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Hierophis gemonensis (LAURENTI, 1768)

IUCN Red List - Hierophis gemonensis - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaColubridae, Colubrinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Balkan Racer, Balkan Whip Snake
G: Balkan-Zornnatter
Croatian: šara poljarica 
SynonymNatrix gemonensis LAURENTI 1768: 76
Coluber laurenti BEDRIAGA 1882
Zamenis gemonensis — BOULENGER 1893: 395
Zamenis gemonensis — WALL 1908: 800
Zamenis gemonensis — BOULENGER 1913
Coluber gemonensis — KAHL et al. 1980: 233
Coluber gemonensis —SCHÄTTI & WILSON 1986
Hierophis gemonensis — SCHÄTTI 1988
Coluber gemonensis — HENLE 1993
Hierophis laurenti — ENGELMANN et al. 1993
Coluber gemonensis — SEHNAL & SCHUSTER 1999
Haemorrhois gemonensis — WELCH
Hierophis gemonensis — NAGY et al. 2004
Hierophis gemonensis — NAGY 2010 (pers. comm.)
Hierophis gemonensis — WALLACH et al. 2014: 326 
Distributioncoastal Croatia (including some Adriatic islands, Krk, etc), Slovenia, Hercegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania,
Greece (Crete, Corfu = Corfou, Skiathos)

Type locality: see etymology  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesNeotype, MHNG 1357.70, a 916 mm male, designated by Schätti et al., 1991: 51 and ICZN Opinion 1686. 
DiagnosisUnfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 182 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentNot listed by ENGELMANN et al. (1993), who list only Coluber laurenti (which is not explicitely mentioned in the Zoological Record of 1882).

Subspecies: 2 subspecies fide SCHÄTTI & WILSON 1986. Maybe confused with Natrix natrix.

Distribution: CORKILL & COCHRANE 1966 list this species from the Arabian peninsula, probably in error. For a map see Sindaco et al. 2013. Reported from NE Italy, but only in a very limited area near Trieste / Friuli district [E. RAZZETTI, pers. comm.]). However, not listed in Sindaco & Razzetti 2021.

Nomenclature: The name gemonensis is a nomen conservandum. Schätti & Lanza (1987) demonstrate that Natrix gemonensis is an older synonym of Coluber viridiflavus, because the type locality is only inhabited by this latter species. The correct name should have been Coluber laurenti (Bedriaga, 1882). 
EtymologyApparently named (in error) after the type locality, Gemona, Italy (where the species is actually absent) 
References
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