Psammophis schokari (Forskål, 1775:14)

Wagner, Philipp, Bauer, Aaron M., Leviton, Alan E., Wilms, Thomas M. & Böhme, Wolfgang, 2016, A Checklist of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Afghanistan *, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 63 (13), pp. 457-565 : 514-515

Psammophis schokari (Forskål, 1775:14)

1775 Coluber schokari Forskål, Descriptiones Animalium, Avium, Amphibiorum, Piscium, Insectorum, Vermium ; quae in Itinere Orientali Observavit Petrus Forskål. Mölleri, Hauniae [Copenhagen, Denmark]. xxxiv + 164 pp.

TYPE (S).— Not located, from “ Yemen ” .

LOCALITIES.— Baqrabad ( ZMUC R-6349–51); 20 km N of Farah ( MZUF 24174); 18 km E of Girishk ( CAS 120498–99, CAS 120709); 35 mi downstream from Girishk, Dasht-i-Margo Area, Chah-i-Angir ( CAS 84629); 45 km W Jalalabad ( CAS 120500, CAS 120538); 40 km SE of Kandahar ( CAS 120713); 71 km SSW Kabul (by Kandahar Rd.) (6230 ft.) ( MVZ 237082); Ker Dahar ( MNHN 0.8721); 32 km NW Lashkargah ( CAS 120710–12, CAS 120987); Seistan [Faizabad Prov.] ( ZMUC R-6352); Shawalikot, Wayan Village [Kandahar Prov.] ( USNM 194980); SE of Zehak (along the Iran-Afghanistan border, Agricultural College) (1450 ft.) ( MVZ 243503) [see pl. 13, fig. 7 for distribution].

REMARKS.— Boulenger (1889:103) mentioned specimens as “ Psammophis leithii ” from “ Helmand (2 spec.)” and “Hamun to Khusan [= Kohsan] (3 spec.)”. Most probably the two specimens from Helmand (?BMNH 1886.9.21. 111–112) were subsequently re-identified as Psammophis schokari . However, BMNH 1882.3.20. 1 is also catalogued as P. schokari and could represnt one of the Helmand specimens (see Boulenger 1896:158). Moreover, Boulenger (1896:152) mentioned one specimen of P. lineolatus from “ Helmand ” collected by the “Afghan Boundary Comm.”, which could also refer to one of these specimens. Clark (1990) document- ed this species as very common and usually found near bushes and on man-made earth banks close to rodent holes. A record plotted by Sindaco et al. (2013) from northern Afghanistan is based on incorrect coordinates and should be considered invalid (Sindaco, pers. comm. Nov. 2013).