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The Snakes from the Rainforest of the Usambara Mountains, Tanzania: a Checklist and Key

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The Snakes from the Rainforest of the Usambara Mountains, Tanzania: a Checklist and Key Salamandra 17 3/4 173-188 , Frankfurt am Main, 15. 12. 1981 The snakes from the rainforest of the Usambara Mountains, Tanzania: a checklist and key JENS B0DTKER RASMUSSEN BARBOUR & LOVERIDGE (1928) list 28 forms of snakes from the rain forest or its edge between 3000 feet and 8000 feet in the Usambara Mountains. For 20 of these forms the nomenclature has been changed since 1928 and based on recent collections five species (Dipsadoboa werneri, Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia, Dendroaspis angusticeps, Atractaspis bibroni, and Bitis nasicornis) can be added to the list. Three species (Lycophidion semicinctus, H omalosoma ( = Duberria) lutrix, and Chilorhinophis butleri) have been deleted from the !ist. A revised !ist, measurements and scale counts of specimens in the Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen are presented and for the first time a tentative key to the snakes of the rain forest of the Usambaras is given. Introduction As a participant in the Fourth East African Wildlife Symposium in Arusha, 1978, I was requested to make a report on the status on the snake fauna in the rain forest in connection with a plan for natural conservation in the area. While doing this the need for more detailed information on the Usambara snake species became apparent. Therefore the unpublished data from the snakes deposited in the Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, have been included. Because the Usambara region is biologically and zoogeographically one of the most important areas in East Africa, and because it is receiving increasing attention from biologists, a tentative key to the snakes of the area is provided. Included in the key are some species which BARBOUR & LovERIDGE (1928) recorded from the nearby savanna and open forest; one may expect these outside species to invade the rainforest as it becomes degraded. The faunas of the East African montane rain forests pose many interesting questions. LovERIDGE (1934) reviewed the distribution of various animal groups of these areas based on the information available at that time. The present study shows that much collecting still needs to be done, not least in the poorly investi­ gated areas such as, e. g., the Uzungwe Mountains. Therefore it is my hope that this paper may form part of the basis for future comparisons of the snake faunas from these interesting areas. 173 Material The present study has been based on the collections in the Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen (ZMUC). The specimens have mainly been collected by teachers and students of the University of Copenhagen during field trips to the Usambara Mountains; the collection periods are June 1970, July-August 1974, Decem­ ber-January 1975-1976, January-February 1977, December 1978, and July 1980. Some specimens have been donated by Dr. KrM HowELL, University of Dar es Salaam; collection periods are May 1969, March-June 1979, and January-March 1981. An asterisk ("") associated with a specimen number indicates that the specimens were collected by a local in the vicinity of Amani in 197 4. The !ist of names under the heading of each species is not a strict !ist of synonyms. It only includes (1) the names used by BARBOUR & LoVERIDGE (1928) and LOVERIDGE (1957) when these differ from those presently in use, and (2) the names used by the most recent reviewers and revisers since 1928. Distributional areas outside Usambara are cited from LOVERIDGE (1957) or other relevant literature. Annotated checklist Three species have been deleted from the list of BARBOUR & LovERIDGE (1928). BARBOUR & LovERIDGE cited STERNFELD's (1910) records of Lycophi­ dion semicinctus, H omalosoma ( = Duberria) lutrix, and Chilorhinophis butleri. Lycophidion semicinctus, however, is a West African species, and STERN­ FELD's record was based on misidentified specimens of Lycophidion capense loveridgei. H omalosoma lutrix (now Duberria lutrix atriventris) is a montane grass­ land form near the equator and accordingly BROADLEY (pers. comm.) has doubted its occurrence in the Usambaras. The record of Chilorhinophis butleri from Amani doubted by LovERIDGE (1958) has not been confirmed. Family Typhlopidae Rhinotyphlops Jumbriciiormis (PETERS, 1874). Wormlike Blind-Snake. Typhlops kleebergi, - BARBOUR & LOVERIDGE 1928. Typhlops lumbriciformis, - LovERIDGE 1957. Rhinotyphlops lumbriciformis, - Roux-Esri::vE 1974 (Revision). Dis tri b u t i o n: Eastern Kenya and Tanzania; Zanzibar. Typhlops gierrai MocQUARD, 1897. Usambara Spotted Blind-Snake. Typhlops punctatus gierrai, - BARBOUR & LOVERIDGE 1928; LoVERIDGE 1957. Typhlops gierrai, - LAURENT 1964 (Revision); Roux-EsTEVE 1974 (Revision). Mater i a 1 : 1 specimen - R 52191, forest clearing at K wamkoro Road, 197 4. Dis tri b u t i o n : Mountain forests in Usambara and Uluguru Mountains. 174 Typhlops lineolatus lineolatus JAN, 1864. Lineolate Blind-Snake. Typhlops intermediate between punctatus and gierrai, - BARBOUR & LoVERIDGE 1928. Typhlops boulengeri usambaricus L AURENT 1964 (Revision). Typhlops lineolatus lineolatus, - Roux-EsTEVE 1974 (Revision). Mater i a 1 : 1 specimen - R 52186, Amani, 1970. Dis tri b u t i o n : From Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, and south to Angola, Zambia and Tanzania. Family Colubridae Natriciteres olivacea (PETERS, 1854). Olive Marsh-Snake. Natrix olivaceus, - BARBOUR & LoVERIDGE 1928. Natriciteres olivacea olivacea, - LoVERIDGE 1957, 1958 (Revision). N atriciteres olivacea, - BROADLEY 1966 (Review). M a t er i a 1 : 1 specimen - R 60890, Amani, 1977. Dis tri b u t i o n : Montane forests and marshes of Tanzania south to Zambia and west to Angola. Boaedon iuliginosus iuliginosus (Born, 1827). Common House-Snake. Boaedon lineatus, - BARBOUR & LovERIDGE 1928. Material: 5 specimens - R60891, Monga, 1974; R60892"", 1974; R601195, Amani, 1980; R 601196, Mazumbai, 1981; R 601197, Amani, 1981. Dis tri b u t i o n : Africa south of Sahara and also extending into Morocco and southwest Arabia. Note : The systematics of this species complex are very confused; see THORPE & McCARTHY (1 978) for the most recent discussion. Lycophidion meleagris (BouLENGER, 1893). Speckled Wolf-Snake. Mater i a 1 : 4 specimens - R 60893, Monga, 197 4; R 60894, Monga, 1977; R 601021-22, Mazumbai, West Usambara, 1978. Dis tri b u t i o n : Usambara; Magrotto and Uluguru Mountains, west through Zaire to Angola. Lycophidion capense loveridgei LAURENT, 1968. Usambara Wolf-Snake. Lycophidion capense, - BARBOUR & LovERIDGE 1928. Lycophidion semicinctum, - BARBOUR & LO VERIDGE 1928. Lycophidion capense capense, - LovERIDGE 1957. 175 Dis tri b u t i o n : Coastal Kenya to northern shore of Lake Nyasa through highlands of Tanzania. Note: BARBOUR & LovERIDGE cite STERNFELD's (1910) record of Lycophi­ dion semicinctum from Usambara. According to LAURENT (1968), this species is restricted to West Africa. As the range of variation of STERNFELD's specimens falls within the range of variation of L. capense loveridgei, I refer STERNFELD's specimens to this species. Mehelya capensis capensis (SM1TH, 1847). Southeastern Cape File-Snake. Mehelya capensis, - BARBOUR & LO VERIDGE 1928. M ehelya capensis capensis, - LovERIDGE 1939 (Revision). Mater i a 1 : 1 specimen - R 60895, Amani, 1976. Dis tri b u t i o n: Tanzania south through Malawi to Natal, west through Botswana to Angola. Mehelya nyassae (GÜNTHER, 1888). Black File-Snake. Mehelya nyassae, - LovERIDGE 1939 (Revision). Dis tri b u t i o 11: Kenya, Tanza11ia and Za11zibar, south through Mozam­ bique, Malawi a11d Zambia to the Transvaal and Natal. Also in Burundi a11d Rwanda. Philothamnus macrops (BouLENGER, 1895). Usambara Green-Snake. Chlorophis macrops, - BARBOUR & LovERIDGE 1928. Philothamnus macrops, - LovERIDGE 1958 (Revision); HuGHES, in press (Revision). Mater i a 1 : 3 specimens - R 60896, Am;tni Pond, 197 4; R 60897"', 197 4; R 60898, Sigi River, 197 4. D i s tri b u t i o 11 : Coastal Tanzania and Zanzibar. Philothamnus battersbyi LovERIDGE, 1951. Northeastern Green-Snake. Chlorophis neglectus, - BARB OUR & LovERIDGE 1928. Philothamnus irregularis battersbyi LovERIDGE 1951. Philothamnus irregularis battersbyi, - LovERIDGE 1957 and 1958 (Revision). Philothamnus battersbyi, - HuGHES, in press (Revision). Material: 3 specimens - R60768, Amani, 1970; R60899"', 1974; R60955, Mazumbai, West Usambara, 1978. 176 Dis tri b u t i o n : Sudan ( east of the Nile ), east through Ethiopia to Somalia, south through Uganda and Kenya to (and including) the Usambaras, Tanzania, west to Lake Victoria. Philothamnus semivariegatus (SMITH, 1847). Spotted Wood-Snake. Philothamnus semivariegatus semivariegatus, - LovERIDGE 1957 and 1958 (Revision). Philothamnus semivariegatus, - HuGHES, in press (Revision). Mater i a 1 : 1 specimen - R 60900, forest clearing at K wamkoro Road, 197 4. Distribution: Practically all Africa south 16°N. except virgin forest areas bordering the Gulf of Guinea and certain islands therein, also a vague coastal region from southern French Congo to Angola, i. e. the range is from Gambia, east to Eritrea (not recorded from Ethiopia), south to Natal and adjacent Cape Province (absent from the Cape Peninsula). Prosymna ambigua stuhlmanni (PFEFFER, 1893). East African Shovel-Snout. Prosymna ambigua, - BARBOUR & LOVERIDGE 1928. Prosymna ambigua stuhlmanni, - LovERIDGE 1958 (Revision); BROADLEY 1980 (Revision). Dis tri b u t i o n : East Africa from southern Somalia south to Zululand, extending west to eastern Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Transvaal. Geodipsas vauerocegae ToRNIER, 1902. Usambara Forest-Snake. Mater i a 1 : 4 specimens - R 63905-907"",
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