Lytorhynchus diadema ( Duméril, Bibron and Duméril, 1854:779 )

Bauer, Aaron M., DeBoer, Jonathan C. & Taylor, Dylan J., 2017, Atlas of the Reptiles of Libya, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 64 (8), pp. 155-318 : 242-246

Lytorhynchus diadema ( Duméril, Bibron and Duméril, 1854:779) ( FIG . 30)

1854 Heterodon Diadema Duméril, Bibron and Duméril, Erpétologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Tome septième.— Première partie. Comprenant l’Histoire des Serpents Non Venimeux. Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret, Paris.vii + [4] + xvi + 780 pp., 1 folding table, pls. 59. 63, 70, 72, 75–82.

HOLOTYPE.— MNHN 7560 , “Algérie et du desert de l’ouest de l’Afrique Septentrionale” [= Algeria and the desert of western North Africa ].

Lytorhynchus diadema diadema, Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963:504 .

Lytorhynchus diadema, Le Berre 1989:270 .

Lytorhynchus diadema, Schleich, Kästle, and Kabisch 1996:496 .

Lytorhynchus diadema, Sindaco, Venchi, and Grieco 2013:133 .

DISTRIBUTION.— From Morocco eastwards across North Africa to southern Israel and Jordan, into northern Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and southwestern Iran, with isolated records in Niger and Sudan (Sindaco et al. 2013). In Libya L. diadema is found widely, if patchily, throughout the country.

Libyan Records (Map 50): TRIPOLITA-

NIA: TRIPOLI: 45: NHMW 23637; ZMB

15337–39, 15342–43, 15356, 85217; Condorelli-Francaviglia 1896; Werner 1909; Ghigi

1913; Zavattari 1934; Sayers 1964; Leviton and Anderson 1970. 49: BMNH 1955.1.8. 98;

Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963. MURQUB:

60: Ghigi 1913. 64: SMNS 3198. MISRATAH:

73: MCSN 4210; Calabresi 1923. NALUT: 103:

Sindaco, pers. obs. 4/30/2008. JABAL AL GHAR-

BI: 133: NHMC 80.3.12.1. 154: SMNS 3197.

“ Tripolitania settentrionale ”: Zavattari 1937.

FEZZAN: JUFRA: 222: SK 1747; Kramer and

Schnurrenberger 1963. 224: Schnurrenberger

1962. SABHA: 291: SK 924; Kramer and

Schnurrenberger 1963. CYRENAICA: BENGHAZI: 378: SK 573-74; SK 583. MARJ: 384:

CAS 135744. 385: Zavattari 1937. JABAL AL MAP 50. Distribution of Lytorhynchus diadema in Libya. AKHDAR: 421: MCSN 2983; Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963. 448: SMF 55405. DARNAH: 475: ANSP 28055. BUTNAN: 490: Zavattari 1922, 1929, 1930, 1934; Calabresi 1923. 495: Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1958; Leviton and Anderson 1970. AL WAHAT: 529: NMP 34936; NMP 34936; Moravec 1995. 531: SK 85; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963. 536: SK 176–78, SK 584; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963. 537: SMF 55756. 547: SK 92; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1958, 1963; Leviton and Anderson 1970. 548: SK 196, SK 982–83; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963. 564: MCSN 2676–77; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963. KUFRAH: 573: Vinciguerra 1931; Zavattari 1934, 1937; Le Berre 1989. 575: BMNH 1955.1.1. 48; Vinciguerra 1931. “ Cyrenaica ”: BMNH 1955.1.8. 48; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963. “ Marmarica ”: Zavattari 1937.

COMMENTS.— As noted in the species description, Duméril (1852) first referred to this species as Lycognathus diadema , although this was a nonem nudum. There are competing taxonomic interpretations within L. diadema . Arnold (1980a), Gasperetti (1988) and Sindaco et al. (2013) accept- ed L. gaddi Nikolsky, 1907 , L. d. arabicus Haas, 1957, and L. d. mesopotamicus Haas, 1952 as strict synonyms of L diadema , whereas Uetz and Hošek (2016) considered them as valid subspecies. Lytorhynchus kennedyi Schmidt, 1939 has variously been considered as a full species (Leviton and Anderson 1970; Gasperetti 1988; Martens 1993; Sindaco et al. 2006b, 2013) or as a pattern morph of L. diadema ( Moravec 1995; Disi et al. 2001; Amr and Disi 2011) that is largely restricted to the Syrian Desert. However, Moravec (1995) noted a single specimen from Libya that exhibits the typical L. kennedyi pattern. Regardless of the taxonomic status of L. kennedyi in southwest Asia, we here regard Moravec’s (1995) record from Libya as an aberrantly patterned L. diadema .

IUCN THREAT STATUS.— Least Concern.

Macroprotodon cucullatus (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1827:151, pl. 8, figs. 3, 3’) ( FIG . 31)

1827 Coluber cucullatus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire , Description des reptiles qui se trouvent en Égypte, pp. 121–160 in M.J.-C.L. de Savigny, (ed.), Description de l’Égypte, ou Recueil des Observations et des Recherches qui ont été Faites en Égypte Pendant l’Expédition de l’Armée Française. Histoire Naturelle. Tome premier. Partie premier. Imprimerie Impériale, Paris, France.

HOLOTYPE.— Specimen illustrated on fig. 3 of pl. 8 of the Atlas accompanying the “ Description de l’Égypte ,” lost fide Busack and McCoy (1990), ‘Égypte” (“Unterägypten” [Lower Egypt] fide Mertens and Müller 1928:50).

Macroprotodon cucullatus cucullatus, Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963:506 .

Macroprotodon cucullatus, Le Berre 1989:264 .

Macroprotodon cucullatus, Schleich, Kästle, and Kabisch 1996:496 .

Macroprotodon cucullatus, Sindaco, Venchi, and Grieco 2013:122 . DISTRIBUTION.— Western Sahara eastwards through North Africa to Israel, primarily in Mediterranean areas, with isolated records in southern Algeria and Libya. Also on Lampedusa and introduced in the Balearic Islands ( Eisentraut 1950; Salvador 1985). In Libya they are found chiefly within one hundred kilometers of the Mediterranean coastline (Schleich 1996).

Libyan Records (Map 51): TRIPOLITA-

NIA: ZAWIYAH: 14: BMNH 1960.1.6. 7; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963; Busack and McCoy

1990. 18: ZSM 78/1938. TRIPOLI: 38: FMNH

82942; Busack and McCoy 1990. 45: BMNH

58.4.20.53–55; NHMW 19193; ZMB 15346–

47, 15351, 15355, 77705; Günther 1858; Wern-

er 1909; Ghigi 1913; Zavattari 1934; Busack and McCoy 1990. 52: SK 194, 332; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963; Busack and McCoy

1990. MISRATAH: 80: Boulenger 1914; Scortecci 1934b; Zavattari 1934; Busack and McCoy

1990. NALUT: 105: Ibrahim and Ineich 2005.

JABAL AL GHARBI: 139: Zavattari 1937; Busack and McCoy 1990. 144: BMNH 1955.1.8. 99;

Condorelli-Francaviglia 1896; Busack and

McCoy 1990. 154: ZSM 692/1979; Busack and

McCoy 1990. SIRTE: 174: MSNM [no specific MAP 51. Distribution of Macroprotodon cucullatus in number given]; Kramer and Schnurrenberger Libya .

1963; Busack and McCoy 1990. 178: MSNM [no specific number given]; SK 44; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963; Busack and McCoy 1990. “ Tripolitania ”: Werner 1909; Ghigi 1913. “ Tripolitania settentrionale ”: Zavattari 1937. “ Sirtica ”: Zavattari 1937; Busack and McCoy 1990. CYRENAICA: BENGHAZI: 343: ZSM 10/1963. 345: Cornalia 1882, 1886; Werner 1909; Ghigi 1913; Calabresi 1923; Scortecci 1934b; Zavattari 1934; Busack and McCoy 1990. 357: MZUF 20176–77; MSNM [no specific number given]; von Martens 1883; Werner 1909; Ghigi 1913; Calabresi 1923; Umani 1922; Zavattari 1922, 1929, 1930, 1934; Scortecci 1934b; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963; Busack and McCoy 1990. 358: Calabresi 1923; Zavattari 1929, 1930; Busack and McCoy 1990. 367: CAS 135734; Calabresi 1923; Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934; Busack and McCoy 1990. 379: Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1958; Busack and McCoy 1990. MARJ: 383: Scortecci 1934b; Busack and McCoy 1990. 385: Zavattari 1922, 1929, 1930, 1934; Calabresi 1923; Scortecci 1934b; Busack and McCoy 1990. JABAL AL AKHDAR: 417: MCSN 3150; Zavattari 1922, 1929, 1930, 1934; Calabresi 1923; Busack and McCoy 1990. 419: FMNH 214918; Resetar 1981. 421: MSNG 50623; Vinciguerra 1927; Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934; Scortecci 1934b; Busack and McCoy 1990. 422: KNP 1981/17; Schleich 1987. 425: KNP 198/21; ZSM 146/1983; Cornalia in Haimann 1882, 1886; Werner 1909; Ghigi 1913. 426: NHMC 80.3.39.1. 429: KNP 1981/31; Schleich 1987. 442: KNP 1981/42; Schleich 1987. 457: FMNH 83057; KNP 1981/38; ZSM 562/1997; Busack and McCoy 1990. 457at: KNP 1981/26–27; Schleich 1987; 457bs: KNP 1981/41; Schleich 1987. 457cg: ZSM 1983/146; Schleich 1987. DARNAH: 466: ZSM 152/1983; Zavattari 1922, 1929, 1930, 1934; Calabresi 1923; Busack and McCoy 1990. 472: NHMC 80.3.39.2. 474 Vinciguerra 1927; Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934. BUTNAN: 490: MZUF 20187; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963; Busack and McCoy 1990. 503: Vinciguerra 1927; Zavattari 1929, 1930; Scortecci 1934b; Busack and McCoy 1990. 513: SK 183; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963; Busack and McCoy 1990. AL WAHAT: 528: BMNH 1960.1.6. 6; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963; Busack and

McCoy 1990. 529: NMP 34937; Busack and McCoy 1990. 531: SK 76, 184–85; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963; Busack and McCoy 1990. 540: BMNH 1960.1.6. 5; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963; Busack and McCoy 1990. 544: BMNH 1960.1.6. 4; MSNG 31587; Vinciguerra 1931; Scortecci 1934b; Zavattari 1934; Kramer and Schnurrenberger 1963; Busack and McCoy 1990; Carranza et al. 2004. “ Cyrenaica ”: ZMB 10504, 51653; Condorelli-Francaviglia 1896; Werner 1909; Ghigi 1913. “ Marmarica ”: Zavattari 1937; Busack and McCoy 1990. LIBYA: ZMB 57092. “ Kussahsat ” [unlocated]: MCSN 4222.

COMMENTS.— The complicated dating of the natural history portions of Description de l’Égypte has been elucidated by Sherborn (1897) and Tollitt (1986). Both specific and intraspecific taxonomy have been controversial within Macroprotodon (see Sindaco et al. 2013 for a brief overview of the taxonomic confusion). Wade (2001) revised the genus and recognized four species. Carranza et al. (2004) recognized three monophyletic species, and a paraphyletic M. cucullatus . Werner (2016) accepted four subspecies within M. cucullatus , M. c. brevis (Günther, 1862) from Morocco, M. c. mauritanicus Guichenot, 1850 from Morocco to Tunisia, M.c. ibericus Busack and McCoy, 1990 from the Iberian Peninsula, and the nominotypical form from southern Tunisia and western Libya east to the edge of the species’ distribution in the western Negev of Israel. Another nominal taxon, M. c. textilis ( Duméril, Bibron and Duméril, 1854) was previously recognized (e.g., Wade 2001; Geniez et al. 2004) from central Tunisia, the northwestern Sahara, the Hoggar (Ahaggar), and Lampedusa Island ( Italy), but genetic data ( Carranza et al. 2004) place morphologically identified M. c. textilis into two different clades.

IUCN THREAT STATUS.— Least Concern.

Figures

FIGURE 30. Lytorhynchus diadema from 37 km south of Gadamis, Nalut, Tripolitania, Libya, 2008. Photo © Roberto Sindaco.

FIGURE 31. Macroprotodon cucullatus from 5 km east of Al Beida, Jabal al Akhdar, Cyrenaica, Libya (32.7826, 21.8276), 1998. Photo courtesy of Natural History Museum of Crete © A. Trichas.