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Telescopus somalicus (PARKER, 1949)

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Higher TaxaColubridae, Colubrinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Somali Cat Snake
G: Somalia-Katzennatter 
SynonymTarbophis dhara somalicus PARKER 1949: 88
Dipsas obtusa — WERNER 1895
Dipsas obtusa — TORNIER 1897
Tarbophis guentheri — BOULENGER 1896
Tarbophis obtusus — ANDERSON 1898
Tarbophis guentheri — LÖNNBERG & ANDERSON 1913
Tarbophis guentheri — BOULENGER 1915
Tarbophis guentheri — SCORTECCI 1939
Telescopus dhara somalicus — GANS et al. 1965: 63
Telescopus dhara somalicus — CROCHET et al. 2008
Telescopus somalicus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 713
Telescopus somalicus — RIBEIRO-JÚNIOR et al. 2025 
DistributionS Somalia, Kenya, N Tanzania

Type locality: Ngatana, Kenya (2.34°S, 40.24°E)  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: BMNH 1946.1.23.52 (formally 93.11.21.64), adult male, designed by Crochet et al. 2008: 33. 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (somalicus). We have examined only 5 preserved specimens and 2 color photographs of live animals of this taxon so more work is needed to fully understand its morphological variation and diagnostic characters. See T. tripolitanus and T. gezirae for separation from these taxa. An African form of Telescopus with the following characters combination: head broad, usually well separated from body, longer than in tripolitanus, shorter than in dhara, with apparently more rounded snout than in dhara and obtusus; head same colour as body but with paler head sides; pileus uniform; no dark longitudinal line along head side; supralabials all pale or same colour as head side with white lower edge; body coloration in adults uniformly dark (black-)grey, slightly darker on mid-dorsum; belly uniformly pale. Some preserved juveniles have a uniform pale body but decolouration due to preservation cannot be excluded. In our five specimens, mid-body scale rows 20 or 21; ventral scales 200–219, subcaudal scales paired, 72–81; anal usually entire (Parker, 1949). There are 9–10 upper labials, of which three (4, 5, 6) touch the eye.
Low number of ventrals separates it from both dhara and obtusus. Frequency of uniformly dark specimen seems unique to this form. Head shape also apparently distinct from both dhara and obtusus (see above). More work is needed to assess the variation and diagnosability of this taxon. (Crochet et al. 2008)


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CommentVenomous, but usually not dangerous to humans.

Distribution: For maps see Sindaco et al. 2013, Bar et al. 2021, Crochet et al. 2008: 30 (Fig. 2), Šmíd et al. 2019: 39 (Fig. 1), Ribeiro-Júnior et al. 2025: 69 (Figure 31).

Synonymy: Crochet et al. 2008 suggested to maintain subspecific rank for both dhara and somalicus. However, WALLACH et al. 2014: 713 refers to Crochet et al. 2008 in their decision to elevated somalicus to full species.

Habitat: partly arboreal (Harrington et al. 2018). 
EtymologyNamed after its occurrence in Somalia. 
References
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