Hamadryad Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 13 – 18, 2008. �opyright 2008 �entre for Herpetology, Madras �rocodile Bank Trust. MISCELLANEA HERPETOLOGICA GABONICA I Olivier S.G. Pauwels1,2 and Patrick �avid3 1Smithsonian �nstitution, National Zoological Park, Monitoring and Assessment of Biodiversity Program, B.P. 48, Gamba, Gabon. 2Mail address �epartment of Recent Vertebrates, �nstitut Royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Rue Vautier 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium. Email [email protected] 3UMS 602 Taxonomie - collection - Reptiles & Amphibiens, �épartement Systématique et Evolution, �ase Postale 30, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, 57 rue �uvier, F-75231 Paris �edex 05, France. Email [email protected] ABSTRACT.– The lineated form of the colubrid genus Bothrophthalmus, namely B. lineatus lineatus auctorum, is deleted from the Gabon reptile list. The colubrid Lamprophis fuliginosus is confirmed for Gabon. New localities and/or ecological data are provided for Agama agama (Agamidae), Hemidactylus mabouia (Gekkonidae), Gerrhosaurus nigrolineatus (Gerrhosauridae), Feylinia grandisquamis, Panaspis breviceps (Scincidae), Varanus ornatus (Varanidae), Calabaria reinhardtii (Boidae), Grayia ornata, Natriciteres fuliginoides, Philothamnus carinatus, Thrasops flavigularis (Colubridae) and Naja melanoleuca (Elapidae). KEYWORDS.– Reptilia, Agamidae, Gekkonidae, Gerrhosauridae, Scincidae, Varanidae, Boidae, Colubridae, Elapidae, Bothrophthalmus, Lamprophis, Gabon, Africa. INTRODUCTION ties are as much as possible, substantiated by The herpetofauna of Gabon is one of the least voucher specimens. Field observations in Ga- known among tropical African countries. A pre- bon were made by OSGP (where field numbers liminary national reptile list was first available are preceded by P). New locality records are only in 2004 (Frétey and Blanc, no date; see also marked with an asterisk*, new department (dis- Pauwels, 2004), but that list has to be seriously trict) records by two**, new province records re-evaluated because of lack of material for doc- by three***. Body measurements were made to umenting the presence of a number of species. the nearest millimeter; scale measurements were For instance, Maran and Pauwels (2005) deleted made with a caliper to the nearest 0.05 mm. three species and two genera of chelonians men- Paired meristic characters are given in the left/ tioned in that list for Gabon, pending available right order. Snake ventral scales were counted material. Distribution within the country and according to the Dowling (1951) method. The ecology are also poorly documented. Additional terminal tail scute is not included in the subcau- distributional and ecological data can thus be dal count. The numbers of dorsal scale rows are useful. For this reason, we decided to write a given, respectively, at one head length posterior series of notes on unpublished miscellaneous to head, at midbody (above the ventral corre- observations that hardly fit into our current sponding to half of the total number of ventrals), taxonomic works or regional inventories. This and at one head length anterior to vent. series will be published as “Miscellanea Herpe- Abbreviations.– �nstitutions �F� �irec-irec- tologica Gabonica”. tion de la Faune et de la �hasse, Ministère de l’Economie forestière, Libreville; �RSNB �ns- MATERIAL AND METHODS titut Royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Families and taxa within families are presented Brussels; MNHN Muséum national d’Histoire in alphabetical order in the Results. New locali- naturelle, Paris. Morphology �SR dorsal sca- pauwels & david �.indd 13 09/02/2008 100529 AM 14 Hamadryad [Vol. 32, No. 1 le row(s); �L infralabial scale(s); Lor loreal each with an adult female Agama agama in the scale(s); PV pre-ventral scale(s); S� subcaudal stomach, ingested head first (voucher specimens scale(s); SL supralabial scale(s); SVL snout- for the local populations of these two species vent length; TaL tail length; TL total length; were presented by Pauwels et al., 2004). VEN ventral scale(s). Others �OR dead on Vernacular names.– The people of the Pounou road; �pt. �epartment; Prov. Province. ethnic group call it dibambila or dibambilang; its French-Gabonese name is margouillat, a RESULTS general name actually applying locally to all Squamata four-legged lacertilians but the monitor Varanus ornatus (�audin, 1803). Agamidae Gekkonidae Agama agama (Linnaeus, 1758) Distribution.– We observed this species in Hemidactylus mabouia (Moreau de Jonnès, numerous localities, including Ayémé Agou- 1818) la* (Komo �pt., Estuaire Prov.) on 29/10/01, Distribution.– We observed this species at Bènguie* (Okano �pt.**, Woleu-Ntem Prov.) night hunting light-attracted insects near neon on 29/10/01, Ékouk-Village* (Komo �pt., Es- lights on house walls in the towns of Fougamou tuaire Prov.) on 30/10/01, Four-Place* (Komo (Tsamba-Magotsi �pt., Ngounié Prov.; 9/9/01), �pt., Estuaire Prov.) on 30/10/01, Kango* Lambaréné (Ogooué and Lacs �pt., Moyen- (Komo �pt., Estuaire Prov.) on 29/9/01, Ogooué Prov.; 8/9/01), Mouila (�ouya-Onoy Ntoum* (Komo-Mondah �pt., Estuaire Prov.) �pt., Ngounié Prov.; 24/7/01, 22/9/01), Ndendé* on 29/9/01, and Oyan ���* (Komo �pt., Es- (�ola �pt.**, Ngounié Prov.; 6/7/01), Ndjolé* tuaire Prov.) on 29/9/01. Numerous citizens of (Abanga-Bigné �pt.**, Moyen-Ogooué Prov.; the capital city Libreville (Komo-Mondah �pt., 28/9/01) and Ntoum* (Komo-Mondah �pt., Es- Estuaire Prov.), explained to us that this spe- tuaire Prov.; 26/10/01). cies appeared in their city only at the end of the Vernacular name.– The people belonging to the seventies, and that it has since progressively in- Fang ethnic group of Libreville and Ntoum call vaded the interior of the country, clandestinely it nchè. embarking on motor vehicles. According to our informants, the species would have “arrived on Gerrhosauridae boats coming from West Africa”. Diet.– Many specimens inhabiting the res- Gerrhosaurus nigrolineatus Hallowell, 1857 taurant terraces in Libreville easily accept food Diving.– On the morning of 25 October 2005 like bread crumbs and other food reliefs. On the (rainy season), in �vinga*, Gamba, after a afternoon of 17 August, 2001 in the Quartier continuous rain for 12 h, a subadult specimen �harbonnages, Libreville, we observed an adult was observed actively swimming in a heavily male eating a ripe papaya on a tree. flooded bunchgrass prairie. When approached, Predation.– On three occasions in 2005 at Yen- it plunged and reappeared ca. 3 m further, and zi �amp near Gamba, Ndougou �pt., Ogooué- repeated it twice on shorter distances. This abil- Maritime Prov., juveniles were seen in house ity of swimming and diving is a necessity, since gardens being killed and eaten by �ommon its natural environment in Gabon is sometimes Bulbuls Pycnonotus barbatus (Aves Pycnonoti- flooded during the rainy season. dae). �n the same year and locality, we observed a case of predation on a juvenile by a �attle Egret Scincidae (Aves Ardeidae Bubulcus ibis), and three cases of predation by feral cats (Mammalia Felidae Feylinia grandisquamis Müller, 1910 Felis catus), two on juveniles, one on an adult Diet and behavior in captivity.– An adult speci- male in breeding colour. �n 2004–2006 in Yenzi, men collected in October 2005 in Gamba was we also examined two adult DOR Psammophis kept three months in a terrarium in the same cf. phillipsii (Hallowell, 1844) (�olubridae), town, and fed with locally collected prey. �t pauwels & david �.indd 14 09/02/2008 100530 AM February, 2008] Miscellanea Herpetologica Gabonica I 15 was later released. Range of prey items ac- Bifoun-Lambaréné (26 airline km from Lam- cepted included earthworms (Lumbricina), ter- baréné), Ogooué and Lacs �pt., Moyen-Ogooué mite soldiers and workers (�soptera), ant eggs Prov., 4 August 2001. This specimen was found (Hymenoptera Formicidae) and caterpillar-like �OR along a secondary forest. �n 2004, we ex- beetle larvae (�oleoptera). Before being bitten, amined a dead adult specimen on the road at each prey item was touched 2–3 times with the �ap Esterias*, Komo-Mondah �pt., Estuaire snout, sometimes licked with the tongue, giv- Prov. �ts head and tail had been cut with a ma- ing chance to any fast prey to escape. During its chete by a farmer working in a nearby field, who whole time in captivity, the main time of activity threw the rest of the body on the road, hoping was 1730–1930 h. When the sky was cloudy, ac- that the next passing car would give it the coup tivity began around 1630 h and stopped earlier. de grâce. Because their blunt tail is not easily Food was not given everyday, and was disposed distinguishable from their tail, Calabaria and only after foraging activity began. While han- local typhlopids are believed to have two heads, dled, the specimen never attempted to bite, but and many locals also believe them to bite by frenetically moved its body. Several other spec- their two extremities and be highly venomous. imens caught in the same locality had had re- Special attention is thus always given to ensure course to caudal autotomy when first handled. they die whenever encountered. Panaspis breviceps (Peters, 1873) Colubridae New material.– �RSNB 17287 �tsila water- fall* on Ngounié River, on the border of Gabon Bothrophthalmus brunneus Günther, 1863 with the Republic of �ongo (Gabon side), ca The genus Bothrophthalmus contains only 17 km E–SE of Lékindou, Boumi-Louétsi �pt., two morphs (with and without three dorsal red Ngounié Prov., July 2004. This adult specimen longitudinal stripes) whose respective status is was found in the afternoon under stones along still unclear, since authors’ opinions differ in the waterfall basin, in syntopy with a Natrici- the interpretation of this striking colour differ- teres fuliginoides (see below). We visited the ence as being non-geographical intraspecific locality again on 17 August 2006 and lifted the variation, subspecific or specific level variation. very same rocks, under which we found another Knoepffler (19667) cited Bothrophthalmus lin- adult P. breviceps. eatus lineatus from Gabon, and mentioned three specimens without describing their dorsal col- Varanidae ouration.