Panaspis sp.

Conradie, Werner, Keates, Chad, Verburgt, Luke, Baptista, Ninda L., Harvey, James, Júlio, Timóteo & Neef, Götz, 2022, Contributions to the herpetofauna of the Angolan Okavango-Cuando-Zambezi River drainages. Part 2: Lizards (Sauria), chelonians, and crocodiles, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 322) 16 (2), pp. 181-214 : 200

Panaspis sp.

Snake-eyed Skink ( Fig. 28 , Map 25)

Material (14 specimens): PEM R23317 , Protea stop en route to Cuito River source, -12.3004° 18.6207 °,

1,425 m asl; PEM R 23347, road from Cuanavale River to Cuito River sources, -12.81739° 18.63236°, 1,446 m asl; PEM R 23411, Lungwebungu River camp bridge crossing, -12.58346° 18.66598°, 1,304 m asl; PEM R 23469, Quembo River source, trap 1, -13.13592° 19.04417°, 1,369 m asl; PEM R 23524, Quembo River source, -13.11264° 19.01789°, 1,539 m asl; PEM R 23980, Lungwebungu River trap 3, -12.58056° 18.66419°, 1,302 m asl; PEM R 23998 (iNaturalist 12261402), Lake Tchanssengwe, -12.41402° 18.64418°, 1,393 m asl; PEM R 27407, Quembo River bridge camp, -13.527455° 19.2806°, 1,241 m asl; PEM R 27403–6, INBAC: WC-6984, lower Quembo River bridge camp trap 2, -13.52816° 19.28067°, 1,240 m asl. Description: No white spots on lateral sides of neck; no dorsolateral white stripes; 25–29 (27) midbody scale rows; 55–61 (57) transverse ventral scale rows; 54–61 (58) transverse dorsal scale rows; 4 supralabials; 7 infralabials; 5–6 supraciliaries; 12–14 (13) subdigital lamellae under 4 th toe. Largest female: 41.4 + 56.0 mm ( PEM R 3524); largest male: 39.2 + 56.0 mm ( PEM R 23411). Habitat and natural history notes: Found among leaf litter in closed canopy miombo woodland. Comment: The snake-eyed skinks of Angola were recently reviewed ( Ceríaco et al. 2020c) with the recognition of five species occurring in Angola: P. cabindae , P. breviceps , P. wahlbergii , P. maculicollis , and the newly described P. mocamedensis . Our specimens lack the typical white neck spots diagnostic of the P. maculicollis group and the diagnostic black-edged white dorsolateral stripe of the P. wahlbergii group. The taxonomic status of this material is pending the outcome of future phylogenetic studies.

Figures

Fig. 28. Adult unsexed Panaspis sp. (PEM R23347) from en route to the Cuito River source. Photo by Werner Conradie.