Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk).
Latest update: October 31st, 2023.
 
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Genus
Spalerosophis
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Diadem Snakes, Royal Snakes
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Diademnattern
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Diademsnoge
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1865 |  |
Spalerosophis Jan (type species: Sphalerosophis microlepis Jan 1865) |
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1867 | |
Loxodon Jan [substitute name for Spalerosophis Jan 1865; not Loxodon Mueller & Henle 1838 (Pisces); not Loxodon Falconer & Cautley 1847 (Mammalia)] |
Contents:
6 species, of which 1 (16.7%) is endemic.
Endemism: 0%  100%
Remarks:
The spelling variation "Sphalerosophis" is an incorrect original spelling (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1966: Opinion 794).
Distribution:
N. and E. Africa, Middle East, W. Asia.
Reported from:
Afghanistan,
Algeria,
Chad,
Egypt
(incl.
Sinai),
India
(Delhi,
Gujarat,
Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir,
Punjab,
Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh,
Uttarakhand),
Iran,
Iraq,
Israel,
Jordan,
Kazakhstan,
Kuwait,
Kyrgyzstan,
Libya,
Mali,
Mauritania,
Morocco,
Nepal,
Niger,
Oman
(incl.
Masirah),
Pakistan,
Qatar,
Saudi Arabia,
Somalia,
Sudan,
Syria,
Tunisia,
Turkey,
Turkmenistan,
United Arab Emirates,
Uzbekistan,
Western Sahara,
Yemen.
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Spalerosophis arenarius
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Red-spotted Diadem Snake, Red-spotted Royal Snake
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Rotflecken-Diademnatter
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Rødplettet Diademsnog
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1890 | |
Zamenis arenarius Boulenger |
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Spalerosophis arenarius Schmidt 1930 |
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Coluber arenarius Smith 1943 |
Distribution:
India
(Gujarat,
Jammu & Kashmir,
Rajasthan),
Pakistan.
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Spalerosophis atriceps
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Black-headed Diadem Snake, Black-headed Royal Snake, Variegated Diadem Snake
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Schwarzkopf-Diademnatter
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Sorthovedet Diademsnog
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1885 | |
Zamenis diadema var. atriceps Fischer |
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Coluber diadema atriceps Smith 1943 |
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Spalerosophis diadema atriceps Khan 2004 |
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Spalerosophis atriceps Minton 1966 |
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1914 | |
Zamenis diadema melanoides Wall (Schätti, Ineich & Kucharzewski 2010) |
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a synonym of diadema (e.g., Marx 1959). Mertens (1969) believed atriceps to be a mutant state of diadema, occuring as the species grows old, however, Baig & Masroor (2008) confirmed the validity of atriceps.
Distribution:
India
(Delhi,
Gujarat,
Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir,
Punjab,
Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh,
Uttarakhand),
Nepal,
Pakistan.
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Spalerosophis diadema
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Common Diadem Snake, Common Royal Snake, (Diademed Sand Snake)
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Gewöhnliche Diademnatter
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Almindelig Diademsnog
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1830 | |
Coluber versicolor Wagler [not Coluber versicolor Razoumowsky 1789] (Marx 1959) |
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Zamenis versicolor Boettger 1885 |
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1837 | |
Coluber diadema Schlegel |
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Zamenis diadema Günther 1864 |
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Spalerosophis diadema Schmidt 1930 |
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1837 | |
Coluber cliffordii Schlegel |
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Chilolepis cliffordi Fitzinger 1843 |
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Zamenis cliffordi Günther 1858 |
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Spalerosophis cliffordi Schmidt 1939 |
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Spalerosophis diadema cliffordi Mertens 1956 |
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1848 | |
Periops pyramidum Gistel (Schätti, Ineich & Kucharzewski 2010) |
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1854 | |
Periops parallelus Duméril & Bibron (Marx 1959) |
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1863 | |
Periops parallelus schirasiana Jan (Baig & Masroor 2008) |
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Periops parallellus schiraziana Jan 1865 [unjustified emendation; Schätti, Tillack & Helfenberger 2009] |
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Spalerosophis schirazianus [sic] Schmidt 1939 |
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Spalerosophis diadema schirazianus [sic] Mertens 1956 |
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1942 | |
Spalerosophis maximus Clark & Inger (Marx 1959) |
Other common names:
cliffordi: Western Diadem Snake, (Clifford's Diadem Snake, Clifford’s Rat Snake)
diadema: Eastern Diadem Snake, Blotched Diadem Snake, Blotched Royal Snake
schirasianus: Persian Diadem Snake
Remarks:
Previously included atriceps and dolichospilus.
Some authors (e.g., Khan 1994, 2006) have regarded schirasianus (frequently misspelled schirazianus) as a separate species,
but Baig & Masroor (2008) synonymized it with diadema.
Others have regarded cliffordii as a separate species (e.g., Schmidt 1939; Khalaf 1959; Latifi 1991; Trape & Mané 2006a; Wallach, Williams & Boundy 2014).
Records from India (e.g., Sahi & Duda 1985) refer to arenarius or atriceps (Baig & Masroor 2008).
The species has sporadically been referred to as Coluber tyria Linnaeus 1758, particularly in older literature, but Coluber tyria is most likely a senior subjective synonym of
Hemorrhois nummifer, in need of suppression for the sake of taxonomic stability
(Schätti, Tillack & Kucharzewski 2009).
Records from Senegal (Papenfuss 1969; Chippaux & Jackson 2019) are regarded as erroneous, since no other references have been found to support the presence of the species in the country.
Distribution:
Afghanistan,
Algeria,
Chad,
Egypt
(incl.
Sinai),
India
(Jammu & Kashmir),
Iran,
Iraq,
Israel,
Jordan,
Kazakhstan,
Kuwait,
Kyrgyzstan,
Lebanon,
Libya,
Mali,
Mauritania,
Morocco,
Niger,
Oman
(incl.
Masirah),
Pakistan,
Qatar,
Saudi Arabia,
Sudan,
Syria,
Tunisia,
Turkey,
Turkmenistan,
United Arab Emirates,
Uzbekistan,
Western Sahara,
Yemen.
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Spalerosophis diadema
© Rune Midtgaard
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Spalerosophis dolichospilus
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Mograbin Diadem Snake, Long-marked Diadem Snake, Long Marked Snake
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Westliche Diademnatter
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Mograbin-diademsnog
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1923 | |
Zamenis diadema var. dolichospila Werner |
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Coluber diadema dolichospila Werner 1929 |
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Spalerosophis diadema dolichospila Schmidt 1930 |
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Spalerosophis dolichospilus Pasteur 1967 |
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1954 | |
Coluber choumowitchi Domergue (Marx 1959) |
Distribution:
Algeria,
Morocco,
Tunisia,
Western Sahara.
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Spalerosophis josephscorteccii
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Somali Diadem Snake, (Scortecci's Diadem Snake)
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Somalische Diademnatter
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Somalisk Diademsnog
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1964 | |
Sphalerosophis josephscortecci Lanza |
Distribution:
Somalia.
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Spalerosophis microlepis
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Small-scaled Diadem Snake, (Jan's Diadem Snake)
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Kleinschuppige Diademnatter
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Finskællet Diademsnog
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1865 | |
Sphalerosophis microlepis Jan |
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Loxodon microlepis Jan 1867 |
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Toxodon microlepis Sordelli in Jan & Sordelli 1867 |
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Zamenis microlepis Boulenger 1891 |
Distribution:
Iran,
Iraq.
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