Description
Data Records
The data in this occurrence resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 153 records.
This IPT archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the downloads section. The versions table lists other versions of the resource that have been made publicly available and allows tracking changes made to the resource over time.
Versions
The table below shows only published versions of the resource that are publicly accessible.
How to cite
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
Bouam, I., Chedad, A., Sadine, S. E., 2024. Swimming in the Sahara: a new locality record and range extension of Natrix maura (Linnaeus, 1758) (Squamata, Colubridae) from central Algeria. Museu de Ciències Naturals. Occurrence/dataset: https://doi.org/10.15470/fe3689
Rights
Researchers should respect the following rights statement:
The publisher and rights holder of this work is Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY 4.0) License.
GBIF Registration
This resource has been registered with GBIF, and assigned the following GBIF UUID: 6de0687a-c1e9-47e6-97ae-a1d15fe71c4f. Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona publishes this resource, and is itself registered in GBIF as a data publisher endorsed by GBIF Spain.
Keywords
Occurrences; Herpetofauna; Viperine snake; Bilineata; North Africa; Wallacean shortfall; Observation
Contacts
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- Originator ●
- Point Of Contact
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4394-9297
- Metadata Provider ●
- Originator ●
- Point Of Contact
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Geographic Coverage
Field observations were conducted at Sebkhet El Melah wetland (30° 28' 06" N, 2° 55' 35" E; 370 m a.s.l.; fig. 1A), El Menia Province (formerly El Goléa), central Algeria. This shallow, saline lake covers about 8 km² and is bordered by sand dunes and rocky hills. It receives water from surrounding palm grove drainage, El Menia city domestic wastewater, and rainfall (Hacěne et al., 2004; Alioua et al., 2016). Designated as a Ramsar Site (https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1429), Sebkhet El Melah is a critical habitat for Saharan biodiversity, particularly waterbirds (Bouzid et al., 2009, 2019, 2023; Chedad et al., 2021). Based on data from the WorldClim database with a resolution of ~1 km² (Fick and Hijmans, 2017), the site falls within the inferior Saharan bioclimatic zone, characterized by temperate winters and a mean annual precipitation of 30 mm.
| Bounding Coordinates | South West [30.12, 0.07], North East [36.93, 8.49] |
|---|
Taxonomic Coverage
No Description available
| Phylum | Chordata |
|---|---|
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Squamata |
| Family | Colubridae |
| Genus | Natrix |
| Species | Natrix maura |
Project Data
Algeria ranks among the most species-rich countries in the Mediterranean Basin and North Africa in terms of terrestrial reptiles, with 101 documented species (Rouag et al., 2024). However, knowledge of the distribution of many reptile taxa remains incomplete due to a scarcity of comprehensive herpetofaunal inventories across many parts of the country (Beddek, 2017; Beddek et al., 2018). Much of the available distributional data relies on historical sources, primarily museum specimens and 19th and early 20th-century literature (e.g., Gervais, 1836; Guichenot, 1850; Strauch, 1862; Lallemant, 1867; Boulenger, 1891; Olivier, 1894; Doumergue, 1901), which often suffer from spatial inaccuracies. This knowledge gap, referred to as the “Wallacean shortfall”, is particularly pronounced in the Algerian Sahara, due in part to the inaccessibility of remote regions, resulting in many reptilian taxa having poorly defined and documented range maps (Bouam et al., 2022; Chedad et al., 2024). Although the past decade has witne sed a resurgence of scientific interest in Algeria’s reptile fauna, resulting in the discovery of previously unreported taxa and significant range extensions for known species across diverse taxonomic groups, including Testudinidae (Boulaouad et al., 2023), Gekkonidae (Mouane et al., 2021), Scincidae (Rouag et al., 2016), Agamidae (Saoudi et al., 2017; El Bouhissi et al., 2022), Lamprophiidae (Bakhouche and Escoriza, 2017; Bakhouche et al., 2019; Böhme et al., 2019), and Viperidae (Bouam et al., 2019). Natrix Laurenti, 1768 is a Palearctic genus of colubrid snakes, currently comprising five recognized species (Uetz et al., 2023). Among these, the semiaquatic Natrix maura (Linnaeus, 1758) exhibits a West Mediterranean chorotype. It is widespread across the Maghreb and Western Europe, extending from the Iberian Peninsula to northwestern Italy, including France and southwestern Switzerland (Mateo Miras et al., 2009). N. maura occurs at elevations ranging from sea level up to 2600 m asl and is commonly encountered in various freshwater habitats, but also tolerates waters with relatively high salt concentrations (Fuentes and Escoriza, 2015; Geniez, 2015). It predominantly preys on fish and amphibians (Rugiero et al., 2000; Santos et al., 2000). This species is a small to medium-sized snake, typically measuring 40–80 cm in total length, though some individuals reach up to 95 cm (Geniez, 2015; Trape, 2023). Notably, this colubrid species exhibits remarkable Batesian mimicry, both morphologically and behaviourally, of European vipers of the genus Vipera (Santos et al., 2018), hence its common name, the viperine snake.
| Title | Swimming in the Sahara: A new locality record and range extension of Natrix maura (Linnaeus, 1758) (Squamata, Colubridae), from central Algeria |
|---|---|
| Study Area Description | Field observations were conducted at Sebkhet El Melah wetland (30° 28' 06" N, 2° 55' 35" E; 370 m a.s.l.; fig. 1A), El Menia Province (formerly El Goléa), central Algeria. This shallow, saline lake covers about 8 km² and is bordered by sand dunes and rocky hills. It receives water from surrounding palm grove drainage, El Menia city domestic wastewater, and rainfall (Hacěne et al., 2004; Alioua et al., 2016). Designated as a Ramsar Site (https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1429), Sebkhet El Melah is a critical habitat for Saharan biodiversity, particularly waterbirds (Bouzid et al., 2009, 2019, 2023; Chedad et al., 2021). Based on data from the WorldClim database with a resolution of ~1 km² (Fick and Hijmans, 2017), the site falls within the inferior Saharan bioclimatic zone, characterized by temperate winters and a mean annual precipitation of 30 mm. |
| Design Description | To comprehensively update N. maura distribution in Algeria, we conducted a thorough literature review and searched online museum and institutional collections for occurrence records. Additionally, occurrence data were obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF, 2024) and iNaturalist (https://inaturalist.org). Following Chowdhury et al. (2024), data were also sourced from Facebook (https://facebook.com), specifically from the group named “world of wildlife in Algeria - عالم الحياة البرية في الجزائر” (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1641684429224291/). The species identification of data obtained from both iNaturalist and Facebook was double-checked and confirmed by the authors. To ensure data accuracy, all records included precise locality description and/or GPS coordinates with a minimum precision of two decimal degrees, while excluding records with coordinates referring to the centroids of large geographic areas. Duplicate records from the same locality were merged into single entries. The final dataset comprised 139 unique presence locations (annex 1) visualized using ArcGIS v. 10.8. |
The personnel involved in the project:
Sampling Methods
To comprehensively update N. maura distribution in Algeria, we conducted a thorough literature review and searched online museum and institutional collections for occurrence records.
| Study Extent | Field observations were conducted at Sebkhet El Melah wetland (30° 28' 06" N, 2° 55' 35" E; 370 m a.s.l.; fig. 1A), El Menia Province (formerly El Goléa), central Algeria. This shallow, saline lake covers about 8 km² and is bordered by sand dunes and rocky hills. It receives water from surrounding palm grove drainage, El Menia city domestic wastewater, and rainfall (Hacěne et al., 2004; Alioua et al., 2016). Designated as a Ramsar Site (https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1429), Sebkhet El Melah is a critical habitat for Saharan biodiversity, particularly waterbirds (Bouzid et al., 2009, 2019, 2023; Chedad et al., 2021). Based on data from the WorldClim database with a resolution of ~1 km² (Fick and Hijmans, 2017), the site falls within the inferior Saharan bioclimatic zone, characterized by temperate winters and a mean annual precipitation of 30 mm. |
|---|---|
| Quality Control | Additionally, occurrence data were obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF, 2024) and iNaturalist (https://inaturalist.org). Following Chowdhury et al. (2024), data were also sourced from Facebook (https://facebook.com), specifically from the group named “world of wildlife in Algeria (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1641684429224291/). |
Method step description:
- The species identification of data obtained from both iNaturalist and Facebook was double-checked and confirmed by the authors. To ensure data accuracy, all records included precise locality description and/or GPS coordinates with a minimum precision of two decimal degrees, while excluding records with coordinates referring to the centroids of large geographic areas. Duplicate records from the same locality were merged into single entries. The final dataset comprised 139 unique presence locations (annex 1) visualized using ArcGIS v. 10.8.
Bibliographic Citations
- Bouam, I., Chedad, A., Sadine, S. E., 2024. Swimming in the Sahara: a new locality record and range extension of Natrix maura (Linnaeus, 1758) (Squamata, Colubridae) from central Algeria. Arxius de Miscel·lània Zoològica, 22: 129-142. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32800/amz.2024.22.0129. https://doi.org/10.32800/amz.2024.22.0129
Additional Metadata
| Introduction | Algeria ranks among the most species-rich countries in the Mediterranean Basin and North Africa in terms of terrestrial reptiles, with 101 documented species (Rouag et al., 2024). However, knowledge of the distribution of many reptile taxa remains incomplete due to a scarcity of comprehensive herpetofaunal inventories across many parts of the country (Beddek, 2017; Beddek et al., 2018). Much of the available distributional data relies on historical sources, primarily museum specimens and 19th and early 20th-century literature (e.g., Gervais, 1836; Guichenot, 1850; Strauch, 1862; Lallemant, 1867; Boulenger, 1891; Olivier, 1894; Doumergue, 1901), which often suffer from spatial inaccuracies. This knowledge gap, referred to as the “Wallacean shortfall”, is particularly pronounced in the Algerian Sahara, due in part to the inaccessibility of remote regions, resulting in many reptilian taxa having poorly defined and documented range maps (Bouam et al., 2022; Chedad et al., 2024). Although the past decade has witnessed a resurgence of scientific interest in Algeria’s reptile fauna, resulting in the discovery of previously unreported taxa and significant range extensions for known species across diverse taxonomic groups, including Testudinidae (Boulaouad et al., 2023), Gekkonidae (Mouane et al., 2021), Scincidae (Rouag et al., 2016), Agamidae (Saoudi et al., 2017; El Bouhissi et al., 2022), Lamprophiidae (Bakhouche and Escoriza, 2017; Bakhouche et al., 2019; Böhme et al., 2019), and Viperidae (Bouam et al., 2019). Natrix Laurenti, 1768 is a Palearctic genus of colubrid snakes, currently comprising five recognized species (Uetz et al., 2023). Among these, the semiaquatic Natrix maura (Linnaeus, 1758) exhibits a West Mediterranean chorotype. It is widespread across the Maghreb and Western Europe, extending from the Iberian Peninsula to northwestern Italy, including France and southwestern Switzerland (Mateo Miras et al., 2009). N. maura occurs at elevations ranging from sea level up to 2600 m asl and is commonly encountered in various freshwater habitats, but also tolerates waters with relatively high salt concentrations (Fuentes and Escoriza, 2015; Geniez, 2015). It predominantly preys on fish and amphibians (Rugiero et al., 2000; Santos et al., 2000). This species is a small to medium-sized snake, typically measuring 40–80 cm in total length, though some individuals reach up to 95 cm (Geniez, 2015; Trape, 2023). Notably, this colubrid species exhibits remarkable Batesian mimicry, both morphologically and behaviourally, of European vipers of the genus Vipera (Santos et al., 2018), hence its common name, the viperine snake. |
|---|---|
| Purpose | We present a new locality record for N. maura in Algeria, significantly expanding its known geographic distribution. Additionally, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of N. maura distribution within the country, we compiled occurrence data from various sources and provide an updated distribution map for Algeria. |
| Alternative Identifiers | 6de0687a-c1e9-47e6-97ae-a1d15fe71c4f |
| https://ipt.gbif.es/resource?r=viperine_snake_algeria |