The small Saharo-Sindian snake genus Lytorhynchus Peters, 1863, distributed from North Africa, eastward through the Middle East to Pakistan and western India, comprises seven described species (Uetz et al., 2018), including L. diadema (Duméril et al., 1854); L. gasperetti Leviton, 1977; L. kennedyi Schmidt, 1939; L. maynardi Alcock and Finn, 1896; L. paradoxus (Günther, 1875); L. ridgewayi Boulenger, 1887; and the recently described L. levitoni Torki, 2017. Four of these species (L. diadema, L. levitoni, L. maynardi, L. ridgewayi), are distributed in Iran. Among these, L. ridgewayi has the widest distribution and L. maynardi and L. levitoni have the fewest records smallest ranges in Iran (Fig. 1; Leviton and Anderson, 1970; Latifi, 1991, 2000; Shafiei et al., 2015; Torki, 2017). Most of these species inhabit plains, with soft sandy soils (Fig. 2) to gravel lands at different elevations from 469 m for L. maynardi (Shafiei et al., 2015) to uplands with elevations as high as 1700 m for L. diadema (Moradi et al., 2013).
The sole record of L. maynardi from Iran was marked as questionable by Sindaco et al. (2013) until Shafiei et al. (2015) confirmed its presence at Niatak, eastern Iran. It occurred 43 years after the first uncertain record was made by Baloutch (1972) from Shahrokhabad, south Shahdad, Kerman Province (indicated by “?”in Fig. 1). Here we provide a new record of this species from three individuals with complete biometry data, and we present an update for the distribution of this species in Iran.
Three individuals of L. maynardi were collected at a locality 6 km E Nikshahr (ca. 26.219°N, 60.283°E; elev. 500 m) on 10 April 2012 by AS during an active night search on low sand dunes. The vegetation of the site is typical of low- and semi-intensive pastures with the dominant plants in the area being Artemisia, Tamarix, Acanthophyllum, and Peganum.
Several other nocturnal reptile species, such as Echis carinatus, Teratoscincus microlepis, Spalerosophis diadema, and Bunopus tuberculatus were found syntopically with L. maynardi at the locality. Like other fossorial species, L. maynardi generally lives on soft sand dunes close to bushes and other vegetation covers to use as refuges (Fig. 2). The snakes were collected, fixed in ethanol, and deposited in the collection of the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (RIL).
Herpetology Notes, volume 11: 617-619 (2018) (published online on 15 August 2018)
A new distribution record for the rare Maynard’s Longnose Sand Snake, Lytorhynchus maynardi Alcock and Finn, 1896
from Nikshahr, southeastern Iran
1 Venomous Animals and Antivenom Production Department, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization, Karaj, Iran
2 Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, Kharazmi University, Karaj, Iran.
* Corresponding author. E-mail: heydari.ns@khu.ac.ir
Figure 1. Distribution map of the genus Lytorhynchus in Iran after Sindaco et al. (2013), Moradi et al. (2013), Shafiei et al. (2015) and Torki (2017). Green pentagon: L. levitoni; red square: L. ridgewayi; blue circles: L. diadema gaddi; black stars: L. maynardi (1, this study; 2, Shafiei et al., 2015); ‘?’ indicates the imprecise locality of L. maynardi reported by Baloutch (1972).
Ali Salemi et al.618
Colour patterns of the specimens were examined before preservation. Sex, collection number, and characteristics
of the specimens are provided in Table 1. D1, D2, and D3 are dorsal scales around the body at one head length behind the head, at mid-body, and one head length before the vent, respectively.
The specimens were identified to species and differentiated from other Lytorhynchus that occur in Iran by their large rostral, cuneiform projecting snout, vertically elliptical pupil, two suboculars, and four infralabials in contact with the anterior chin shield (Latifi, 1991, 2000; Shafiei et al., 2015). Morphological comparisons with the other Iranian Lytorhynchus species are provided in Table 2.
The only previously known precise locality for L. maynardi in Iran was Niatak in eastern Iran (Shafiei et al., 2015). Our records from Nikshahr extend the range of the species southward (Fig. 1) by about 580 km. These records from southeastern Iran improve our knowledge of the distribution and diversity of the herpetological fauna in the area. Nevertheless, more data
Figure 2. Habitat of L. maynardi at a locality, 6 km east of Nikshahr, southeast Iran. Photo by Ali Salemi.
Figure 3. Adult female specimen (RIL014) of L. maynardi in its natural habitat. Photo by Ali Salemi.
Table 1. Selected scale characteristics of the three specimens of L. maynardi (RIL012–014) from southeastern Iran.
1
Table 1. Selected scale characteristics of the three specimens of L. maynardi (RIL012–014) from southeastern Iran.
Characters RIL012 RIL013 RIL014
Sex Male Male Female
Ventrals 200 199 204
Subcaudals 63 61 44
Preoculars 1 2 2
Suboculars 3 2 2
2+3 2+3 2+3
Supralabials 7–8 7–7 7–7
Infralabials 11–11 12–12 11–11 Table 2. Morphological comparison of L. maynardi with other Iranian Lytorhynchus species.
Characters L. maynardi (this study)
L. maynardi (Shafiei et al. 2015)
L. ridgewayi (Latifi 2000)
Dorsals (D1- D2-D3) 20-21-15 19-19-15 ?-21-? ?-19-?
Ventrals 199–204 198 169–201 184–198
Subcaudals 44–63 65 41–55 36–46
Preoculars 1–2 2 2 2
Suboculars 2–3 - - -
Postoculars 2–3 2 2–3 2 Temporals (anterior + posterior)
2+3 2 3 2
Supralabials 7–8 7 5–9 (usually 7–8) 8
Infralabials 11–12 11–12 6-11 (usually 10–11) 9
1
Table 1. Selected scale characteristics of the three specimens of L. maynardi (RIL012–014) from southeastern Iran.
Characters RIL012 RIL013 RIL014
Sex Male Male Female
Ventrals 200 199 204
Subcaudals 63 61 44
Preoculars 1 2 2
Suboculars 3 2 2
2+3 2+3 2+3
Supralabials 7–8 7–7 7–7
Infralabials 11–11 12–12 11–11 Table 2. Morphological comparison of L. maynardi with other Iranian Lytorhynchus species.
Characters L. maynardi (this study)
L. maynardi (Shafiei et al. 2015)
L. ridgewayi (Latifi 2000)
Dorsals (D1- D2-D3) 20-21-15 19-19-15 ?-21-? ?-19-?
Ventrals 199–204 198 169–201 184–198
Subcaudals 44–63 65 41–55 36–46
Preoculars 1–2 2 2 2
Suboculars 2–3 - - -
Postoculars 2–3 2 2–3 2 Temporals (anterior + posterior)
2+3 2 3 2
Supralabials 7–8 7 5–9 (usually 7–8) 8
Infralabials 11–12 11–12 6-11 (usually 10–11) 9
Table 2. Morphological comparison of L. maynardi with other Iranian Lytorhynchus species.
A new distribution record for Lytorhynchus maynardi from Iran 619
are still needed to properly understand the distribution, taxonomy, and historical biogeography of L. maynardi.
Acknowledgments. The authors wish to thank the experts of the Venomous Animals and Antivenom Production Department at Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO).
References
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Accepted by Jiri Smid