Montivipera bulgardaghica (NILSON & ANDREN, 1985)
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Montivipera bulgardaghica
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| Higher Taxa | Viperidae, Viperinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Vipera bulgardaghica NILSON & ANDREN 1985 Vipera bulgardaghica — NILSON et al. 1988 Vipera bulgardaghica — SCHMIDTLER et al. 1990 Vipera bulgardaghica — WELCH 1994: 121 Vipera bulgardaghica — DAVID & INEICH 1999 Vipera bulgardaghica — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999 Montivipera bulgardhaghica — PHELPS 2010 Montivipera bulgardaghica — WALLACH et al. 2014: 450 |
| Distribution | SC Turkey, Syria Type locality: Kar Boghaz, Bulgar Dag (= Bolkar Dagi), “Cilicischer Taurus” (Prov. Nigde). |
| Reproduction | (ovo-) viparous. |
| Types | Holotype: GNM 1618, male ( (Göteborg Natural History Museum); paratype: NMW |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis:-A high mountain species related to the Vipera xanthina species-group, but unique in having subocular scales in contact with supralabials; upper preocular in contact with nasal or nearly so; a much reduced number of lateral head scales: eleven or fewer scales (x̅ = 10) in the 1st circumocular ring and 13 or fewer (x̅ = 11.3) in the 2nd circumocular ring (eleven or more scales in 1st circumocular ring and 13 or more in 2nd circumocular ring in all other taxa within the V. xanthina complex). It also has a marked dorsal right-angled zig-zag pattern and a more or less pronounced transverse "bridle" over the snout. From the V. raddei species-group the new species differs further in lacking a complete circumocular ring, i.e., in having its supraocular plate in broad contact with the eye; in having only one canthal scale on each side of head and in being more stockily built. Description of Holotype.-An adult male, total length 481 mm, tail 39 mm, latter equal to 8.1% of total length. Head covered with small scales except for enlarged supraoculars, separated by a row of six interocular scales. One canthal on each side between supraocular and supranasal plates. Three apicals in contact with rostral. Intercanthal area covered by 11 scales, intersupraocular area covered by 24 scales. Supraoculars not angled and in broad contact with eye. Lower half of nasal on both sides fused with prenasal. Nine supralabials on each side, fourth separated from eye by one subocular scale on right side, two very small ones on left side. Inner circumocular ring containing ten scales on right side and nine on left. Outer circumocular ring interrupted on right side, with six plus five scales; 11 scales in left ring. Upper preocular enlarged and in contact with nasal on right side, very close to nasal on left. Twelve sublabials on each side. First pair of sublabials in contact behind mental. Chin shields twice as long as broad and bordered behind by four smaller plates. Dorsal scales except lowermost row keeled on body and tail. Two preventrals, 154 ventrals; anal single. Subcaudals 28/29 + 1. Twenty-three transverse scale rows on body one head length posterior of head, 23 on midbody, 17 one head length anterior to anal. Scale reduction formula (see Dowling, 1951) as follows: (see Nilson & Andrén 1985: 278) Dorsal ground color on holotype brownish grey with a blackish dorsal pattern of about 43/46 sinuate blotches towards right and left respectively. Two blackish oblique blotches on neck, separated from each other and from dorsal pattern. A narrow transverse band across snout anterior to supraoculars. A broad black band from posterior border of eye to corner of mouth. Small dark spots or bands on sutures between sublabials. A lateral row of dark blotches on body, each blotch on about fourth and fifth scale rows. Dorsal pattern a pronounced right angled zig-zag band or somewhat elongate or saddle shaped blotches. Central area in some blotches with lighter color (as in V. bornmuelleri). Belly greyish with numerous small dots and less pronounced small spots laterally. Throat whitish. (Nilson & André 1985: 277) Additional details (8103 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Venomous! Synonymy: V. bulgardaghica is considered as a synonym of Vipera xanthina by some authors (JOGER, pers. comm.). However, GARRIGUES et al. (2005) found that V. bulgardaghica appears to be more closely related to V. albizona and thus a member of the Montivipera clade. Mebert et al. 2020 treat albizona as a subspecies of bulgardaghica. Distribution: for a map with localities in Turkey see Mebert et al. 2020: 172 (Fig. 2) and 180 (Fig. 11). For a map see Sindaco et al. 2013. |
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