level (postocular) of the eye, not above, 3) no line across the snout anterior the eyes; 23, rarely 25 dorsals at mid-body............................................................................................ 2

2a Dorsal blotches 1–3 dorsals in width (along body axis, Fig. 7 ), usually>70 blotches that are indistinctly black bordered with scales often exhibiting black edges or tips throughout the blotch................................................. 3

2b Dorsal blotches light brown or reddish brown in adults (similar to Z. situla , Fig. 7 ), 3–5 dorsals in width (along body axis), rounded, usually <70 blotches that are distinctly black bordered and no or few scales within the blotch with black edges or tips, brown blotches in juveniles; 214–244 ventrals............................... Zamenis hohenackeri lyciensis spp. nov.

3a Dorsal blotches 1–2 dorsals in width (along body axis, Fig. 7 ), commonly dorsal blotches arranged in 2 rows (twin-spotted) and separated by a light coloured vertebral line, whereas some of the first 20 dorsal blotches posterior the nuchal band might be formed as translateral bars, but never all 20; colour of blotches brown in juveniles and adults; 200–225 ventrals..................................................................................... Zamenis hohenackeri hohenackeri

3b Dorsal blotches 2–3 dorsals in width (along body axis, Fig. 7 ), usually all of the first 20 blotches posterior the nuchal blotch formed as elongated (oblong to oval) translateral bars (and>50% over the entire trunk), with some dorsal blotches separated into twin spots more posteriorly; colour of blotches brown to olive in juveniles and adults; 196–224 ventrals........................................................................................... Zamenis hohenackeri tauricus

Figures

FIGURE 5. PRINcIpal bodY coloUR pattERN of Zamenis situla aNd Z. hohenackeri taxa: A) Z. situla blotchEd, AgoRa, IzmIR (local- ItY 139, FIg. 1); B) Z. situla StRIpEd, IzmIR (localItY 139, FIg. 1); C) Z. h. lyciensis ssp. nov. KIRkpINaR KaRaNfIll, ARIbElENI YaYlaSI, MUğla (localItY 52, FIg. 1); D) Z. h. tauricus Aladaǧ, MERSIN (localItY 85, FIg. 1); E) Z. h. hohenackeri GüNINdI, KaRS (localItY 18, FIg. 1). SEE moRE ExamplES IN SUpplEmENtaRY FIgS. 1–3.

FIGURE 6. CompaRISoN of hEad coloUR pattERN dIffERENcES bEtwEEN (a) Zamenis hohenackeri lyciensis ssp. nov. KIRkpINaR KaRaNfIll, MUğla, aNd (b) Z. situla, LakE YlIkI, GREEcE.

FIGURE 7. CompaRISoN of doRSal coloUR pattERN dIffERENcES amoNg thE thREE SUbSpEcIES of Zamenis hohenackeri: (a) Z. h. lyciensis ssp. nov.; (b) Z. h. tauricus; (c) Z. h. hohenackeri.