by Mario Schweiger » Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:24 am
I think, there´s still a lot of confusion in Malpolon!
Some accept the splitting of insignitus as a own species, others not.
But, if you accept it, this would be the "actual" concept.
Malpolon monspessulanus: (south)western Europe. Western most Italy (west Liguria), southern France, Iberian peninsula, (north)western Morocco.
Malpolon i. insignitus: east Morocco (both species meet - for example - in the Ouarzazate area (south of the high Atlas mountain range). From there eastwards along the mediterranean countries, Levante, SW-Turkey, Balkan peninsula.
Malpolon i. fuscus: easternmost areas of the distribution of Malpolon insignitus.
To separate these two species in the "wild":
(Adult) males of M. monspessulanus have this dark (black) saddle on the back, and all M. monsp. have 19 rows of Dorsalia. M. insignitus has 17 rows of Dorsalia.
Mario