Abstract
The systematics and nomenclature of the genus Telescopus in north Africa (the dhara – obtusus – tripolitanus group) have been revised based on examination of the original descriptions and type specimens (when still extant) of all proposed nomina and of more than 100 specimens. Using colour and lepidosis characters, the following taxonomic decisions are proposed: 1. Telescopus tripolitanus (Werner, 1909) is considered a valid species. 2. Tarbophis guidimakaensis Chabanaud, 1916 is a junior subjective synonym of T. tripolitanus. 3. Pseudotarbophis gabesi Domergue, 1955 is a junior subjective synonym of T. tripolitanus. 4. “Pseudotarbophis gabesiensis” Domergue, 1959 is an incorrect subsequent spelling and is thus not an available nomen. 5. Telescopus dhara dhara (Forsskål, 1775), Telescopus dhara obtusus (Reuss, 1834) and Telescopus dhara somalicus (Parker, 1949) are valid, clearly diagnosable, allopatric taxa that we provisionally maintain at subspecific rank. 6. Tarbophis guentheri, Anderson, 1895 is a junior subjective synonym of T. dhara dhara. 7. Telescopus gezirae Broadley 1994 is maintained as a valid species.References
Anderson. J. (1895) On a collection of reptiles and batrachians made by Colonel Yerbury at Aden and its neigbourhood. Proceedings of the General Meetings for Scientific Business of the Zoological Society of London, 1895, 635–663
Baha El Din, S. (2006) A guide to the reptiles and amphibians of Egypt. American University in Cairo Press, Cairo, 359 pp. + 48 plates
Bons, J., & Geniez, P. (1996) Amphibiens et reptiles du Maroc (Sahara Occidental compris). Atlas biogéographique. Asociación Herpetológica Española, Barcelona, 319 pp.
Böhme, W., Schmitz, G. & Messer, J. (1989) Erster Nachweis der Gattung Telescopus für die Schlangenfauna Marokkos. Salamandra, 25, 73–76.
Broadley, D.G. (1994) A collection of snakes from eastern Sudan, with the description of a new species of Telescopus Wagler, 1830 (Reptilia: Ophidia). Journal of African Zoology, 108, 201–208.
Chabanaud, P. (1916) Description d’un serpent nouveau de Mauritanie saharienne. Bulletin du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, 22, 77–78.
Chippaux, J-P. (1999) Les serpents d’Afrique occidentale et centrale. Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Paris, 278 pp.
Chirio, L. & Ineich, I. (2006) Biogeography of the reptiles of the Central African Republic. African Journal of Herpetology, 55, 23–59.
Disi, A.M., Modrý, D., Nečas, P. & Rifai, L. (2001) Amphibians and Reptiles of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. An Atlas and Field Guide. Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main, 408 pp.
Domergue, C. (1955) Note sur un serpent nouveau: Pseudotarbophis gabesi nov. sp. Bulletin de la Société des sciences naturelles de Tunisie, 8, 119–123.
Domergue, C. (1959a) Liste des ophidiens de Tunisie. Archives de l’Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 36, 151–161.
Domergue, C. (1959b) Clé de détermination des serpents de Tunisie et Afrique du Nord. Archives de l’Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 36, 163–172.
Forsskål, P. (1775) Descriptiones animalium, avium, amphibiorum, piscium, insectorum, vermium, quae in itinere Orientali observavit Petrus Forskal ; post mortem auctoris edidit Carsten Niebuhr : adjuncta est materia medica Kahirina atque tabula Maris Rubris geographica. Heineck et Faber, Kopenhagen, 164 pp. + S. 20 + xxxiv.
Geniez, P., Mateo, J.A., Geniez, M. & Pether, J. (2004) The amphibians and reptiles of the Western Sahara. Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main, 228 pp.
Gregory, J.W. (1894) Contributions to the physical geography of British East Africa. The Geographical Journal, 4, 289–315.
Hasi, M., López-Jurado, L.F., Mateo, J.A., Saint-andrieux, J.P. & Geniez, P. (1997). Nouvelles observations herpétologiques au Sahara Occidental, 3 Bulletin de la Société Herpétologique de France, 84, 33–38.
Haxaire, M. & Ineich, I. (1999) Une collection de reptiles provenant du sud-est du Soudan. Bulletin de la Société Herpétologique de France, 91, 19–28.
Ibrahim, A. & Ineich, I. (2005) Additional records to the herpetofauna of Nalut Province, Libya. African Herp News, 38, 2–9.
Joger, U. & Lambert, M.R.K. (1996) Analysis of the herpetofauna of the Republic of Mali, I. Annotated inventory, with description of a new Uromastyx (Sauria: Agamidae). Journal of African Zoology, 110, 21–51.
Kramer, E., Schnurrenberger, H. (1963) Systematik, Verbreitung und Ökologie der Libyschen Schlangen. Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 70, 453-568 + 4 plates.
Leviton, A.E., Anderson, S.C., Adler, K. & Minton, S.A. (1992) Handbook to Middle East Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Oxford (Ohio), vi + 252 pp.
Loveridge, A. (1937). Scientific results of an expedition to rain forest regions in eastern Africa. IX. Zoogeography and Itinerary. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College (Cambridge), 79, 481–541.
Padial, J.M. (2006) Commented distributional list of the reptiles of Mauritania (West Africa). Graellsia, 62, 159–178.
Papenfuss, T.J. (1969) Preliminary analysis of the reptiles of arid central West Africa. The Wasmann Journal of Biology, 27, 249–325.
Parker, H.W. (1949) The snakes of Somaliland and the Socotra Islands. Zoölogische verhandelingen, 6, 1–115.
Rasmussen, S. (1986) Carsten Niebuhr und die Arabische Reise 1761–1767. Schriftenreihe der Schleswig-Holsteinischen Landebildstelle, 1, 1–132.
Reuss, A. (1834) Zoologische Miscellen, Reptilien, Ophidier. Museum Senckenbergianum: Abhandlungen aus dem Gebiete der beschreibenden Naturgeschichte, von Mitgliedern der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Frankfurt, M., 1, 127–162.
Roman, B. (1977) Le genre Telescopus (Colubridés opistoglyphes) Wagler 1830 en Haute-Volta et dans l’Ouest du Niger. Notes et Documents voltaïques, 10, 92–97.
Roman, B. (1980) Serpents de Haute-Volta. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique, Ouagadougou, 129 pp.
Roman, B. (1984) Serpents des pays de l’Entente. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique, Ouagadougou, 45 pp.
Savigny, J. C. (ed.) (1809) Zoologie Reptiles (suppléments). In: Jomard, E.-F. & France, Commission des sciences et art d’Egypte (Eds), Description de l’Egypte ou recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faîtes en Egypte pendant l’expédition de l’armée française, vol. 18: Planches, Histoire Naturelle, vol. 1. Imprimerie Impériale, Paris.
Schleich, H.H., Kästle, W. & Kabbisch, K. (1996) Amphibians and reptiles of North Africa: biology, systematics, field guide. Koeltz Scientific Books, Koenigstein, 630 pp.
Trape, J.-F. & Mané, Y. (2006) Guide des serpents d’Afrique Occidentale. Savane et désert. IRD Editions, Paris, 226 pp.
Vesely, M., Modry, D. & Necas, P. (1995) Telescopus obtusus (Reuss, 1834). African Herp News, 22, 53.
Villiers, A. (1950) Contribution à l’étude de l’Aïr (Mission L. Chopard et A. Villiers). Reptiles ophidiens et chéloniens. Mémoires de l’Institut français d’Afrique noire, 10, 337–344.
Werner, F. (1909) Reptilien, Batrachier und Fische von Tripolis und Barka. Zoologische Jahrbüchern. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere, 27, 595–646.
Werner, Y. (1988) Herpetofaunal survey of Israel (1950–1985), with comments on Sinai and Jordan and on zoogeographical heterogeneity. In: Yom-Tov, Y. & Tchernov, E. (Eds), The zoogeography of Israel. Dr. W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht, pp. 355–387.