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Geographic Range Extension of the Rough-Scaled Bush Viper, Atheris Hispida (Serpentes: Viperidae) from Uganda, Africa

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Geographic Range Extension of the Rough-Scaled Bush Viper, Atheris Hispida (Serpentes: Viperidae) from Uganda, Africa Herpetology Notes, volume 12: 241-243 (2019) (published online on 30 January 2019) Geographic range extension of the Rough-scaled Bush Viper, Atheris hispida (Serpentes: Viperidae) from Uganda, Africa Jelmer Groen1,*, Bobby Bok2, Laura Tiemann3, and Gert J. Verspui4 The monophyletic viper genus Atheris Cope 1862 the south-west Rwenzori Mountains National Park, (Squamata: Serpentes: Viperidae) contains 16 describedthe Kigezi Game Reserve, and Bwindi Impenetrable species that are distributed from tropical sub-Saharan National Park (Spawls et al., 2018). Here we report the Africa south to Mozambique (/enk et al., 2001; WüsterIirst records of A. hispida from central Uganda, in the et al., 2008; Menegon et al., 2014). Four species of Mityana District, north of Lake Victoria. Atheris occur in the East African country of Uganda: During a field survey carried out on 30 April 2018 we A. acuminata Broadley 1998; A. hispida Laurent 1955; explored a remnant forest patch situated five kilometres A. nitschei Tornier 1902; and A. squamigera Hallowell 1854 (Spawls et al., 2018; 8etz et al., 2018). Atheris hispida, the Rough-scaled Bush Viper, is a small-sized (average total length 40–60 cm, maximum total length 73.5 cm) arboreal snake with heavily keeled, spiny and leaf-shaped scales which give it a distinct appearance. This species is associated with forest, woodland, and thicket at altitudes from 900–2400 m above sea level ~a.s.l. (Spawls et al., 2018) and does not seem to tolerate highly disturbed or deforested areas. The geographical distribution of A. hispida appears to be disjunct, with records from Tanzania (a single record from Minziro Forest), Kenya (a single record from Kakamega Forest), Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda (Spawls et al., 2018). The distribution in Uganda is confined to the south-western part of the country (Pitman, 1974; Broadley, 1998; Dobiey and Vogel, 2007; Phelps, 2010) and more specifically to 1 Ecological Consultancy FaunaX, Badweg 40, 8401 BL Gorredijk, The Netherlands. 2 St. Michael College, Leeghwaterweg 7, 1509 BS Zaandam, The Netherlands. 3 Department of Neurology, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany. 4 ROC Zadkine Veiligheidsacademie, Campusplein 16, 3192 CD Figure 1. One of three specimens of Atheris hispida found in Hoogvliet Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Mityana District, Central Region, Uganda. Dorsal view (A) * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] and lateral view (B). Photos by Gert J. Verspui. 242 Jelmer Groen et al. not caught, but simply identified in situ. Thus, it has to be noted that it is impossible to rule out the fact that the observed snake could have been the species A. acuminata, which is visually similar to A. hispida and can only be distinguished by scale counts. However, A. acuminata is apparently endemic to its type locality in the Kyambura Gorge, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Western Region, Uganda, which is over 400 kilometres from Mityana (Broadley, 1998). Moreover, A. acuminata is known only from a single specimen and has not been observed since its description, and thus the validity of this taxon has been questioned by some authorities (e.g. Spawls et al., 2018). Other species of herpetofauna that were recorded at this locality were: A. nutti, Bitis nasicornis, Hemidactylus mabouia, Hyperolius sp., Leptopelis sp. and X. victorianus. We Figure 2. Geographic distribution of Atheris hispida based opted to not include GPS coordinates in this paper to on Laurent 1955, Broadley, 1998, Spawls et al., 2018 and discourage poaching of A. hispida, but precise locality the new records presented here. Symbols represent single or data are available upon reasonable request. multiple records; Black star. Type locality, Lutunguru, DRC; The new records for A. hispida presented here fill in a 1. Area west of Lake Kivu, DRC; 2. The Rutshuru, DRC; 3. gap between the Kenyan record, the Tanzanian record, Ituri Forest, DRC; 4. Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda; 5. Kigezi and records from south-western Uganda (Fig. 2). The Game Reserve, Uganda; 6. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, distances to the nearest known records (i.e. Rwenzori Uganda; 7. Minziro Forest, Tanzania; 8. Kakamega Forest, Kenya; Red outlined squares. New records from Mityana Mountains) are 235 and 255 kilometres. Considering District, Uganda. the lack of published distributional records, the apparent disjunct geographic distribution, and the availability of suitable habitat within the known range of this species, we deem it likely that more isolated populations of A. hispida have yet to be recorded. southeast of the centre of Mityana, Mityana District, The new records presented here are of interest because Central Region, Uganda, Africa. This forest patch is a limited data availability on the distribution of A. medium altitude moist evergreen forest (Howard, 1991) hispida is a hindering factor in conserving this species. that consists of secondary rainforest with undergrowth Although the IUCN Global Status of A. hispida is not in the form of shrubs with dense foliage. During the field evaluated (IUCN, 2018), it is evident that within parts of survey, between 22:00 and 24:00, two adult females of this species’ range deforestation is a major issue (Obua A. hispida were observed in thicket and tangled vines at et al., 2010; FAO, 2015), and at least some Ugandan an approximate height range of 1.5–3 metres above the populations of this species are being threatened by ground (1245 m a.s.l.). Both specimens were identified extinction as a result of it. The remnant forest patches based on morphological characters including scale where the records presented here were collected measure counts and released after being photographed (Fig. only 1.78 km2 and 0.26 km2 and are under pressure from 1). Other species of herpetofauna that were recorded human cultivation, making them representatives of at this locality were: Acanthocercus ugandaensis, forest remnants harbouring A. hispida that are likely to Amietia nutti, Atractaspis irregularis, Dasypeltis atra, disappear within a relatively short timeframe. With this Phrynobatrachus natalensis and Xenopus victorianus. contribution, we want to emphasize the importance of During another field survey carried out on 1 May conserving remnant forest patches in Uganda, which lack 2018, we explored a different forest patch consisting of protection despite their considerable contribution to the the same type of forest, situated 16 kilometres northeast conservation of East African reptiles and amphibians. of the centre of Mityana. During this field survey, at around 21:00, an adult A. hispida was observed in Acknowledgements. Our sincerest gratitude is owed to Stephen tangled vines at a height of approximately five metres Spawls, for writing a pre-peer review and for his comments on above the ground (1150 m a.s.l.). This specimen was a previous version of this publication. Furthermore, we would Geographic range extension of Atheris hispida from Uganda, Africa 243 like to thank Geofrey Luyinda for accompanying us during Menegon, M., Loader, S.P., Marsden, S.J., Branch, W.R., our time in the Mityana District. Lastly we want to thank the Davenport, T.R.B., Ursenbacher, S. (2014): The genus Atheris Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) for permission to carry out (Serpentes: Viperidae) in East Africa: Phylogeny and the role fieldwork in several areas in Uganda and ensuring our safety. of rifting and climate in shaping the current pattern of species diversity. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 79: 12–22. References Obua, J., Agea, J.G., Ogwal, J. (2010): Status of forests in Uganda. African Journal of Ecology 48: 853–859. Broadley, D.G. (1998): A review of the genus Atheris Cope Phelps, T. (2010): Old world vipers. A natural history of the (Serpentes: Viperidae), with the description of a new species Azemiopinae and Viperinae. Frankfurt am Main, Germany, from Uganda. Herpetological Journal 8: 117–135. Edition Chimaira. Dobiey, M., Vogel, G. (2007): Terralog Vol.15. Venomous snakes Pitman, C.R.S. (1974): A guide to the snakes of Uganda. Revised of Africa. Frankfurt am Main/Rodgau, Germany, Edition Edition. Codicote, UK, Wheldon & Wesley. Chimaira/Aqualog Verlag ACS GmbH. Spawls, S., Howell, K., Hinkel, H., Menegon, M. (2018): Field Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. (2015): Guide to East African Reptiles. Second Edition. London, UK, Global forest resources assessment. Rome, Italy. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Howard, P.C. (1991): Nature Conservation in Uganda’s Tropical Uetz, P., Freed, P., Hošek, J. (eds.), The Reptile Database, http:// Forest Reserves. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, www.reptile-database.org, accessed 7 August 2018. UK. Wüster, W., Peppin, L., Pook, C.E., Walker, D.E. (2008): A IUCN (2018) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available nesting of vipers: Phylogeny and historical biogeography of the at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed on 5 August 2018. Viperidae (Squamata: Serpentes). Molecular Phylogenetics and Laurent, R.F. (1955): Diagnoses preliminaires de quelques serpents Evolution 49: 445–459. venimeux. Revue de Zoologie et de Botanique Africaines 51: 127–139. Lenk, P., Kalyabina, S., Wink, M., Joger, U. (2001): Evolutionary relationships among the true vipers (Reptilia: Viperidae) inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 19: 94–104. Accepted by Werner Conradie.
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