Bitis rhinoceros (Schlegel, 1855)

Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoude, Trape, Jean François, David, Patrick, Ohler, Annemarie, Dubois, Alain & Glitho, Isabelle Adolé, 2011, The snake fauna of Togo: systematics, distribution and biogeography, with remarks on selected taxonomic problems, Zoosystema 33 (3), pp. 325-360 : 352

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 .

Figures

FIG. 11. — Bitis rhinoceros (Schlegel,1855),Yo (Agome Yo).Photo by G. Segniagbeto.