Patrick Campbell

• Biological Sciences BSc
• Senior Curator, Reptiles at Natural History Museum, London

Colubrid snakes of the genus Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826, are an integral part of the snake fauna of the Oriental region, with at least ninety species. Despite the speciose nature of the genus, most members are elusive and poorly studied. One such member of the genus is O. juglandifer (Wall, 1909), which is known to science from a handful of specimens...

The colubrid snakes of the genera Gongylosoma Fitzinger, 1843 and Liopeltis Fitzinger, 1843 are distributed across south and southeast Asia with five and eight nominate species, respectively. Despite their wide distribution, members of these genera are among some of the least-known colubrids. The two genera were considered synonymous in the past on...

Bronchocela celebensis Gray, 1845 is one of the rarest species of the genus, known only from less than 20 museum specimens collected from northern Sulawesi. It is often confused with its similar congener, B. cristatella, which occurs widely throughout the Indonesian Archipelago and Peninsular Malaysia, except on the Sulawesi mainland. Here, we exam...

Lankascincus fallax is an endemic, but widespread species of skink distributed throughout Sri Lanka, including all bioclimatic zones (elevations from 0 to 1,200 m a.s.l.). After thoroughly comparing morphology and morphometry between populations in different bioclimatic zones, we recognize it as a single morphospecies. We revise the systematics of...

We provide evidence that the original authorship of Agama spinosa needs to be assigned to Gray (1831) despite an earlier description and illustration in Griffith & Pigdeon (1831). We also show that three specimens (one now missing) in the collection of the NHMUK constitute the syntype series of Agama spinosa. Nomenclatural issues surrounding the av...

Adaptive radiations garner considerable interest from evolutionary biologists. Lizard radiations diversifying along structural niche space often exhibit distinct changes in body and limb proportions. One prediction is that terrestrial species inhabiting open habitats will have relatively longer hindlimbs, associated with faster running speeds, whil...

Natural history specimens are a widely used and valuable resource for conservation, ecology, and evolutionary biology. One might assume that these collections are representative of natural populations, but recent work has suggested that many collections have disproportionately more male than female specimens. Here, we investigate sex ratios in > 5...

Hebius beddomei (Günther, 1864) is an endemic natricine colubrid snake species from the biodiverse Western Ghats, India. A recent molecular phylogeny provided evidence for the paraphyly of the genus Hebius, with Hebius beddomei recovered as sister to a clade containing Fowlea and Atretium. Freshly collected specimens and existing museum material al...

We reviewed the systematics of Lycodon striatus (Shaw, 1802), including all available name‐bearing types of its synonyms after evaluating phylogeographic (genetics), morphological (morphometry, meristic, and hemipenes), osteological and distribution evidence. Lycodon striatus sensu lato is widely distributed throughout South and Central Asia and mi...

Before humans arrived, giant tortoises occurred on many western Indian Ocean islands. We combined ancient DNA, phylogenetic, ancestral range, and molecular clock analyses with radiocarbon and paleogeographic evidence to decipher their diversity and biogeography. Using a mitogenomic time tree, we propose that the ancestor of the extinct Mascarene to...

A brief report on the Kehlmaier et al. paper that featured as a Nature 'Research Highlight'. The précis appeared in January 2023 at about the same time as the main work, but the author team has only recently became aware of its publication.

A consequence of over 400 years of human exploitation of Galápagos tortoises (Chelonoidis niger ssp.) is the extinction of several subspecies and the decimation of others. As humans captured, killed, and/or removed tortoises for food, oil, museums, and zoos, they also colonized the archipelago resulting in the introduction of invasive plants, anima...

Lankascincus dorsicatenatus is an endemic species of litter-skink distributed throughout the wet zone of Sri Lanka (elevations from 15 to 800 m a.s.l.). The recent resurrection of Lygosoma megalops by the recent description of its neotype designated by Batuwita (2019), presently lost, destabilized the taxonomic status of Lankascincus dorsicatenatus...

The taxonomic status of the nominal taxon Dryophis prasinus flavescens Wall, 1910 is reevaluated herein. Based on molecular data generated from fresh collections of Ahaetulla prasina (H. Boie in F. Boie, 1827) auctorum from Northeast India and, additionally, morphological data from museum specimens originating from the same areas, we resurrect this...

Based on phylogenetic and morphological characters, we revise the systematics of the natricid genus Fowlea in Sri Lanka, comprising two morphospecies. The taxonomy of the Sri Lankan populations has long been controversial, and one of the species has, for more than a decade, been listed as Xenochrophis cf. piscator. Although the Sri Lankan populatio...

Based on 85 examined specimens, photographs of living specimens and illustrations published in the literature, we refine the distribution ranges of both Gonyosoma prasinum (Blyth, 1854) and of the recently described species Gonyosoma coeruleum Liu, Hou, Ye Htet Lwin, Wang & Rao, 2021, which was not clearly addressed in its original description. We...

Annandale (1906) described Lygosoma megalops, now in the genus Lankascincus, based on two syntypes collected from Kitulgala and Puttalam in Sri Lanka. These syntypes have not been recognized since the original description. In 2019, Batuwita designated a neotype, WHT 6545, for Ly. megalops from Kitulgala. The number WHT '6545' does not exist in the...

The genus Cyrtodactylus has recently been classified phylogenetically into several clades, subclades, groups, and some into Sri Lankan Cyrtodactylus. Certain complexes from the Indian subcontinent have been assigned to the “C. triedrus group”. This group is comprised of medium-sized species (SVL 50.6–105.7 mm) and are composed of five major species...

We review the taxonomic status of Oligodon arnensis (Shaw 1802) after examining all the name-bearing types of its synonyms, and evaluating morphological and biogeographic evidence. Oligodon arnensis sensu lato is widely distributed throughout Peninsular India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. We demonstrate that southern, eastern...

We re-evaluate the taxonomic identities of five-lined skinks of the genus Eutropis (E. trivittata, E. beddomei, E. nagarjunensis, and E. bibronii) inhabiting the Indian subcontinent. Previously it has been considered that E. trivittata is distributed in the western India and E. dissimilis in the northern India (from north-eastern India up to Pakist...

Asian pit vipers belonging to the genus Craspedocephalus are a complex group of vipers, distributed in South and Southeast Asia. Their taxonomy is unresolved in many lineages across their distributional range. Here, we reassess the taxonomy and systematics of pit vipers of the genus Craspedocephalus in Peninsular India based on extensive field samp...

Against the backdrop of published cryptic genetic diversity and partly resolved taxonomy of the Eutropis macularia complex of skinks in the Indian Peninsula, we reassess the taxonomic status of the Western Ghats populations. Based on our examination of name-bearing types of two synonymised nomina (Euprepes brevis, Lygosoma dawsoni) and a valid (Mab...

We describe a large gecko of genus Hemidactylus from the southern face peneplain foothills of the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka. It closely resembles Hemidactylus hunae but is distinguished by adult males reaching 121.2 mm snout–vent length; presence of 11 or 12 supralabials at the midorbit position; dorsal scalation of homogeneous granules interm...

We examined the holotype of Euprepes innotatus Blanford, 1870 which was presented to the Natural History Museum, London (NHMUK) by Blanford himself, and is redescribed herein. Based on the morphological similarity, we placed Eutropis innotata within the E. carinata group (contra Blanford, 1870), as it is closely allied to E. dissimilis and E. carin...

We review the taxonomic status of Oligodon waandersi sensu lato after examining all the name-bearing types (including synonyms) and morphological evidence. Oligodon waandersi sensu stricto is widely distributed (up to 1200 m above sea level) throughout the southern, some parts of the central, and the northern slopes of Central Sulawesi Island, Indo...

A new species of green pit viper of the genus Trimeresurus, in the T. albolabris complex, is described from Car Nicobar Island of the Nicobar Archipelago, Indian Ocean. The new species, Trimeresurus davidi sp. nov., can be distinguished from all other members of this group by the following characteristics: medium to large body size (277-835 mm SVL)...

Sinomicrurus macclellandi (Reinhardt, 1844) is a species of coral snakes distributed across the forests of Southeast Asia and the Himalayas. The species exhibits distinct forms across its range, and it has been classified into four subspecies. Calliophis macclellandi nigriventer Wall, 1908 a population from Western Himalayas, which was described as...

Physical models are required to generate the underlying algorithms that populate computer simulations of the effects of explosive fragmenting devices. These models and simulations are used for understanding weapon performance, designing buildings and optimising personal protective equipment. Previous experimental work has investigated the performan...

The description of Emmochliophis miops is based on a single specimen from the Andean slopes of northwest Ecuador collected in 1897. The species had not been collected again until October 2017, when two individuals were found on the western slopes of the Cordillera Occidental of Colombia; this rediscovery is the first record of this species in this...

We examined the syntype series of Eutropis rudis (6 specimens) collected from Sumatra and Borneo, currently deposited at the Natural History Museum, London. We observed that the type series is composed of two species. In order to stabilize application of the name, we designate a lectotype for E. rudis from Sumatra. Mabuya lewisi, described based on...

We examined the syntype series of Eutropis rudis (6 specimens) collected from Sumatra and Borneo, currently deposited at the Natural History Museum, London, and it was observed that the type series is composed of two species. In order to stabilize application of the name, we designate a lectotype for E. rudis from Sumatra. Mabuya lewisi, described...

Liopeltis calamaria, a rare non-venomous colubrid snake of South Asia, is redescribed. Its syntypes and all the available type specimens of its recognized synonyms are examined, including information about the respective populations found across India and Sri Lanka. Our literature compilation and mapping analyses reveal three distinct populations-(...

The matamata is one of the most charismatic turtles on earth, widely distributed in northern South America. Debates have occurred over whether or not there should be two subspecies or species recognized due to its geographic variation in morphology. Even though the matamata is universally known, its natural history, conservation status and biogeogr...

Currently three different species are recognized within the Southeast Asian agamid genus Hydrosaurus: H. amboinensis (Schlosser, 1768) from Ambon, Seram, Sulawesi and New Guinea, H. pustulatus (Eschscholtz, 1829) from the Philippines and H. weberi Barbour, 1911 from Halmahera and adjacent islands. Historically, two additional species were described...

We provide a list of type specimens of chameleons present in the collection of the Natural History Museum in London for the first time, including their associated collection numbers. Currently the collection contains 54 primary types (29 holotypes, two lectotypes and 23 syntype series plus two syntypes where the type status is in doubt) as well as...

The five extinct giant tortoises of the genus Cylindraspis belong to the most iconic species of the enigmatic fauna of the Mascarene Islands that went largely extinct after the discovery of the islands. To resolve the phylogeny and biogeography of Cylindraspis, we analysed a data set of 45 mitogenomes that includes all lineages of extant tortoises...

We present information on primary type specimens for 13,282 species and subspecies of reptiles compiled in the Reptile Database, that is, holotypes, neotypes, lectotypes, and syntypes. These represent 99.4% of all 13,361 currently recognized taxa (11,050 species and 2311 subspecies). Type specimens of 653 taxa (4.9%) are either lost or not located,...

Kinixys spekii has a wide distribution range across sub-Saharan Africa, having been reported from Angola, Botswana, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, eSwatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Kinixys spekii inhabits savannah and dry bushveld habitats and was previously considered an inl...

Biogeographic analyses including our complete data set suggest that the ancestor of Cylindraspis lived in Africa and island-hopped to the Mascarenes circumventing Madagascar. According to our data, the Mascarene giant tortoises were definitely not introduced by humans.

Descriptive accounts of the cranial osteology of snakes is important for systematics, functional morphology and also, to some extent, palaeontology. In the present study, we describe the skull of Argyrogena fasciolata, a south Asian colubrid snake, in detail. Bones of the snout unit of this snake are adapted for a fossorial mode of life whereas the...

We describe a cryptic new species of gecko of the genus Cnemaspis Strauch from the southern Western Ghats of Kerala. This medium-sized Cnemaspis species is differentiated from all other Indian congeners by a suite of the following distinct morphological characters: heterogeneous mid-dorsal scales, 6–7 supralabials; 113–120 paravertebral rows of tub...

Several recent papers have reviewed the life and work of French herpetologist Louis Amédée Lantz. They have detailed the composition of his collections deposited in several museums. However, since then, several other important specimens from his collections deposited at the Natural History Museum (NHM, UK) have come to light and we here present all...

Liolaemus is one of the most diverse genus of lizards in the world (Esquerré et al. 2013), with 257 species listed in the last review focusing on its diversity (Abdala & Quinteros 2014). Certain species within this genus, especially the earlier ones, were described in very little detail, even lacking an appropriate description of the holotype and/o...

The genus Japalura Gray, 1853 s. l. currently comprises 34 species (Japalura n=7; Cristidorsa Wang, Deepak, Datta-Roy, Lin, Jiang, Che & Siler, 2018, n=2; Diploderma Hallowell, 1861, n=25). Furthermore the species Diploderma polygonatum is composed of its nominate form and three additional subspecies. For all but one species primary types (holo-, s...

Cnemaspis nilagirica was described by Manamendra-Arachchi, Batuwita and Pethiyagoda in 2007 based on a single female specimen that was a syntype of Gonatodes kandianus var. tropidogaster described by Boulenger in 1885. However, a living population of this species has not been reported since its original description by Boulenger. Based on fresh mate...

Diagnosability is central to taxonomy as are type specimens which define taxa. New advances in technologies and the discovery of new informative traits must be matched with previous taxonomic decisions based on name-bearing type specimens. Consequently, the challenge of sequencing highly degraded DNA from historical types becomes an inevitability t...

Salea anamallayana (Beddome, 1878) and S. horsfieldii Gray, 1845 are two endemic montane forest dwelling draconine agamid lizards from the Western Ghats (India). The original descriptions of these two species were brief and apart from their inclusion in general faunal works, they have never been the focus of a rigorous taxonomic study. In this pape...

The tricarinate skink Scincus multifasciatus was described by Kuhl in 1820, without the subsequent designation of a type specimen or specific type locality. In 1930, Mertens assigned the type locality as Java, Indonesia, but still with no type specimen. Therefore, in order to stabilize the name with a recognized type specimen, we designate a neotyp...

The genus Atractus Wagler 1828 comprises almost 150 currently recognized species of cryptozoic snakes widespread in the Neotropics, occurring from Panama to northeastern Argentina (Passos et al. 2016a). Despite the publication of the descriptions of several new species within the last decade, the taxonomy of the genus is unclear in some instances....

Ptyas doriae is a rare snake in northeastern India, Myanmar and southern China. The original description and subsequent accounts of this species were all very brief. We studied most of the available specimens of this species and on this basis we provide a detailed redescription of the species. We give an account of intrapopulational variation in sc...

A new species of herpelid caecilian, Boulengerula spawlsi sp. nov., is described based on nine specimens from Ngaia (= Ngaya or Ngaja) Forest Reserve, Nyambene Hills, Meru County, Kenya collected between 2007 and 2013. The new species differs from all other Boulengerula in having more anteriorly positioned tentacular apertures and tentacular groove...

Eutropis rugifera has long been identified as a widespread species complex distributed in Nicobar, Peninsular Malaysia, Greater Sundaic Islands, Bali, Sulawesi and the Philippines. This skink was described by Stoliczka in 1870 from Nicobar Island based on a single specimen (holotype by monotypy). Later, Peters (1871), Bartlett (1895) and Werner (18...

Description of a new species of Apostolepis based on three specimens labelled A. borellii from Bolivia in The Museum of Natural History of London. The new species belongs to the borellii Group which is at present only represented by the species A. borellii. This new species differs from A borelii by the following characters: (a) snout with median s...

Gonatodes kandianus var. tropidogaster was described by Boulenger (1885) with only “Ceylon” (=Sri Lanka) as its locality. This taxon was later assigned to the genus Cnemaspis and then recorded from many different parts of the country. Misleading taxonomic publications and muddled nomenclatural issues has since rendered its taxonomic position unclea...

Tiliqua bibronii was described by J.E. Gray in December, 1838 based on two syntypes (MNHN-RA 2940, 7076), but the details for locality was missing. These syntypes are currently housed at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France (MNHN-RA). The same species (based on the same type specimens) was described by A.M.C. Duméril & G. Bibron...

The number of species in the genus Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 has grown rapidly, and it currently comprises more than 100 species (Grismer et al. 2014; Amarasinghe et al. 2015). The Sri Lankan endemic and vulnerable day-gecko Cnemaspis podihuna Deraniyagala, 1944 (Ministry of the Environment 2012) was first described by Deraniyagala from the Lahugala-...

Euprepes beddomei was described by Jerdon (1870) from “Mysore” (Karnataka State, India). Simultaneously, Euprepes (Tiliqua) septemlineatus, which is morphologically similar to E. beddomei, was described by Blanford (1870) based on a single specimen collected from the Ganga River Valley, Southeast Berar, Madhya Pradesh, India. Smith (1935) synonymis...

FIGURE 3. Habitat of Cnemaspis tropidogaster at Pilikuttuwa, Gampaha District, Sri Lanka (a) forest foot path; (b) caves and rock boulders; (c) egg-nesting habitat with an adult female (not collected; Photo: W. M. S. Botejue)

FIGURE 4. Current distribution pattern of Cnemaspis tropidogaster, with other lowland (wet and intermediate zones) and central highland Cnemaspis species. Type locality of each species marked with black dot centrally.

FIGURE 1. Cnemaspis tropidogaster male NMSL 5159, (a) dorsal head; (b) lateral head; (c) ventral head; (d) dorsal body; (e) ventral body; (f) subdigital lamellae on hind limb; (g) lateral body; (h) ventral tail and pelvic area.

FIGURE 2. Cnemaspis tropidogaster lectotype male (BMNH 71.12.14.49), (a) dorsal head; (b) lateral head; (c) ventral head; (d) dorsal body; (e) ventral body; (f) toes and subdigital lamellae; (g); lateral body (h) ventral tail base and pelvic area (photo courtesy of BMNH).

The original description of Anguis ruffa (now Cylindrophis ruffus) given by Laurenti in 1768 is not sufficiently comprehensive for the morphological identification of the species, and the type locality, given as “Surinami,” is in error. However, Schlegel in 1844 corrected the type locality as “Java in Indonesia.” There is also, currently, no proof...

The description of Oligodon sublineatus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 was based on two syntypes located at Paris Natural History Museum (MNHN). The larger specimen (SVL 254 mm) was described in detail, but erroneously labelled as originating from the Philippines, the second specimen (SVL 150 mm) was labelled as originating from 'Cey-lan' (=Sri La...

The description of Oligodon sublineatus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 was based on two syntypes located at Paris Natural History Museum (MNHN). The larger specimen (SVL 254 mm) was described in detail, but erroneously labelled as originating from the Philippines, the second specimen (SVL 150 mm) was labelled as originating from ‘Ceylan’ (=Sri Lan...

The genus Sitana was described by Cuvier (1829) on the basis of a single species, S. ponticeriana. The secondly described, Sitana minor Günther, 1864, is identical to S. ponticeriana Cuvier, 1829, and should be considered as a junior objective synonym of the latter. The syntypes of S. deccanensis Jerdon, 1870 have been rediscovered, misplaced among...

The genus Sitana was described by Cuvier (1829) on the basis of a single species, S. ponticeriana. The secondly described, Sitana minor Günther, 1864, is identical to S. ponticeriana Cuvier, 1829, and should be considered as a junior objective synonym of the latter. The syntypes of S. deccanensis Jerdon, 1870 have been rediscovered, misplaced among...

Two collections of dried, mounted snake skins, including 175 specimens, presumably from Patrick Russell, are extant in the collection of the Natural History Museum, London. One of these skins has been recognized as the holotype of Hydrus piscator Schneider, 1799, but most do not seem to correspond to the types illustrated in Russell’s An Account of...

The collection of Patrick Russell snakeskins purchased by the Natural History Museum in 1904 had been stored in an old wooden box for over 107 years and was subjected to both pest and chemical damage during this period. These problems were finally addressed and the collection was repaired and rehoused. The storage conditions of the skins before con...

Dr. Patrick Russell, M.D., F.R.S. (Medical Doctor and Fellow of the Royal Society) spent a considerable amount of his time in India as an ophiologist. He was particularly concerned with the snakebite epidemic and the devastating effect it had on the local community in the Coromandel, such that he devoted much of his time to describing and conductin...

Recent research has shown that the helmeted terrapin (Pelomedusa subrufa), a species that occurs throughout sub-Saharan Africa, in Madagascar and the southwestern Arabian Peninsula, consists of several deeply divergent genetic lineages. Here we examine all nominal taxa currently synonymized with Pelomedusa subrufa (Bonnaterre, 1789) and provide mit...