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

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 form- ing little crowns above the eyes. These crown-like tufts consist of several vertically erect, blunt scales which differ dras- tically from the supraocular horns of C. cerastes or C. gasperettii that consist of one long, pointed scale only. Although the new species is based on only one single specimen, further specimens had originally been available but were subse- quently 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.

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