Naja melanoleuca Hallowell, 1857

Ineich, Ivan, LeBreton, Matthew, Lhermitte-Vallarino, Nathaly, Abstract. - The, Laurent Chirio, Oku, Mount & Highlands, Bamenda, 2015, The reptiles of the summits of Mont Oku and the Bamenda Highlands, Cameroon *, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 108) 9 (2), pp. 15-38 : 28-29

Naja melanoleuca Hallowell, 1857 (22 specimens)

Material: CamHerp 1488I, 3184I (two specimens, Abu village, northeast of Fundong, 6.297°N and 10.331°E, elev. 1,750 m, coll. CamHerp M. LeBreton, December 14, 2002) – CamHerp 1222C, 3175C, 3736C (three specimens, Baba II village, 5.857°N and 10.102°E, elev. 1,772 m, coll. CamHerp M. LeBreton, July 8, 2002) – CamHerp 3140I, 3394I (two specimens, Bali Ngemba village, 5.833°N and 10.077°E, elev. 1,398 m, coll. CamHerp M. LeBreton, December 14, 2002) – CamHerp 0880C, 3295I (two specimens, Bingo village, 6.166°N and 10.290°E, elev. 1,435 m, coll. CamHerp M. LeBreton, December 14, 2002) – CamHerp 4496 (Fundong, 6.249°N and 10.315°E, elev. 1,500 m, coll. CamHerp L. Chirio, April 19, 2000) – CamHerp 3134I ( Jakiri village along the road from Bamenda to Nkambe, 6.055°N and 10.658°E, elev. 1,550 m, coll. CamHerp M. LeBreton, December 14, 2002) – CamHerp 1234I, 0557C (two specimens, Mbiame village, 6.190°N and 10.849°E, elev. 1,955 m, coll. CamHerp M. LeBreton, December 14, 2002) – CamHerp 0856, 0014C, 0133C (three specimens, Mbockghas village, 6.222°N and 10.582°E, elev. 2,092 m, coll. CamHerp M. LeBreton, December 14, 2002) – CamHerp 0392C, 1086C, 2356I, 3392I (four specimens, Mboh village, 6.327°N and 10.348°E, elev. 1,900 m, coll. CamHerp, July 8, 2002) – CamHerp 3291I (Sarkong Hill, west of Jakiri village, 6.054°N and 10.598°E, elev. 1,600 m, coll. CamHerp, March 19, 2002) – CamHerp 1452C (Veko village, 6.139°N and 10.578°E, elev. 2,044 m, coll. CamHerp M. LeBreton, July 8, 2002) .

This species ( Fig. 20 ) has a wide distribution and the systematics of the species complex remains problematic. The name N. melanoleuca has only to be applied to central African populations. It occupies dense evergreen and semi-deciduous forests, forest-savanna mosaics, and the Western Highlands. It is found from sea level up to 2,700 m at Mt. Meletan in the Bamboutos. Gonwouo et al. (2007) consider that this snake can occur in mountain forests between 1,800 m and 3,000 m above sea level in Cameroon. The cobra is quoted from Bafut (elev. 1,200 m, 6.08°N, 10.10°E) by Joger (1982). The species, as currently recognized (sensu lato), is reported up to 2,500 m altitude in Kenya ( Spawls et al. 2002; Wagner and Böhme 2007; Largen and Spawls 2010).

Figures

Fig. 20. Naja melanoleuca. Cameroon, Bamessing, October 31, 2003. Picture: M. LeBreton.