Platyceps karelini karelini (Brandt, 1838)

Wagner, Philipp, Bauer, Aaron M., Leviton, Alan E., Wilms, Thomas M. & Böhme, Wolfgang, 2016, A Checklist of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Afghanistan *, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 63 (13), pp. 457-565 : 509-510

Platyceps karelini karelini (Brandt, 1838:col. 243)

1838 Coluber (Tyria) karelini Brandt , Note sur quatre nouvelles espèces de serpents de la côte occidentale de la mer Caspienne et la Perse septentrionale, découvertes par M. Kareline. Bulletin Scientifique publié par l’Académie Impériale des Sciences de St. Pétersbourg 3:cols. 241–244.

SYNTYPES.— ZISP 1695–1700 from “sur la côte orientale de la mer Caspienne. [= coast of the Caspian Sea]” .

LOCALITIES.— Ag Chah [Mazar-i-Sharif Prov.] ( SNM 54 ) ; Baqrabad ( ZMUC R-6097); Bala Murghab, Herat province (Brück 1968); Chinkilok nr. Herat ( ZSI 13107 ) ; btw. “ Cia-i-Baloch [= Robat-i-Shah Baloch ] and Cia-i-Lagun, camp 1” ( MZUF 24027–29 ) ; mountains near Cia-i-Dudi [= Kuh-e Chah Dudi] ( MZUF 24026 ) ; 35 mi downstream from Girishk, Dasht-i-Margo Area, Kandahar ( MZLU L958 /3224); Ker Dahar ( MNHN 0.8722, MNHN 1999 .8160); Kilki ( BMNH 1886.9.21. 103); 45 km W of Herat ( CAS 120714 ) ; Herat to Islam Qala [34°22′N, 62°10′E to 34°47′N, 61°05′E] ( CAS 103785 ) ; Mazar-i Sharif ( ZFMK 86743 , 36°43′N, 67°07′E); 10 km W of Tashkurgan ( CAS 120540 ) ; Tirphul ( BMNH 1886.9.21. 102) [see pl. 12, fig. 5 for distribution] .

REMARKS.— Blanford (1876:415) mentioned one specimen (BMNH 1873.1.7. 10) as “ Zamenis Ladacensis ” from “Kila-i-Fath, Sístán [= Qala-i Fateh, Qal’eh-ye Fath, Afghanistan, ca. 30°34′N, 61°50′E]”. However, the specimen was later identified as hybrid between Platyceps k. karelini and Platyceps r. rhodorachis by Schätti et al. (2014). Sclater (1891:28) mentioned one specimen (ZSI 13107) as “ Zamenis karelini ” from “Chinkilok nr. Herat [ca. 34°31′N, 61°52′E]” collected by the “Afghan Boundary Commission ( Aitchison1889). Boulenger (1889:102) mentioned four specimens from “ Helmand, Tirphul, Chinkilok, Kilki” which have been identified by Schätti et al (2012) as: BMNH 1886.9.21. 101 from “ Helmand [ca. 30°17′N, 62°03′E]” [= a hybrid between Platyceps k. karelini and Platyceps sp. ]; ZSI 13107 from “Chinkilok [ca. 34°31′N, 61°52′E]” and donated to the ZSI from the BMNH [=? Platyceps k. karelini ]; BMNH 1886.9.21. 102 from “Tirphul [ca. 34°36′N, 61°16′E]” [= Platyceps k. karelini ]; BMNH 1886.9.21. 103 from “Kilki [ca. 34°00′N, 61°25′E]” [= Platyceps k. karelini ]. Moreover, Boulenger (1889:102) mentioned one specimen (BMNH 1886.9.21. 104) as “ Zamenis rhodorachis ” from “second Gulran encampment, Badghis ”, that was identified as a hybrid between P. k. karelini and P. r. rhodorachis by Schätti et al. (2014). The same authors also recognized ZFMK 86743 from Mazar-i-Sharif as hybrid of the same two species. Clark (1990) mentioned this species as very common at Darweshan and Kandahar, but sporadic elsewhere. It occurs on non-sandy to sandy soils with both firm and loose sands.