Redescription of the type specimen of Naja (Hamadryas ?) fasciata Peters, 1861, a junior synonym of Hemibungarus calligaster calligaster (Wiegmann, 1834) (Reptilia, Squamata, Elapidae)
✍ Scribed by Christoph Kucharzewski; Frank Tillack
- Book ID
- 102511759
- Publisher
- Pensoft Publishers
- Year
- 2007
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 144 KB
- Volume
- 83
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0232-5519
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✦ Synopsis
We report on the rediscovery of the previously unlocated single type specimen of Naja (Hamadryas?) fasciata Peters, 1861 from the collection of the Museum fu ¨r Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universita ¨t Berlin, Germany (formerly Zoologisches Museum Berlin), review its taxonomic history, and provide a redescription of the specimen. Morphological examination revealed that it is not a member of Naja or Ophiophagus, but belongs to the endemic Philippine elapid genus Hemibungarus. The juvenile snake most closely resembles juveniles of Hemibungarus calligaster calligaster (Wiegmann, 1834) in characters of its external phenotype, and is therefore referred to the synonymy of the latter.