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The American Museum of Natural History Congo Expedition

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The American Museum of Natural History Congo Expedition BULLETIN OF THEAMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURALHISTORY VOLUMEXLIX, 192? 59.81,2 (67.5) Article I.-COSTRIBUTIONS TO THE HERPETOLOGY OF THE BELGIAN CONGO BASED ON THE COLLECTION OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM CONGO EXPEDITION, 1909-19151 PARTII.-SNAKES BY KARLPATTERSON SCHMIDT KITHFIELD SOTES BY HERBERT LANG AND JAMESP. CHAPIN PLATES 1 TO XXII, 19 MAPS,AND 15 TEXTFIGURES COX'TENTS PAGE IXTRODUCTION..................... List of Localities. ................................................. 4 New Genus.. ................ List of Sew Species and Type Localities ................................ 4 Summary of Distribution of -4 Distribution of Taxonomi Faunal Areas.. ................................................ 37 SQU.4NATA ............................................................. 45 OPHIDIA.......................................................... 45 Typhlopidae.. ................................................... 45 Typhlops Schneider.. ........................................ 45 Leptotyphlopidae ................................................. 53 Leptotyphlops Fitzinger. ...... ... ..... 53 Boidae .......................................................... 53 Pythoninae .................................................... 53 'Scientific Results of The American Museum of Natural History Congo Expedition. Herpetol- ogy, No. 2. 1 2 Bulklir~American Museum of Natural History [Vol. XLIX 53 57 55 ...*............ 58 Natrix Laurenti.. .. ., . , . , . , . 58 Hydrzthiops Gunther.,. , . 60 61 .................. 62 s......... 63 Holuropholis Dumkril. 66 67 70 Mehelya Csiki., . , . , , . .............. 71 73 78 79 80 81 Thrasops Hallowell., . ...*............ 85 Coronella Laurenti. , . , , , . , . , , . , . , , . 87 89 90 ......... 92 .......... 91 Dasypeltis Waglei-.. , . , . 97 101 ... ....................... 10 1 Boiga Fiteinger.. , . , . , , . , . , . , . , , . , . , , , , . 102 Dipsadoboa Giinther 105 Leptodeira Fitsinger. , . , , . , . , 1 0i Dromophis Peters.. , . 110 Psammophis Boie , . , . 111 Thelotornis Smith. , . , . , . , . , , , , . , . , . , , . , , , , . , , . , , . 112 114 116 115 121 Elapina. , . , . 123 Boulengerina Dollo. , . , . , . , . , . 123 Limnonaja, new genus. , . , . , . , . 124 Naja Lawenti.. , . ................................. 126 Deiidraspis Schlegel. , , . , , , , . , . , , , , 13 1 T'iprridz . , . , . , . , . , . , . .................. 132 Viperin a...........................................132 Caus~rsWagler., . , , . .... 132 iltroctaspis Smith. , . , . , . , . , , , . , , , , . , 136 Bilis Gray.. , , , , , , , , . , . , . ............ 140 Athcris Clope.. , , , . , .......................... 144 19231 Schmidt, Herpetology of the Belgian Coitgo 3 IXTRODUCTIOK The collection of snakes secured by the American Museum Congo Expedition nearly equals in interest the reptile material which formed the subject matter for Part 1’ of the present paper. The 914 specimens of snakes representing 43 genera and 81 species are distributed among the following families and subfamilies. NUMBER OF SPECIMENS Typhlopidze 1 genus, 6 species i5 Leptot yphlopidre 1 genus, 1 species 1 Boidae Pyt honinze 2 genera, 3 species 44 Colubridre Colubrinre 19 genera, 32 species 347 Dasypeltinze 1 genus, 3 species 20 Boigine 11 genera, 17 species 170 Elapinre 4 genera, 7 species 71 Viperidre Viperinre 4 genera, 12 species 186 As in the preparation of Part I of this report, my thanks are due to Dr. Thomas Barbour for the opportunity to study the valuable Cameroon collections of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Through Mr. Henry W. Fowler the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia has loaned a small collection of West African snakes for comparative study. In connection with the work on distribution, the criticism and aid of Dr. J. Bequaert has been invaluable, and Messrs. Herbert Lang and James P. Chapin have added comment, criticism and advice to the advantage of the paper. The photographs were taken in the field by Mr. Lang, and form a valuable contribution to the illustration of the Afri- can snakes. It has been noted in the captions whether these photographs are from living or dead specimens. The determination of the species of snakes occurring in the Belgian Congo is greatly facilitated by the ‘List of Snakes of the Belgian and Portuguese Congo, Northern Rhodesia, and Angola,’ by Dr. G. A. Boulenger (1915, Proc. 2001. SOC.London, pp. 193-223, Figs. 1-2), supplemented by the ‘List of the Snakes of West Africa, from Maure- tania to the French Congo’ by the same author (1920, Proc. Zool. SOC. London, 1919, pp. 267-307, Figs. 1-2), which together serve as check lists of the snakes of the Rain Forest and the Sudan. ISrhmidt, 1919. Bull. Amer. >Ius. Sat. Hist.. SXXIS, p. 385. 4 Bulletin American Museum of Natural History [Vol. XLIX LISTOF LOCALITIESFROM WHICH SPECIMENSARE RECORDEDWITH THEIR APPROXIMATELATITUDE AND LONGITVDE Aba.-3" 50' N., 30" 10' E. Irebu.4" 35' S.,17" 50' E. Akenge.-2" 55' N., 26' 50' E. Leopoldville.-4" 25' S., 15' 20' E. Avakubi.-lo 20' X., 27" 40' E. Malela.-6" S.,12" 40' E. Babonde.-Z" 17' S.,27" 40' E. Medje.-2" 25' N., 27" 30' E. BaEuka.-4" 20' N., 27" 50' E. Nala.-2" 50' N., 27" 50' E. Bafwabaka.-2" 10' S.,27" 50' E. Xgayu.-1" 40'S.,27" 40' E. Banana.-6" S., 12" 20' E. Siangara.-3" 40' S.,27" 50' E. Batama.-1" N., 26" 40' E. Niapu.-2" 15' N,, 26" 50' E. Boma.-5" 50' S., 13" 10' E. Pama.-Z" 25' N,, 27" 50' E. DuII~u.-~~30' S., 28" 30' E. POk0.-3" 10' S.,26" 50' E. Faradje.-3' 40' X., 29" 40' E. Rungu.-3" 0' S.,28" 0' E. Fort Beni.-0" 30' S.,29" 30' E. Stanleyville.4" 30' X., 25" 15' E. Gamangui.-Z" 10' N.,27" 20' E. Yakuluku.4" 20' S.,28' 50' E. Gnramba.-4" 10' X., 29" 40' E. Zambi.-6" S.,12' 50' E. NEWGENUS Limnonaja. Type, Boulengerina christyi Boulenger ............p. 124 LIST OF SEW SPECIES WITH THEIR TYPELOC.4LITIES Typhlops aoakubs.. ........... .hvakubi.. ...................p. 51 Typhlops sudanensis.. ..........Garamba.. .................... .p. 51 Chlorophis bequaerti.. ..........Niangara.. ..................... p. 75 Rhamnophis ituriensis.. ........Niapu.. ..................... p. 81 Calamelaps niangars. ...........Niangara.. ..................... p. 117 Miodon unicolor.. ............... Poko.. ...................... p. 119 SUMMARYOF THE DISTRIBUTIONOF AFRICAN REPTILES In the following pages I have attempted to gather the observations on the zoogeography of African reptiles, made during the systematic work embodied in this and the preceding paper, into a coherent form. If the resulting outline should prove useful as a basis for further work in this field, my end will have been accomplished. The account has accordingly been made as much descriptive and as little speculative as possible. The Malagasy fauna has not come within the scope of the present paper, and only a cursory examination of that intensely interesting subregion has been possible. The real foundation of the zoogeography of African reptiles remains to be laid by future discoveries in the little-known tertiary palseontology of the continent, since experience has shown that even a small amount of palseontological evidence is of greater importance in the elucidation of a 19231 Schmidt, Herpetology of the Belgian Congo 5 faunal history than the best-founded inferences from present fauns. Even from the standpoint of the present, however, the last word must be said by the monographer of the families in question, dealing authorita- tively with the relations of their genera. In the maps of the ranges of genera the outlines have been sketched boldly, a considerable element of error being inherent in the imperfection of the data. The object of such maps is to exhibit graphically types of distribution rather than to establish the exact limits of ranges. The method of zoogeographic study outlined by Tillyard (1914, Proc. Linn. SOC.Xew South Wales, XXXIX, p. 21) offers a most useful means of presenting distribution data. His method of mapping genera by means of lines (“specific contours”) passing through localities with the same number of species is less practicable for vertebrates, for which lists of species from single localities are available only in the most intensively studied areas. The classification of types of distribution as Palseogenic, Entogenic, and Ectogenic is as useful in reptiles as in insects. Tillyard’s definition of these terms (1917, ‘The Biology of Dragonflies,’ p. 281) may be quoted. 1. PALEOGENICGROUPS, or those archaic remnants whose distribution is dis- continuous, extending over one or more regions. They are the last remains of groups which were once more widely spread. 2. ENTOGEXICGROUPS, or those groups which form the autochthonous or peculiar fauna of each region. They are not necessarily confined to a single region, since they frequently develop sufficient energy to spread over two or more regions. .I group is, however, only ENTOGENIC in that region in which it forms a definite zoo- CENTRE (region of greatest density), placed definitely within the region. 3. ECTOGENICGROUPS, or those groups which, being entogenic in a neighboring region, have invaded the region under discussion and have gained a footing in some part of it, thus modifying the composition of the fauna of that part. Xo ZOOCENTRE is formed by any group in the region in which it is ECTOGEXIC. The term eoocenter, proposed by Tillyard for the area of occurrence of the greatest number of forms of a group, is a concept quite independent of the “Center of Dispersal.’’ It is here used as a purely descriptive term, without inference as to the origin of the group concerned,
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