Herpetological results of Francisco Newton’s Zoological Expedition to Angola (1903 – 1906): a taxonomic revision and new records of a forgotten collection
Author
Santos, Bruna S.
Author
Marques, Mariana P.
0000-0002-1712-2632
mptlmarques@gmail.com
Author
Bauer, Aaron M.
0000-0001-6839-8025
aaron.bauer@villanova.edu
Author
Ceríaco, Luis M. P.
0000-0002-3798-2664
brunascesantos@gmail.com
text
Zootaxa
2021
2021-09-03
5028
1
1
80
http://zoobank.org/c678f0fe-1b62-4f34-8a66-449cf9806b50
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.5028.1.1
1175-5326
5453967
C678F0FE-1B62-4F34-8A66-449CF9806B50
Dasypeltis
cf.
scabra
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Material (
two specimens
):
Two adult specimens (MHNCUP/REP 193,195, formerly UP-MHNFCP-017410 and 017409 respectively;
Fig. S72
), collected from unknown locality, date unknown.
Comments:
Dasypeltis scabra
is a savanna and grassland species widely distributed in East African savannas and known from all of
Angola
, apart from the southwestern desert (
Bates & Broadley 2018
;
Marques
et al.
2018
).
Ferreira (1904)
cited several “adult and semi-adult” specimens of
Dasypeltis scabra
with no indication of locality. The author noted that one of the specimens presented an “unusual melanistic coloration” (possibly MHNCUP/REP 195). Later,
Ferreira (1906)
published
two adult
specimens, one “dark brown with imperceptible black drawings” (no locality data; likely MHNCUP/REP 193) and another from “Cambondo” as “
D. scabra
var
inornata
” (junior synonym of
D. scabra
). Recently,
Bates & Broadley (2018)
reviewed
Dasypeltis
from north-eastern Africa and southwestern Arabia, describing three new species previously considered as part of
D. scabra
.
Branch (2018)
listed
D. confusa
Trapé and Mané 2006
as present in
Angola
, following
Bates and Broadley’s (2018)
claim that the species’ distribution extended to
Angola
. Further studies need to be done in order to assess the
D. scabra
species complex and its Angolan populations.