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Walterinnesia aegyptia LATASTE, 1887

IUCN Red List - Walterinnesia aegyptia - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaElapidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Desert Cobra
G: Schwarze Wüsten-Kobra 
SynonymWalterinnesia aegyptia LATASTE 1887
Walterinnesia aegypti [sic] — HAAS 1957
Walterinnesia aegyptia — GASPERETTI 1988: 295
Walterinnesia aegyptia — WELCH 1994: 123
Walterinnesia aegyptia — VENCHI & SINDACO 2006
Walterinnesia aegyptia — WALLACH et al. 2014: 793
Walterinnesia aegyptia — BAR et al. 2021 
DistributionS Israel, NW Saudi Arabia, W Jordan, Egypt (Sinai), Iraq,
Lebanon ?

Type locality: Cairo (purchased there)  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: BMNH 1946.1.21.42 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: Same as genus; ventrals 180-200; subcaudals 40-53, anteriormost shields (1-13) single, others divided. (Leviton et al. 1992) 
CommentVenomous!

Distribution: not in Syria fide MARTENS 1997. For a map see Sindaco et al. 2013 and Bar et al. 2021.

Venom toxins of this species are similar to those of Ophiophagus hannah, implicating a close phylogenetic relationship.

Synonymy: Naja morgani MOCQUARD 1905 has been removed from the synonymy of W. aegyptia and revalidated as a valid species, W. morgani.

Type species: Walterinnesia aegyptia LATASTE 1887 is the type species of the genus Walterinnesia LATASTE 1887. 
EtymologyNamed after its distribution in Egypt.

The generic name, Walterinnesia, honors Walter Francis Innes Bey (1858–1937), who was a physician and zoologist in Egypt. 
References
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  • Alshammari, A. M. and Busais, S. M. 2020. Distribution of snakes in Ha’il Province, Saudi Arabia, with an identification key to the species. Russian Journal of Herpetology 27 (1): 5-10. - get paper here
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