The snake fauna of Togo: systematics, distribution and biogeography, with remarks on selected taxonomic problems Author Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoude Département de Zoologie et Biologie animale, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Lomé, BP 1515, Lomé (Togo) h _ segniagbeto @ yahoo. fr Author Trape, Jean François Laboratoire de Paludologie et Zoologie médicale, UR 77, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Centre de Dakar, BP 1386, Dakar (Senegal) jean-françois. trape @ ird. fr trape@ird.fr Author David, Patrick Author Ohler, Annemarie Author Dubois, Alain UMR 7205 OSEB, Reptiles et Amphibiens, Département de Systématique et Évolution, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CP 30, 57 rue Cuvier, F- 75231 Paris cedex 05 (France) pdavid @ mnhn. fr ohler @ mnhn. fr adubois @ mnhn. fr pdavid@mnhn.fr Author Glitho, Isabelle Adolé Département de Zoologie et Biologie animale, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Lomé, BP 1515, Lomé (Togo) iglitho @ yahoo. fr iglitho@yahoo.fr text Zoosystema 2011 2011-09-30 33 3 325 360 http://dx.doi.org/10.5252/z2011n3a4 journal article 10.5252/z2011n3a4 1638-9387 4547017 Bitis rhinoceros (Schlegel, 1855) ( Fig. 11 ) MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 13 specimens ( ZMB 19562, South Togo ; ZMB 22007, MRAC 62412 , “ Togo ”, no precise locality; ZMB 22006, Missahohe ; MRAC 29454 , MRAC 29456 , Badou ; MRAC 29741 , Atakpame ; GHS-W 0224, Diguingue ; GHS-W 1285, GHS-W 1290, GHS-Togo 80, Yo [ Agome Yo ]; GHS-W 1293, Agave ; GHS-Togo 35, Agbanon ) . MORPHOLOGY. — TL from 265 to 725 mm ; 36-40 MSR, keeled; 130-145 Ven, smooth; 18-27 Sc, paired; anal single; 14-15 supralabials; 18-19 scales surrounding the eye; 16-17 infralabials. DISTRIBUTION. — This species is mostly found in forest. It has been recorded only in ER IV of the country. REMARK Bitis rhinoceros was long regarded as a synonym or a subspecies of Bitis gabonica (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) . Both taxa were separated at the species level by Lenk et al. (1999) on the basis of molecular analyses. Bitis gabonica has largely been mentioned from forested areas of Togo by Sternfeld (1908b , 1909: 25 ), Hulselmans & Verheyen (1970) , Hulselmans et al. (1970), Harding & Welch (1980) , Roman (1984) , Rasmussen (1995c) , Spawls & Branch (1995) and David & Ineich (1999) . Dorandeu (1991) mentioned this taxon as Bitis gabonica rhinoceros . All specimens of “ Bitis gabonica ” from Togo examined by us are indeed referable to Bitis rhinoceros . On the basis of the ranges of both species given in Chippaux (2006) , we believe that all literature mentions from Togo refer indeed to Bitis rhinoceros .