Platyceps somalicus (BOULENGER, 1896)

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Higher Taxa	Colubridae, Colubrinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies
Common Names	E: Ogaden Racer
Synonym	Zamenis somalicus BOULENGER 1896 Coluber somalicus — LANZA 1963: 386 Haemorrhois somalicus — WELCH 1982: 155 Eremiophis somalicus — WELCH 1983: 108 Coluber somalicus — SCHÄTTI & WILSON 1986 Coluber somalicus — LARGEN & RASMUSSEN 1993 Platyceps somalicus — SCHÄTTI & CHARVET 2003 Platyceps somalicus — LARGEN & SPAWLS 2010: 506 Platyceps somalicus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 567
Distribution	Somalia, Ethiopia Type locality: “Audo Mts., between Webi Shebeli and Web”, 6°30’N 41°30’E.
Reproduction	oviparous
Types	Holotype: MSNG 29059 (female)
Diagnosis	The only known specimen, the holotype, is a damaged female with 172 ventrals, a divided anal plate, and 54+ paired subcaudals (tail incomplete). Eight supralabials, fourth and fifth in contact with eye. Anterior subocular and preocular single; two postoculars. One (left) or two (right) anterior and two posterior temporals. Four lower labials in contact with the anterior inframaxillary; “posterior chin shields very narrow and widely separated from each other by scales” (BOULENGER 1896b). Dorsal scales with two apical pits, arranged in 16 (ventrals 40-50) and 15 dsr (ventrals 60-100), respectively (scalation partly damaged); reduction to thirteen dsr between ventrals 133 (left) and 136 (right) by fusion of rows 7+8 and 6+7, respectively. The head pattern consists of a dark transverse band between the supraoculars, a black blotch below the eye, another on the temple, and a black streak along the suture between the parietals (BOULENGER 1896b). There is a nuchal collar, black transverse bars along the median part of the dorsum, and a lateral series of spots (LANZA 1963: fig. 4). The right maxilla bears 11+2 teeth (Schätti & Charvet 2003).
Comment	Similar to Coluber brevis. Known only from its holotype (SCHÄTTI & CHARVET 2003). Synonymy after SCHÄTTI & CHARVET 2003.
Etymology	Named after its distribution in Somalia.
References	Boulenger, G.A. 1896. A list of the reptiles and batrachians collected by the late Prince Eugenio Ruspoli in Somaliland and Gallaland in 1893. Annali Mus. civ. Stor. nat. Genova, Giacomo Doria, (2) 17: 5-14 [11] - get paper here Lanza, B. 1963. Il genere Coluber in Somalia e descrizione di una nuova specie. Atti Soc. ital. Sci. Nat. Milano 102: 379-396 Lanza, B. 1990. Amphibians and reptiles of the Somali Democratic Republic: check list and biogeography. Biogeographia, 14: 407-465 [1988] - get paper here Largen, M.J.; Spawls, S. 2010. Amphibians and Reptiles of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt, 694 pp. Largen,M.J. & Rasmussen,J.B. 1993. Catalogue of the snakes of Ethiopia (Reptilia Serpentes), including identification keys. Tropical Zoology 6: 313-434 - get paper here Parker,H.W. 1949. The snakes of Somaliland and the Sokotra islands. Zoologische Verhandelingen 6: 1-115 - get paper here Schätti B; Wilson L D 1986. Coluber Linnaeus. Holarctic racers. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles ( 399: 1-4 - get paper here Schätti, B.; Charvet, C. 2003. Systematics of Platyceps brevis (Boulenger 1895) and related East African racers (Serpentes Colubrinae). Tropical Zoology 16 (1): 93-111 - get paper here Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
External links	Google images

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