Serological characterization and confirmation of the taxonomic status of Montivipera albizona (Serpentes, Viperidae) with an additional new locality record and some phylogenetical comments

Abstract

Th is is the fi rst record of the presence of Montivipera albizona (Nilson, Andrén & Flärdh 1990), in Kahramanmaraş province, Mediterranean Region of Turkey. Here, one young male specimen was collected and is described. Th e present record of M. albizona extends its known distribution (Kulmac Mountain Range, Sivas) some 250 km to the south-west, where the Anatolian Diagonal exhibits a bifurcation. Our data based on the electropheoretic analysis of blood-sera, indicate that the M. xanthina populations from the western Anatolia and M. albizona distributed along the Anatolian Diagonal show signifi cant diff erences, qualitatively and quantitatively. Accordingly, it is concluded that M. albizona should not be included within the polymorphic species M. xanthina which lives in western Anatolia and therefore, it should be accepted as a valid species. Moreover, the actual distributions of the related taxa in Anatolia and the geographic structure of the Anatolian Diagonal were discussed.

New locality records for four rare species of vipers (Reptilia: Viperidae) in Turkey

“…The Hatay record is the first specimen from the Anamos (Nur) Mountains and represents the southernmost record, with a range extension of ca. 90 km from the nearest record in Kahramanmaras (Göçmen et al, 2009). Taking into account the previous records and our present records, the distribution range of this species possibly includes the entire Anatolian Diagonal and approaches the range of M. wagneri, but a gap of approximately 300 km without records still remains.…”

“…M. albizona is an endemic Turkish mountain viper, which was first described from the Kulmaç Mountains (province Sivas, central Anatolia). Published records indicate that its distribution appears to relate to the Anatolian Diagonal as far east as Yama Mountain, Sivas province ( Figure 2, Nilson et al, 1990;Mulder, 1994;Mallow et al, 2003;Göçmen et al, 2009, Tok et al, 2009). Our M. albizona record from near Kemaliye extends the eastern limit by ca.…”

“…It shows partial vertical stripes on the flanks ( Figure 1C), a character more common in M. wagneri (Mulder, 1994 morphological features relate more to M. albizona (Nilson, Andrén, & Flärdh, 1990;Mulder, 1994;Mallow et al, 2003;Göçmen et al, 2009). For example, it has wide orange-brown blotches at mid-body (10 scales), a low number of ventral and inner circumocular scales (see Table 1), and occipital marks not connected to the first dorsal blotch (connected in 40-50% of M. wagneri, Mulder, 1994 and pers.…”