identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
996C87C0FFF79C7D90B8CEFEFB58F96F.text	996C87C0FFF79C7D90B8CEFEFB58F96F.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Dipsadoboa flavida (Broadley and Stevens 1971)	<div><p>Dipsadoboa flavida (Broadley and Stevens, 1971),</p><p>a taxon originally described from southern Malawi, has remained unrepresented in molecular datasets, hindering a complete understanding of species boundaries and evolutionary relationships within the eastern clade of the genus. Dipsadoboa flavida was originally described as Chamaetortus aulicus flavidus from southern Malawi by Broadley and Stevens (1971). Rasmussen (1979) subsequently transferred the taxon to Dipsadoboa and later elevated it to full species status, describing an additional subspecies, D. flavida broadleyi from coastal Mozambique to southern Somalia (Rasmussen 1989). The two subspecies are very similar, differing mainly in minor scalation, dentition, colouration, and distribution (fide Rasmussen 1989). Dipsadoboa f. flavida possesses 193–206 (males) and 188–197 (females) ventrals, 97–106 (males) and 93–97 (females) subcaudals, and 15–18 (anteriorly) + II (enlarged) + 1 (posteriorly) maxillary teeth, with 65–95 dorsal blotches, and occurs in southern Malawi. In contrast, D. f. broadleyi has 177–197 (males) and 170–194 (females) ventrals, 90–100 (males) and 79–100 (females) subcaudals, and 13– 16 + II + 1 maxillary teeth, with 58–82 dorsal blotches, and is distributed from southern Mozambique to southern Somalia. Since its original description, no further taxonomic revision has been conducted on the species. Previous phylogenetic studies included only material attributed to D. f. broadleyi from coastal Mozambique and northern Tanzania (Branch et al. 2019; Trape et al. 2023). Recently, a specimen was collected from the southern base of Mount Mulanje, Malawi (https:// www.inaturalist.org/observations/198120458), which allowed us to produce the first phylogenetic reconstruction of D. f. flavida using topotypic material. No morphological data were collected for this specimen; however, it conforms in general colouration to the original description of D. f. flavida (Fig. 1).</p><p>DNA was extracted from the newly collected sample (Tim11) using a standard salt extraction method (Aljanabi and Martinez 1997). A partial fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cyt-b) gene was amplified using standard PCR protocols (refer to Keates et al. 2022). PCR products were sequenced by Macrogen Corp. (Amsterdam, Netherlands) using the forward primer (Burbrink et al. 2000). The resulting Cyt-b sequence has been uploaded to GenBank with PX873532 accession number.</p><p>Phylogenetic analyses were performed using the Cyt-b dataset of Branch et al. (2019) supplemented with the new sequence. Sequence trace files were inspected in BioEdit v.7.2.5 (Hall 1999) and aligned in MEGA v.7.0.27 (Tamura et al. 2013), producing a final dataset of 22 samples, representing 10 of the 13 currently recognised taxa, including two Crotaphopeltis species as outgroups. The final alignment comprised 915 base pairs. ModelFinder implemented in IQ-TREE v.3 (Chernomor et al. 2016; Minh et al. 2021) identified the optimal partitioning scheme and substitution models under a greedy search strategy, excluding the FreeRate heterogeneity model. The best-fitting model scheme was K3Pu+I+G4. Maximum likelihood analyses were conducted in IQ-TREE (Nguyen et al. 2015) using this scheme, with 1000 ultrafast bootstrap replicates (UFBoot2; Hoang et al. 2017) and a minimum correlation coefficient of 0.99. Bootstrap values ≥95% were considered well supported. The resulting tree was visualised in FigTree v.1.4.4 (Rambaut 2018). Pairwise genetic distances for the Cyt-b gene were calculated in MEGA X (Kumar et al. 2018) using uncorrected p-distances with uniform rates, pairwise deletion, and 1000 bootstrap replicates.</p><p>The topotypic D. f. flavida sample from southern Malawi (Tim11) clustered with specimens previously assigned to D. f. broadleyi from coastal Mozambique (PEM R15473) and the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania (MH841954) (Fig. 1). However, the topotypic sample showed 3.9–5.6% uncorrected Cyt-b p-distance divergence from other D. f. broadleyi samples, while interspecific sequence divergence among other recognised Dipsadoboa species ranged from 11.1–17.3%. This level of mitochondrial differentiation falls significatively below the range of interspecific divergence threshold observed in other Dipsadoboa species (Branch et al. 2019).</p><p>From a taxonomic perspective, there is no evidence to support the continued recognition of the two subspecies, and we therefore formally synonymise D. f. broadleyi with the nominotypical form. Morphological variation between coastal (D. f. broadleyi) and montane (D. f. flavida) populations appears clinal rather than discrete, with overlapping ranges in ventral and subcaudal counts and no consistent colouration differences. We thus provide an amended species description for D. flavida, combing the original two descriptions (Broadley 1971; Rasmussen 1989): Dorsal scales smooth, each with a single apical pit, arranged in 17–17 (rarely 15)–13 (occasionally 11 or 12) rows; ventrals 177–206 in males and 170–197 in females; subcaudals 90–106 in males and 79–100 in females; anal shield entire; anal glands extending to subcaudal 4–6. Upper labials 8 (rarely 7 or 9), the 3 rd –5 th (occasionally 4 th –5 th, 3 rd –5 th, or 4 th –6 th) entering the orbit; lower labials 10 (rarely 8, 9, or 11), the first five (occasionally four or six) in contact with the anterior sublinguals, which are slightly longer than the posterior pair. Preoculars 1 (rarely 2); postoculars 2; temporals 1+1+2 (rarely 1+1+1, 1+1+3, 1+2+, or 2+2+2). Maxillary teeth loci 13–18 + II + 1; palatine 11–14; pterygoid approximately 22; dentary approximately 18. Hemipenis simple, extending to subcaudal 6–9, with an undivided sulcus; proximal portion covered with recurved spines, the sulcus flanked by two rows of enlarged spines on one side and a single row on the other; distal half with spines merging into deep calyces with denticulated edges; apex covered with deep papillated calyces. Ground colour bright saffron-yellow to red-brown dorsally and antero-ventrally, becoming progressively paler posteriorly and pale yellow on the tail. Dorsum with 58–95 brown blotches between nape and vent; in adults these blotches become increasingly confluent posteriorly, though the discrete anterior pattern is retained even in the largest individuals. Head bright yellow, finely spotted or marbled with red-brown markings; a distinct brown stripe runs on each side of the head from the tip of the snout, through the eye, to the posterior corner of the mouth. Tongue white distally, with a distinct black band proximal to the bifurcation. Ventrum varies from bright yellow to cream-white, fading gradually posteriorly. Largest male: 585 mm (snout-vent length) + 192 mm (tail length) = 777 mm (NMZB-UM 25398—Lujeri, Malawi); largest female: 481 mm + 165 mm = 646 mm (NMZB-UM 23132—Chisambo, Malawi).</p><p>Although D. f. broadleyi lacks the genetic and morphological distinctiveness necessary to justify its continued recognition as a subspecies, the variation associated with these coastal population, which prompted their original description as a distinct taxon, highlights the importance of these animals within the context of the species as a whole. The morphological, and limited genetic diversity, associated with these coastal populations likely contributes to the long-term persistence of the species, potentially serving as a buffer against future and ongoing threats such as habitat modification and climate change.</p><p>Dipsadoboa flavida is currently assessed as a full species as Least Concern (LC), largely on the basis of its presumed wide distribution and occurrence across multiple forested habitats (Spawls et al. 2020). However, our results highlight significant gaps in knowledge regarding the species’ true distribution, population structure, and levels of genetic connectivity between coastal lowland and montane populations. Given that D. flavida occupies both lowland coastal and montane forest habitats—ecosystems increasingly threatened by agricultural expansion, deforestation, and urban development—conservation measures should prioritise maintaining genetic connectivity across these two ecologically vulnerable ecoregions.</p><p>This case highlights the importance of comprehensive geographical sampling, including topotypical material, combined with molecular and morphological evidence, in refining species boundaries and avoiding premature taxonomic decisions, with direct implications for range-wide conservation of Africa’s arboreal snake fauna.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/996C87C0FFF79C7D90B8CEFEFB58F96F	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Conradie, Werner;Keates, Chad;Brammer, Tim	Conradie, Werner, Keates, Chad, Brammer, Tim (2026): The phylogenetic status of Dipsadoboa flavida (Serpentes: Colubridae). Zootaxa 5763 (4): 597-600, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5763.4.10, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5763.4.10
