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The authors review the zoological and botanical collections by Auguste Ghiesbreght from "Oaxaca" and other areas between 1838 and 1854. Taxonomically relevant are, for instance, the holotype of the Racer Coryphodon oaxaca Jan (Coluber constrictor L.), one of various amphibian and reptile species (coll. Ghiesbreght) not on record for Oaxaca, or a number of birds from southern Mexico implicitly attributed to Ghiesbreght but in fact gathered by other collectors. Zoological items and a plethora of plants from "Oaxaca" (coll. 1841- 1854) encompassing many type specimens were obtained elsewhere, in particular the inland Gulf region between Hidalgo and the Orizaba Range. These results entail consequences regarding type localities or distribution, and possibly systematics, in different animal groups and botanical fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on a study which examined the intraspecific variation, distribution and systematics of Jan's Cliff Racer (Platyceps rhodorachis) from Kurdistan and the Shatt al-Arab area to the western portions of the Tien Shan and the Himalayas. Topics discussed include the evaluation of all taxa of the rhodorachis-ventromaculatus complex from Iraq to Turan, the Pamir, and Nepal, and the two main phenotypes that occur in Platyceps rhodorachis.

The article evaluates the Platyceps karelini and the Coluber chesneii snakes living in Iran and Pakistan. A study was performed on 79 Playceps karelini snakes and 10 Iranian Coluber chesneii, where the animals were assessed in terms of various factors including morphology, head measurements, and body scales. Results showed that most of the snakes shared dorsal scales with partnered apical pits, while the longest snakes reached 700 millimetres in snout-vent length, and smallest ones reaching at about 185 millimeters long.

The article discusses a research study on Spalerosophis diadema populations from Iraq to Pakistan and their encountered set of taxonomic and systematic difficulties. Analyzed were intraspecific variations in their ventrals, perioculars and subcaudal head and body scales data, morphological data and demographic data and the Periops parallelus extant syntypes. Results indicated that after examining 12 Field Musem of Natural History, Chicago (FMNH) the Spalerosophis diadema from Teheran, Iran are different in colour pattern with dorsal markings from the Iraq diadema. It also presents the early descriptions of Spalerosophis diadema, Spalerosophis diadema cliffordii and Spalerosophis diadema schirasianus.

The article discusses the proposal to conserve the widely used specific name nummifer Reuss, 1834 for an eastern Mediterranean colubrine snake originally published within Coluber Linnaeus, 1758 and currently referred to the genus Hemorrhois Boie, 1826. It references the designation of the species under Article 23.9.3 of the Code of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). It cites that the species is threatened by its putative senior synonym Coluber tyria Linnaeus, 1758, which following 1899 has been designated to Coluber cliffordii Schlegel in 1837, a taxon identified conspecific with the Saharo-Sindian Coluber diadema Schlegel, 1837, belonging to Spalerosophis, classified in January 1865.