Natrix sansaniensis ( Lartet, 1851 )

Rage, Jean-Claude & Bailon, Salvador, 2005, Amphibians and squamate reptiles from the late early Miocene (MN 4) of Béon 1 (Montréal-du-Gers, southwestern France), Geodiversitas 27 (3), pp. 413-441 : 429-430

Natrix sansaniensis ( Lartet, 1851)

pars Coluber sansaniensis Lartet, 1851: 40 .

Pylmophis sansaniensis – Rochebrune 1880: 282, 283, pl. 12, fig. 11.

Pilemophis sansaniensis – Lydekker 1888: 251.

Natrix sansaniensis – Rage 1981: 538-540, fig. 1A; 1984b: 48, 49, fig. 3A. — Augé & Rage 2000: 288- 299, figs 21, 22. — Ivanov 2002: 523-525 , fig. 7.

pars Natrix aff. N. sansaniensis – Szyndlar & Schleich 1993: 17-20, fig. 4A-H.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 144 trunk vertebrae (Béon 2004 LT 65-68; Béon 91 E3 SN 1).

COMMENTS

Natrix sansaniensis was revised and redescribed by Rage (1981) and Augé & Rage (2000). The species appears as a typical member of Natrix . It is mainly characterized by its high neural spines and the peculiar morphology of its hypapophyses (unusual combination of a curved anteroventral border and a pointed tip).

N. sansaniensis was reported from Sansan (MN 6, France), the type locality, and Merkur-North (MN 3, Czech Republic) ( Augé & Rage 2000; Ivanov 2002). The species is perhaps present in the early middle Miocene of Vieux-Collonges ( Natrix aff. N. sansaniensis ; Ivanov 2000). Natrix cf. N. sansaniensis was reported from La Grive M (MN 7+8; France) by Ivanov (2002) and from Mátraszölös 1 (MN 6 or 7+8; Hungary) by Gál et al. (1999). Moreover, numerous vertebrae from Petersbuch 2 (MN 4; Germany) were referred to as Natrix aff. N. sansaniensis by Szyndlar & Schleich (1993); but, after the description of the species N. merkurensis by Ivanov (2002) it may be supposed that a part of the vertebrae assigned to the fossil from Petersbuch 2 really belongs to N. sansaniensis (see below: Natrix merkurensis ).