Malpolon insignitus (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1827

Ma‛ayan Lev, Dani Nadel, Mina Weinstein-Evron & Reuven Yeshurun, 2022, Squamates and amphibians from the Natufian cemetery of Raqefet Cave, Israel: taphonomy, paleoenvironments and paleoclimate, An International Journal of Paleobiology 34 (12), pp. 2394-2414 : 2405-2406

Malpolon insignitus (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1827 )

The Eastern Montpellier Snake is common at the site (NISP = 77, 7%) and was identified solely by trunk vertebrae ( Figure 6 (d)). The centrum length measurements range between 5.0 and 8.7 mm, assigning them to large-sized ‘colubrines’. The cotyle is rounded and slightly flattened dorsoventrally. The condyle is round and laterally flattened. The neural arch is vaulted, the neural canal is restricted, small and U-shaped. In dorsal view the vertebra is longer than wide with a well-marked interzygapophyseal constriction. The neural spine is strong, high and long. The zygosphene is wide, and its anterior border is slightly concave. The prezygapophyseal articular facets are large and elongated and pointed medioposteriorly (almond shaped). The prezygapophyses are long and pointed anterolateraly. In ventral view, the centrum is triangular, the paradiapophyses are well-developed and protrude anterolaterally from the centrum. The haemal keel is well-defined and sharp, it rises posteriorly and in most presacral vertebrae expands to a triangular shape posteriorly. In anterior view, the zygophene is wide and slightly convex dorsally. The prezygapophyses are long, the prezygapophyseal accessory processes project laterally. There are two small paracotylar foramina. In posterior view, the neural canal is oval. In lateral view, the diapophyses and parapophyses are well-developed and distinct from one another, the diapophyses are rounded and extend dorsoventrally, and the parapophyses are flattened and protrude anteroventrally. The neural spine rises dorsally at an acute angle and is rectangular in shape, its anterior and posterior edges are slightly concave. The shape of the condyle, cotyle and the haemal keel, and the restricted neural canal differentiate the Montpellier Snake from other largesized ‘colubrines’ in the southern Levant.

The species can inhabit various habitats, mostly common in the Mediterranean maquis, Mediterranean park forest and in arid/ semi-arid habitats (supplementary Figure S2 (h)). It was identified at three Epipaleolithic sites in Israel: Jordan River Dureijat ( Sharon et al. 2020), EWT ( Lev et al. 2020) and Eynan ( Biton et al. 2021).

Figures

Figure 2. Plan of Raqefet Cave (a) provenance of the faunal samples, with the different contexts presented in this study labelled in red (b).

Figure 6. Snake bones from Raqefet Cave. Eryx jaculus (a) trunk vertebra, dorsal, ventral, anterior, posterior and lateral views; Hemorrhois nummifer (b) trunk vertebra, dorsal, ventral,anterior,posterior and lateral views; Dolichophis jugularis (c) trunk vertebra dorsal,ventral, anterior, posterior and lateral views; Malpolon insignitus (d) trunk vertebra dorsal, ventral, anterior, posterior and lateral views; Daboia cf. palaestinae (e) vertebra dorsal, ventral, anterior, posterior and lateral views.