Natriciteres olivacea (Peters, 1854)

Conradie, Werner, Bills, Roger & Branch, William R., 2016, The herpetofauna of the Cubango, Cuito, and lower Cuando river catchments of south-eastern Angola, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 126) 10 (2), pp. 6-36 : 22

Natriciteres olivacea (Peters, 1854)

Olive Marsh Snake

Material: PEM R 20501 (44a).

Comment: A specimen ( Fig. 8a ) collected in the floodplains of the lower Cuando River represents a southern record of this species for Angola, the other records occurring much further north, i.e., Dondo (Hellmich (1957), Dundo and Muita ( Laurent 1950, 1954), and Pungo Andongo ( Bocage 1895; Boulenger 1905). Other records from Bela Vista (Hellmich 1956) and Malanje ( Bocage 1895) have subsequently been referred to N. bipostocularis ( Broadley 1966) . There is little variation in scalation among Natriciteres species, and also no molecular phylogeny for the genus. However, the Cuando specimen, despite its relative proximity to the Angolan N. bipostocularis records, still possesses three postoculars and is conservatively referred to N. olivacea .

Figures

Fig. 8. A selection of reptiles from south-eastern Angola. A. Natriciteres olivacea; B. Limnophis bangweolicus; C. Tetradactylus ellenbergeri; D. Zygaspis quadrifrons; E. Typhlacontias rohani; F. Acontias kgalagadi kgalagadi; G. Lubuya ivensii; H. Pelusios bechuanicus.