Synopsis of the terrestrial Reptiles of Equatorial Guinea
Author
Sánchez-Vialas, Alberto
Author
Calvo-Revuelta, Marta
0000-0002-8628-1055
Author
Riva, Ignacio De La
0000-0001-5064-4507
albertosv@mncn.csic.es
text
Zootaxa
2022
2022-11-03
5202
1
1
197
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5202.1.1
journal article
182444
10.11646/zootaxa.5202.1.1
45ba25c1-47a9-4001-93d9-294815bf37e7
1175-5326
7285600
BF4831D2-D98B-4265-9138-03DB8607B826
Osteolaemus tetraspis
Cope, 1861
Figure 6B
Osteolaemus tetraspis
Cope, 1861a: 550
.
Type
locality: “Ogobai River, Western Africa”,
Ogooué River
,
Gabon
.
Crocodilus frontatus
Murray, 1862: 213
.
Type
locality: “Old Calabar”,
Duke Town
,
Nigeria
.
Halcrosia afzelii
Lilljeborg, 1867: 715
.
Type
locality: “
Sierra Leone
,
West Africa
”.
Halcrosia nigra
Gray, 1867: 200
.
Type
locality: “
Senegal
,
Gabon
;
Old Calabar
;
Ogobai River
”.
Distribution.
This species occurs from the Ogooué River Basin in
Gabon
to
Nigeria
and southwest of the
Republic of the Congo
. In
Equatorial Guinea
it has been recorded from
Río Muni
at Cabo San Juan (
Boulenger 1905
) and Monte Alén National Park (
Lasso
et al.
2002
), including Monte Mitra Forest (
Gonwouo & Nsang 2005
) (
Map 1B
).
Comments.
The taxonomy of the genus
Osteolaemus
was a complex matter before the molecular characterization of several populations across its distribution (
Eaton
et al.
2009
). Molecular works support three distinct phylogenetic species within
Osteolaemus
, two of them being
O. tetraspis
and
O. osborni
Schmidt, 1919
from the
Congo
Basin, while the third remains as an undescribed taxon from West Africa (
Eaton
et al.
2009
;
Franke
et al.
2013
;
Shirley
et al.
2015
).
Osteolaemus tetraspis
is a intensively harvested species in
Río Muni
, collected for the bush-meat market (a specimen from Monte Alén is shown in
Figure 6B
) (
Fa & García Yuste 2001
;
Fa
et al.
2002
).
Specimens examined.
Thirteen
specimens.
Río Muni
: likely from
Cabo San Juan
as part of the material examined by
Boulenger (1905)
(
MNCN 4171
)
;
without specific locality (
MNCN 45315
,
EBD
21046)
;
Ayamiken
(
EBD
34302)
;
Asonga
,
20 April 1986
(
EBD
20912)
;
Niefang
,
Cuenca del Uolo
,
25 March 1987
(
EBD
24934)
;
Niefang Norte
(
EBD
20282)
;
San Joaquín de Ndyiacom
,
25 March 1987
(
EBD
24935)
,
September 1987
(
EBD
27485)
;
Bata
,
31 August 1986
(
EBD
24933)
;
Bata
, bought at the airport (
EBD
20281)
;
Punta Mbonda
(
EBD 334
)
;
Río Aye
, camping of
Alena
,
13 June 1964
(
EBD 2897
)
.