Atheris squamigera (Hallowell, 1854)

Sánchez-Vialas, Alberto, Calvo-Revuelta, Marta & Riva, Ignacio De La, 2022, Synopsis of the terrestrial Reptiles of Equatorial Guinea, Zootaxa 5202 (1), pp. 1-197 : 128

Atheris squamigera (Hallowell, 1854)

Figure 32B

Echis squamigera Hallowell, 1854a: 193 . Type locality: “ Near the river Gaboon, Guinea”, Gabon River, Gabon.

Poecilostolus burtonii Günther, 1863b: 20 . Type locality: “ West Africa … Camaroon country”.

Atheris lucani Rochebrune, 1885: 89 . Type locality: “Locum Landana dictum” (untraceable locality).

Atheris squamigera robusta Laurent, 1956 . Type locality: “Nioka”, Congo Belge ( Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Distribution. This species extends from Nigeria to Kenya and southward to northern Angola. In Equatorial Guinea it has been reported from Bioko ( Broadley 1998b; Drewes et al. 1999) at Moka ( Boulenger 1906; Capocaccia 1961a; Mertens 1964a) and between Moka and Malabo ( Mertens 1964a; Ceríaco et al. 2020a), and in Río Muni at Cabo San Juan ( Boulenger 1905) and Monte Alén National Park ( Lasso et al. 2002), including Monte Mitra ( Gonwouo & Nsang 2005). There is a record from iNaturalist close to Moka, Bioko (03°19′55.07″N, 08°38′39.04″E) ( Map 38A ).

Comments. Based on cytochrome b gene sequences, Atheris squamigera is closely related to A. subocularis Fischer, 1888 ( Lawson et al. 2001), and the two species form a clade sister to A. broadleyi Lawson, 1999 ( Lawson et al. 2001). Phylogenetic relationships between these species and A. hetfieldi remain unknow.

Specimens examined. Three specimens. Bioko: red swamp in Caldera de Luba , 03°21′27.99″N, 08°30′52.11″E, 27 November 2003 ( MNCN 50275 ) . Río Muni: without specific locality, but likely Cabo San Juan as part of the material examined by Boulenger (1905) ( MNCN 22788 ) ; Ayamiken, July 1964 ( EBD 2875 ) .

Figures

FIGURE 32. From left to right: lateral, dorsal and ventral views of the head of: Causus lichtensteinii (A) (MNCN 46687), Atheris squamigera (B) (MNCN 50275), and Bitis gabonica (C) (EBD 20773). Photos: AS-V.

MAPS 38 A–B. Distribution maps for Equatorial Guinean records of (A) Atheris squamigera; (B) Bitis gabonica; (C) Bitis nasicornis.