Dasypeltis Wagler, 1830

Marques, Mariana P., Ceríaco, Luis M. P., Blackburn, David C. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2018, Diversity and Distribution of the Amphibians and Terrestrial Reptiles of Angola Atlas of Historical and Bibliographic Records (1840 - 2017), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 65, pp. 1-501 : 379-380

Genus Dasypeltis Wagler, 1830

Dasypeltis palmarum ( Leach, 1818) PALM EGG EATER

Coluber palmarum Leach 1818:408 . Holotype:1946.1.2.35 (collector J. Cranch). Type locality: “in palm trees at Embomma” ( Leach 1818:409) [= Boma], Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dasypeltis palmarum : Günther (1865a:480), Peters (1877a:615).

Dasypeltis scabra var. inornatum : Bocage (1867b:227).

Dasypeltis scabra var. palmarum : Bocage (1895a:106), Boulenger (1905:112),

Dasypeltis scabra var. palmarum ( var. inornatus ): Ferreira (1903:10).

Dasypeltis scabra : Parker (1936:125).

Dasypeltis scabra scabra : Bogert (1940:85).

Dasypeltis palmarum : Gans (1959:219), Chippaux (2006:115), Wallach et al. (2014:208).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated.

Global distribution: The species is known from Angola, People’s Republic of Congo, and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 341): The species occurs in the western Angola. The species is distributed from the Cabinda enclave to Benguela Province, mostly near the coast .

Cabinda: “Chinchoxo” [-5.10000, 12.10000]

( Peters 1877a:615; Bocage 1895a:106; Gans

1959:220); “Chiloango” [-5.18333, 12.18333]

( Gans 1959:220); “Landana” [-5.21667,

12.15000] ( Gans 1959:220). Luanda: “Cacuaco, Luanda Dist. ” [-8.78333, 13.36667] ( Gans

1959:220). Malanje: “Pungo-Andongo”

[-9.66667, 15.58333] ( Günther 1865a:480;

Boulenger 1905:112; Monard 1937b:113;

Manaças 1973:193; Gans 1959:220). Kwanza

Norte: “Ambaca” [-9.26667, 15.18333] ( Bocage 1895a:106; Monard 1937b:113; Manaças

1973:193); “ Rio Muembege, próximo de

N’dalla Tando (Cazengo)” ( Ferreira 1903:10);

MAP 341. Distribution of Dasypeltis palmarum in Angola.

“N’dala Tando” [-9.30000, 14.91667] ( Monard

1937b:113; Manaças 1973:193); “Dondo” [-9.68333, 14.43333] ( Gans 1959:220; Manaças 1973:193). Kwanza Sul: “Congulu” [-9.66667, 15.58333] ( Parker 1936:125; Gans 1959:220).

Benguela: “Lobito Bay (baía do Lobito)” [-12.33333, 13.58333] ( Bogert 1940:85; Manaças 1973:193; Gans 1959:220); “Catumbella” [-12.43333, 13.55000] ( Bocage 1867b:227, 1895a:106; Monard 1937b:113; Gans 1959:220); “Quissange” [-12.43333, 14.05000] ( Bocage 1895a:106; Monard 1937b:113); “Dombe” [-12.95000, 13.10000] ( Bocage 1867b:227, 1895a:106; 1937b:113; Gans 1959:219). Huíla: “Caconda” [-13.73333, 15.06667] ( Gans 1959:219). Namibe: “Mossamedes” [-15.20000, 12.15000] ( Gans 1959:219).

Taxonomic and distributional notes: None.

Dasypeltis scabra ( Linnaeus, 1758) COMMON EGG EATER

Coluber scaber Linnaeus 1758:223 . Holotype: NHR, formerly MAFR, (Mus. Drottingholm), lost fide Andersson (1899) and Gans (1959:87). Type locality: “in Indiis” [ India], in error, corrected to “ South Africa ” by Flower (1933:818). Dasypeltis fasciolata : Peters (1877a:615).

Dasypeltis scabra : Bocage (1895a:106, 1897b:210), Boulenger (1893:356, 1896:648), Ferreira (1904:115), Monard (1937b:113, 123), Mertens (1938a:440), Themido (1941:10), Broadley and Cotterill (2004:52), Spawls et al. (2004:418), Bates et al. (2014:411), Wallach et al. (2014:208), Ceríaco et al. (2016a:81).

Dasypeltis scabra var. medici : Bocage (1895a:106).

Dasypeltis scabra var. 3 ( var. fasciolata ?): Bocage (1895a:106).

Dasypeltis scabra var. inornata : Ferreira (1906:168).

Dasypeltis scabra scabra : Laurent (1954a:60, 1964a:116), Hellmich (1957b:72), Thys van den Audenaerde (1966:35), Manaças (1973:192).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern.

Global distribution: The species is widely distributed, extending from the south-western Cape northwards to Zambia and the southern half of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, further along the eastern half of the continent to Ethiopia and adjacent parts of eastern Sudan, with isolated records in Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 342): The species occurs in the entire country (including

Cabinda enclave), with exception of the desert regions of the far southwestern Angola. Cabinda: “Chinchoxo” [-5.10000, 12.10000] ( Peters

1877a:615; Manaças 1973:193); “Molembo”

[-5.33333, 12.20000] ( Bocage 1895a:106;

Manaças 1973:193); “ Cabinda ” [-5.55000,

12.18333] ( Bocage 1895a:106; Manaças

1973:193). Zaire: “S. Salvador do Congo”

[-6.26667, 14.23333] ( Bocage 1895a:106;

Manaças 1973:193). Kwanza Norte: “PiriDembos” [-8.56667, 14.50000] ( Hellmich

1957b:72); “Cambondo” [-9.15963, 14.65771]

( Boulenger 1893:356; Manaças 1973:193).

Lunda Norte: “Dundo” [-7.36667, 20.83333]

( Laurent 1954a:60, 1964a:116; Thys van den

Audenaerde 1966:35; Manaças 1973:193); MAP 342. Distribution of Dasypeltis scabra in Angola. “entre Capaia et Carumbo” ( Laurent 1964a:117). Lunda Sul: “Mutianvo” [-11.45000, 19.33333] ( Themido 1941:10). Luanda: “Cacuaca” [-8.78333, 13.36667] ( Boulenger 1893:356). Malanje: “Cangandala National Park” [-9.84606, 16.72233] (Ceríaco et al. 2016a:81). Moxico: “Calombe, Luso” [-11.83333, 19.93333] (Manaças 19732:192). Huambo: “Bela-Vista” [-12.36667, 16.20000] ( Hellmich 1957b:72). Benguela: “Catumbella” [-12.43333, 13.55000] ( Bocage 1895a:106; Manaças 1973:193); “Quissange” [-12.43333, 14.05000] ( Bocage 1895a:106; Manaças 1973:193); “Quindumbo” [-12.46667, 14.93333] ( Bocage 1895a:106; Monard 1937b:113; Manaças 1973:193); “Cubal” [-13.03333, 14.25000] ( Mertens 1938a:440); “Hanha” [-13.30000, 14.20000] ( Bocage 1897b:210). Huíla: “Caconda” [-13.73333, 15.06667] ( Bocage 1895a:106; Monard 1937b:113); “Vila-da-Ponte/Kuvangu” [-14.46667, 16.30000] ( Monard 1937b:113, 123); “Gambos” [-15.76667, 14.10000] ( Bocage 1895a:106; Monard 1937b:113; Manaças 1973:193).

Cuando Cubango: “Kakindo” [-15.45000, 17.05000] ( Monard 1937b:113, 125; Manaças 1973:193).

Taxonomic and distributional notes: Gans (1959) suggested that the most likely source of the type specimen, based on its described morphology, would be “South West Africa [ Namibia] or the northern Transvaal [Limpopo Province, South Africa].” However, these areas are extremely unlikely to have yielded specimens destined for Europe in the 1730s. The taxonomy of this species in southern Africa is being investigated, and the presence of cryptic taxa has been suggested (M. Bates et al. in prep.) .