A crowned devil: new species of Cerastes Laurenti, 1768 (Ophidia, Viperidae) from Tunisia, with two nomenclatural comments

摘要

A distinctive new species of the viperid genus Cerastes is described form Tunisia. It is closely related to Cerastes vipera but easily distinguishable from this invariably hornless species by having tufts of erected supraocular scales forming little crowns above the eyes. These crown-like tufts consist of several vertically erect, blunt scales which differ drastically from the supraocular horns of C. cerastes or C. gasperettii that consist of one long, pointed scale only. Although the new species isbased on only one single specimen, further specimens had originally been available but were subsequently lost in private terraria. The taxonomic status of the nomen "Cerastes cerastes karlhartli" is discussed and the name is found to be unavailable (nomen nudum). Also the authorship of "Cerastes cornutus" is discussed and ascribed to Boulenger.