Elapidae - 2009
Publications
Revision of Pseudonaja nuchalis
complex
Skinner
(2009) used morphometric analyses and previous published (Skinner et al., 2005)
to revise the systematics of the genus Pseudonaja, particularly the P. nuchalis complex. Within the latter,
three species are recognised:
-
Pseudonaja aspidorhyncha,
from the eastern two-thirds of South Australia; differs from the other species
of the nuchalis
complex in having a light lining to the mouth. Banding is common in adults of
this species. Synonyms: Pseudonaja acutirostris (Mitchell,
1951) and P. gowi
(Wells, 2002 - name of questionable availability, see Fritz & Havas, 2007).
-
Pseudonaja mengdeni,
widespread across the western two-thirds of Australia; differs from most Pseudonaja except
P. nuchalis
in having a black lining to the mouth, and from P. nuchalis in having a karyotype of 2n=32, vs. 2n=30 in P. nuchalis. Most specimens fall into the
"orange with black head" or "pale head, grey nape" pattern classes. Synonym: Pseudonaja kellyi Wells
& Wellington, 1985.
- Pseudonaja nuchalis is known only from the tropical Northern Terriroty and possibly northern Queensland; differs from all Pseudonaja in having only 30 chromosomes, in having a black lining to the mouth, and a rounded rather than chisel-shaped snout. Synonyms: Pseudelaps bancrofti De Vis, 1911, Pseudonaja imperitor Wells & Wellington, 1985, P. jukesi Wells & Wellington, 1985 and P. vanderstraateni Wells & Wellington, 1985.
·
Fritz, U. & Havas, P. (2007)
Checklist of chelonians of the world. Vertebrate
Zoology (Dresden) 57: 149-368.
·
Skinner,
A. (2009) A multivariate morphometric analysis and systematic review of Pseudonaja
(Serpentes, Elapidae, Hydrophiinae). Zoologial Journal of the Linnean
Society 155: 171-197.
·
Skinner,
A., Donnellan, S. C., Hutchinson, M. N. &
Hutchinson, R. G. (2005) A phylogenetic analysis of Pseudonaja (Hydrophiinae,
Elapidae, Serpentes) based on mitochondrial DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution,
37: 558-571.
Revision of Naja haje
complex, description of Naja senegalensis
Trape
et al. (2009) revised the systematics
of the Egyptian cobra (Naja haje)
species complex, using multivariate analysis of morphological characters and
mtDNA sequences. Based on their results, they show that the populations from
the West African savannas (Senegal - W. Nigeria) represent a separate and new
species, which they describe as Naja
senegalensis. This differs from Naja
haje in having higher neck scale row counts and in pattern – especially in
the case of juveniles, which usually have a white spot on the back of the neck.
In addition, the Arabian populations of the complex, previously classified as Naja haje arabica, are shown to be
divergent both in morphology and mtDNA, and therefore represent a separate
species, Naja arabica. The Moroccan
populations do not differ from typical N.
haje in either mtDNA nor in overall morphology, so the
subspecies N. h. legionis is
placed in the synonym of N. haje,
which therefore does not have any subspecies.
·
Trape, J.-F., L. Chirio, D.G. Broadley & W. Wüster
(2009) Phylogeography and systematic revision of the Egyptian cobra (Serpentes:
Elapidae: Naja haje) species complex,
with the description of a new species from