Viperidae - Viperinae - 2009 Publications


Description of Atheris mabuensis

Branch & Bayliss (2009) described a new species of forest viper, Atheris mabuensis from Mount Mabu and Mount Nabuli, northern Mozambique. The new species differs from other Atheris by its small size, lack of ontogenetic colour or pattern change, aspects of scalation, and a largely terrestrial habits. This species is now the most southerly representative of the genus Atheris, and its discovery highlights the potential biodiversity importance of the poorly explored northern part of Mozambique. Photos are posted here and here.

· Branch, W.W. & J. Bayliss (2009) A new species of Atheris (Serpentes: Viperidae) from northern Mozambique. Zootaxa, 2113: 41-54.

Revision of Echis

Pook et al. (2009) used mitochondrial DNA sequences to reconstruct the phylogeny of the saw-scaled vipers (Echis). The species of this genus are distributed among four major species groups, the E. carinatus, E. coloratus, E. ocellatus and E. pyramidum groups. Although additional data is needed, the authors found support for the recognition of at least 9 species:

- E. carinatus group: E. carinatus, including E.c. sochureki, with E. multisquamatus as a synonym; found from Arabia (UAE, northern Oman) and Iraq to Uzbekistan, Tadzhikistan, India and Sri Lanka

- E. coloratus group: E. coloratus (Israel, Egypt, south to Yemen and south-western Oman) and E. omanensis (UAE, northern Oman)

- E. ocellatus group: E. ocellatus (Central African Republic West to Mali) and E. jogeri (western Mali, northern Guinea, Senegal) in the E. ocellatus group

- E. pyramidum group: E. pyramidum (eastern Africa, Egypt to Kenya), E. leucogaster (western Africa, Tunisia and Niger to Morocco and Senegal), E. khosatzkii (southwestern Oman, eastern Yemen) and E. borkini (southwestern Saudi Arabia, western Yemen).

Echis hughesi and E. megalocephalus were not included, and may or may not represent valid species in the E. pyramidum group. Additional highly divergent haplotypes within the E. pyramidum suggest the existence of additional species.

· Pook, C.E., U. Joger, N. Stümpel & W. Wüster (2009) When continents collide: phylogeny, historical biogeography and systematics of the medically important viper genus Echis (Squamata: Serpentes: Viperidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 53: 792-807.