An annotated type catalogue of the scolecophidian, alethinophidian, and macrostomatan snakes in the collection of the Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Abstract

A complete catalogue is provided of the type specimens of the "primitive" snakes in the herpetological collections of the Museum fur Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin (ZMB). The collection includes 104 type specimens, representing 74 named taxa (42 of which are currently regarded as valid) in the families Anomalepididae, Leptotyphlopidae, Typhlopidae, Cylindrophiidae, Uropeltidae, Boidae, Pythonidae, Tropidophiidae, and Xenophidfdae. A majority of the types are typhlopids (46 taxa, 62 types), many of which were described by Wilhelm Peters. Numerous type specimens originally derived from the lgth Century collection of M. E. Bloch and subsequently described by Schneider (1801) are also present. Nine additional types, representing six species, once present in the ZMB collection are believed to be lost or destroyed. A further 14 taxa are represented by specimens of questionable status that may be types but cannot be confirmed as such.

Boas of the World (Superfamily Booidae): A Checklist With Systematic, Taxonomic, and Conservation Assessments

“…Type Specimen. Lectotype ZMB 1461 (Bauer et al, 2002), an adult of unknown sex, likely from the Aral Sea region of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan (Khan, 2002).…”

“…Syntypes MNHN RA 43 and MNHN RA 7329, likely from Nosy Be Island, Madagascar (Duméril and Duméril, 1851), though also given as from Ankarana, Madagascar (Henkel and Schmidt 2000). A third possible syntype is ZMB 6400 (Bauer et al, 2002;Wallach et al, 2014).…”

Origin and identity of the von Borcke collection of amphibians and reptiles in the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin: A cache of Seba specimens?

“…Localities, when given for these specimens, are vague and, like Bloch's collection, mostly derive from those regions that would have been accessible to 18th century collectors and traders, such as Java, the Cape of Good Hope, and South America (probably Suriname). Von Borcke's donation was noted by Peters (1860) to be valued at 2500 Thaler and was briefly mentioned by Brauer (1910) in his history of the Zoologisches Museum as well, but the specimens from the collection have only been mentioned subsequently in passing (e.g., Bauer et al 2002;Bauer 2004;Bauer & Gçnther 2006;Wagner et al 2012).…”

“…8 holotype of Rhinophis homolepis Hemprich, 1820. The specimen is mentioned explicitly by Peters (1859Peters ( , 1861 as having come from von Borcke (see Bauer et al 2002). (Wallach 2012).…”