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Platyceps Rhodorachis (Jan, 1863) – a Study of the Racer Genus Platyceps Blyth, 1860 East of the Tigris (Reptilia: Squamata: Colubridae)

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Platyceps Rhodorachis (Jan, 1863) – a Study of the Racer Genus Platyceps Blyth, 1860 East of the Tigris (Reptilia: Squamata: Colubridae) 64 (3): 297 – 405 © Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 2014. 19.12.2014 Platyceps rhodorachis (Jan, 1863) – a study of the racer genus Platyceps Blyth, 1860 east of the Tigris (Reptilia: Squamata: Colubridae) Beat Schätti 1, Frank Tillack 2 & Christoph Kucharzewski 2 1 Apartado postal 9, San Pedro Pochutla, Oaxaca 70900, República Mexicana; beatschaetti(at)hotmail.com — 2 Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Invalidenstr. 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany; Frank.Tillack(at)mfn-berlin.de; C.Kucharzewski(at)mfn-berlin.de Accepted 6.x.2014. Published online at www.senckenberg.de/vertebrate-zoology on 5.xii.2014. Abstract Platyceps rhodorachis (JAN, 1863) is a euryoecious polytypic racer distributed from NE Iraq to Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan) and the Himalayas (probably westernmost Nepal). The nominotypical subspecies, occupying most of the species’ range, is polymorphic. The typical (striped) phe- notype is absent from certain peripheral areas. Notable geographic variation is observed in the number of ventrals, subcaudals, dorsal scales, or maxillary teeth and in the colour pattern. P. r. ladacensis (ANDERSON, 1871) is only found from the eastern Hindu Kush into northern Himachal Pradesh (India). Its presence south of the Zanskar Range requires confirmation and the status of the Ladakh Cliff Racer is debatable. The identity and systematic position of racers from the vicinity of Ahvaz (Khuzestan) as well as Arabian and southern Red Sea populations commonly assigned to P. rhodorachis pend further investigation. Platyceps semifasciatus BLYTH, 1860 is a senior subjective synonym of P. rhodorachis (nomen protectum, valid type species of Platyceps BLYTH). P. ventromaculatus (GRAY, 1834) from the Makran coast to low-lying NW India and Nepal, for a long time confused with Jan’s Cliff Racer (P. rhodorachis sensu stricto), is a mostly parapatric species. Two new taxa of the rhodorachis species group from montane NE Baluchistan Province (P. noeli sp. nov.) and the southern Indus Plain (P. sindhensis sp. nov.) are described. Another racer taxon from northern Azad Jammu and Kashmir remains undesignated. Distinctive morphological character states for P. rhodorachis vis-à-vis the southeast Mediterrano-Iranian P. najadum (EICHWALD, 1831), P. karelini (BRANDT, 1838) from Libya to the Lake Balqash area and inland SW Pakistan (hybridises in places with P. r. rhodorachis), Baluch endemics including P. mintonorum (MERTENS, 1969), and Sindian species (sindhensis, ventromaculatus) are elaborated. An identification key embracing the IndianP . bholanathi (SHARMA, 1976) and P. gracilis (GÜNTHER, 1862) as well as a review of Platyceps BLYTH are provided. This genus is currently comprised of twenty-three mainly southern Palaearctic and Afrotropical as well as two Indian species referred to three (florulentus, najadum, rhodorachis-ventromaculatus) evolutionary lineages. Kurzfassung Platyceps rhodorachis (JAN, 1863) ist eine euryöke polytypische Zornnatter, die vom Nordosten des Irak bis Zentralasien (Kirgisistan) und dem Himalaya (wahrscheinlich westlichstes Nepal) heimisch ist. Die nominotypische Unterart, welche den größten Teil des Artareals bewohnt, ist polymorph. Der typische (gestreifte) Phänotypus fehlt in gewissen Randregionen. Bemerkenswerte geographische Variation findet sich bei der Anzahl Ventralia, Subcaudalia, Dorsalreihen und Maxillarzähne oder in der Zeichnung. P. r. ladacensis (ANDERSON, 1871) ist auf den östlichen Hindu Kush bis ins nördliche Himachal Pradesh (Indien) beschränkt. Dessen Vorkommen südlich der Zanskarkette bedarf der Bestätigung, und der Status der Ladakh Zornnatter bleibt ungeklärt. Die Identität und systematische Stellung von Vertretern der rhodorachis-Gruppe aus der Umgebung von Ahvaz (Chusistan) sowie gemeinhin zu P. rhodorachis gestellte Populationen aus Arabien und dem südlichen Roten Meer erfordern weitere Untersuchungen. Platyceps semifasciatus BLYTH, 1860 ist ein älteres subjektives Synonym von P. rhodorachis (nomen protectum, gültige Typusart von Platyceps BLYTH). P. ventromaculatus (GRAY, 1834) von der Makranküste bis zu den tiefer gelegenen Gebieten in NW Indien und Nepal ist eine größtenteils parapatrische Art, die lange Zeit mit Jan’s Zornnatter (P. rhodorachis sensu stricto) verwechselt wurde. Zwei neue Taxa des rhodorachis Artenkreises aus dem gebirgigen Nordosten der Provinz Baluchistan (P. noeli sp. nov.) und der südlichen Indusebene (P. sindhen­ sis sp. nov.) werden beschrieben. Eine weitere Form aus dem nördlichen Azad Jammu und Kaschmir bleibt taxonomisch unbehandelt. Mor- phologische Merkmalszustände erlauben eine klare Unterscheidung von P. rhodorachis gegenüber dem SO mediterrano-iranischen P. najadum (EICHWALD, 1831), P. karelini (BRANDT, 1838) aus Libyen bis zum Balqaschsee und dem Inneren von SW Pakistan (hybridisiert stellenweise mit ISSN 1864-5755 297 Schätti et al.: A study of the racer genus Platyceps Blyth, 1860 east of the Tigris (Reptilia: Squamata: Colubridae) P. r. rhodorachis), Endemiten aus Baluchistan einschließlich P. mintonorum (MERTENS, 1969) sowie sindischen Arten (sindhensis, ventromacu­ latus). Die Studie präsentiert einen Bestimmungsschlüssel inklusive P. bholanathi (SHARMA, 1976) und P. gracilis (GÜNTHER, 1862) aus Indien sowie eine Übersicht zu Platyceps BLYTH. Diese Gattung umfasst gegenwärtig 23 hauptsächlich südpaläarktische und afrotropische sowie zwei indische Arten, die sich in drei Evolutionslinien (florulentus, najadum, rhodorachis-ventromaculatus) gruppieren. Key words [Zamenis] rhodorachis JAN (nomen protectum), [Platyceps] semifasciatus BLYTH (nomen oblitum), P. r. ladacensis (ANDERSON), systematics, morphology, distribution, biogeography, hybridization, relationships, Platyceps spp. (bholanathi, gracilis, karelini ssp., mintonorum, noeli sp. nov., najadum ssp., sindhensis sp. nov., ventromaculatus), P. perreti comb. nov., P. variabilis ssp. (P. v. manseri, P. v. thomasi). Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 141 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................................. 141 Material ............................................................................................................................................................. 141 External Data ..................................................................................................................................................... 143 Methods and Definitions ....................................................................................................................................144 Taxa and Authors .............................................................................................................................................. 144 Geographic Terms ............................................................................................................................................. 145 Localities ........................................................................................................................................................... 147 Systematic Review .................................................................................................................................................... 148 Descriptive Part (Jan’s Cliff Racer) .......................................................................................................................... 153 Common Cliff Racer – Platyceps rhodorachis rhodorachis (JAN, 1863) ......................................................... 153 Taxonomy and Type Material ................................................................................................................... 160 Pholidosis .................................................................................................................................................. 163 Dimensions ................................................................................................................................................ 165 Colour Pattern ........................................................................................................................................... 167 Osteology and Anatomy ............................................................................................................................ 172 Distribution ............................................................................................................................................... 172 Ecology ..................................................................................................................................................... 176 Kurdish Cliff Racer – Platyceps cf. r. rhodorachis (JAN, 1863) ....................................................................... 179 Ladakh Cliff Racer – Platyceps rhodorachis ladacensis (ANDERSON, 1871) .................................................... 180 Type Material ............................................................................................................................................ 181 Morphology ............................................................................................................................................... 182 Distribution and Altitude ..........................................................................................................................
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