Tropiocolotes steudneri ( Peters, 1869:788 )

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 : 198-200

Tropiocolotes steudneri ( Peters, 1869:788)

1869 Gymnodactylus Steudneri Peters, Über neue Saurier ( Chaunolaemus multicarinatus , Tropidolepisma Richardi und Gymnodactylus Steudneri ) und Batrachier ( Cyclorhamphus fasciatus und Hyla gracilenta ). Monatsberichte der königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 1869:786–790.

HOLOTYPE.— ZMB 5476, lost fide Bauer et al. (1995), “Aus dem Sennâr, ohne nähere Angabe des Fundorts” [from the Sennâr (state of Sennar, Sudan), without further details of locality].

Tropiocolotes steudneri, Le Berre 1989:182 .

Tropiocolotes steudneri, Schleich, Kästle, and Kabisch 1996:280 .

Tropiocolotes steudneri, Sindaco and Jeremčenko 2008:140 .

Tropiocolotes steudneri, Trape, Trape, and Chirio 2012:260 .

DISTRIBUTION.— Southern Algeria and southern Libya to the Suez Canal and south into Sudan. Baha El Din (2006) reported specimens from the Tibesti of Chad and from Nouakchott, Mauritania. In Libya known localities are in accessible areas of the Sahara around Ghat in the southwest and Kufrah in the southeast.

Libyan Records (Map 18): FEZZAN:

GHAT: 249: MCSN 2360; Scortecci 1937a.

MURZUQ: 329: Schnurrenberger 1962. CYRE-

NAICA: KUFRAH: 571: MZUF 708; Scortecci

1935b; Zavattari 1937; Loveridge 1947. 573:

Vinciguerra 1931; Zavattari 1934, 1937;

Loveridge 1947. 575: Vinciguerra 1931;

Loveridge 1947. 576: Vinceguerra 1931;

Zavattari 1934. 577: BMNH 1932.3.6. 2; Vinciguerra 1931, 1934; Loveridge 1947. 584:

MZUF 709; Scortecci 1935b, 1935c; Zavattari

1937; Loveridge 1947. LIBYA: “ Libyschen

Wüste ”: Werner 1909.

COMMENTS.— Populations from Saudi

Arabia (Arnold 1977; Kordges 1998) and Ban-

dar-e Langeh, Iran sometimes allocated to this species are probably incorrectly assigned (Sindaco and Jeremčenko 2008). Saleh (1997) MAP 18. Distribution of Tropiocolotes steudneri in reported two localities in north Sinai, but these Libya.

were questioned by Baha el Din (2006) and rejected by Werner (2016) .

IUCN THREAT STATUS.— Not evaluated, but anticipated to be Least Concern.

Tropiocolotes tripolitanus Peters, 1880:306 , pl., figs. 1, 1a–e (FIG. 18)

1880 Tropiocolotes tripolitanus Peters, Über die von Hrn. Gerhard Rohlfs und Dr. A. Stecker auf der Reise nach der Oase Kufra gesammelten Amphibien. Monatsberichte der Königlich Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 1880: 305–309, 1 pl .

LECTOTYPE.— ZMB 9668A designated by Bauer and Günther (1991); “Uadi M’bellem” [Wadi Muballum, Libya].

Tropiocolotes tripolitanus, Le Berre 1989:184 .

Tropiocolotes tripolitanus tripolitanus, Schleich, Kästle, and Kabisch 1996:283 .

Tropiocolotes tripolitanus, Sindaco and Jeremčenko 2008:140 .

Tropiocolotes tripolitanus, Trape, Trape, and Chirio 2012:262 .

DISTRIBUTION.— From Mauritania and

Western Sahara across northern Africa into

Egypt west of the Nile and across Mali and western Niger . In Libya the species is widely distributed, although potentially absent from the southernmost portions of Cyrenaica .

Libyan Records (Map 19): TRIPOLITA-

NIA: TRIPOLI: 45: FMNH 82938; Boulenger

1885; Werner 1909. MURQUB: 65: NHMC

FIGURE 18. Tropiocolotes tripolitanus from Tsawah, 80.3.120.23–24. MISRATAH: 76: BMNH Murzuq, Fezzan, Libya. Photo © Adel Ibrahim. 1965.1153; Krause et al. 2013. 86: ZMB

9668A–B; Peters 1880, 1881; Boulenger 1891;

Werner 1909; Ghigi 1913; Zavattari 1930,

1934; Loveridge 1947; Bauer et al. 1995. 87:

NHMC 80.3.120.18–22. NALUT: 100: CUP R

005; Frynta et al. 2000. 105: MNHN

2003.2964–65; ZCT 2005.26–28; Ibrahim and

Ineich 2005, Ibrahim 2008a; Krause et al.

2013. 106: NMP 71528. JABAL AL GHARBI: 133:

NHMC 80.3.120.9. 141: BMNH 1965.1150;

Krause et al. 2013. 145: NHMC 80.3.120.3.

146: NHMC 80.3.120.8. 147: FMNH 83061–

63. 149: BMNH 1954.1.5. 30–36; Krause et al .

2013. 150: NHMC 80.3.120.4–7, 80.3.120.29.

159: BMNH 1965.1149; Krause et al. 2013.

161: CUP R 006–7; Frynta et al. 2000. SIRTE:

181: NHMC 80.3.120.16–17. 187: BMNH

1965.1151–52; Krause et al. 2013. 188: NHMC

80.3.120.10–15. 191: BMNH 1985.1187–1189. MAP 19. Distribution of Tropiocolotes tripolitanus in Libya.

199: MCSN 2382. “ Sirtica ”: Zavattari 1937;

Loveridge 1947. FEZZAN: WADI AL SHATII: 210: Essghaier et al. 2015. JUFRA: 217: Zavattari 1937; Loveridge 1947. WADI AL HAYAA: 274: CUP R 022, 058; Frynta et al. 2000. 277: BMNH 1983.1283. SABHA: 281: AIC 2006.1568–71, ZCT 2005.14; Ibrahim 2008a. 286: BMNH 1954.1.5. 28, 1954.1.5. 29; Krause et al. 2013; Essghaier et al. 2015. 287: CUP R 060–61; Frynta et al. 2000. 288: MCSN 2402. MURZUQ: 296: ZCT 2005.15, 2006.28–32, 2006.65; Ibrahim 2008a. 298: ZCT 2005.16; Ibrahim 2008a. 300: ZCT 2005.02; Ibrahim 2008a. 301: ZCT 2006.09–13; Ibrahim 2008a. 303: ZCT 2006.01–05, 2006.71; Ibrahim 2008a; Essghaier et al. 2015. 308: ZCT 2006.26–27, 2006.57; Ibrahim 2008a. 310: ZCT 2006.59; Ibrahim 2008a. 313: ZCT 2005.16, 2006.15–21; Ibrahim 2008a. 316: NHMW 17298; NMBA-REPT 15300; ZCT 2005.25; Ibrahim 2008a. CYRENAICA: BENGHAZI: 357: FMNH 82937. BUTNAN: 511: ZSM 116/1983, 116/1986; Krause et al. 2013. AL WAHAT: 529: NMP 34930; NMP 34930; Moravec 1995. 542: BMNH 1965.1154; Krause et al. 2013. 544: BMNH 1932.3.6. 1; Krause et al. 2013; Vinciguerra 1931; Zavattari 1934; Loveridge 1947. 564: Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934, 1937; Loveridge 1947. LIBYA: “ Libyschen Wüste ”: Werner 1909.

COMMENTS.— Sindaco and Jeremčenko (2008) recognized four subspecies within T. tripolitanus : T. t. algericus Loveridge, 1947, T. t. apoklomax Papenfuss, 1969, T.t. occidentalis Parker, 1942 and the nominate form. Baha El Din (2001, 2006) recognized the first of these as a full species, the second as a synonym of the third, and considered another member of the group, T. somalicus Parker, 1942 , as a full species as well. The nominate form occurs in Libya and the eastern portions of the species range as far west as Tunisia. The Libyan distribution of this species has been variously interpreted. Le Berre (1989) showed a near coastal distribution and an isolated area corresponding to northern Al Kufrah, along the Egyptian border. Schleich et al. (1996) considered the species to be limited in Libya to Cyrenaica. We concur with Sindaco and Jeremčenko (2008) that the species occurs throughout most of Libya. Note that Ibrahim (2008a) listed the same specimen number (ZCT 2005.16) for both localities 386 and 387.

IUCN THREAT STATUS.— Least Concern.