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DEB 01-32227 to J. W. SITES, Jr. We thank Fauna au- cyanogaster (RÜPPELL, 1835) (Tree Agama). thorities of Chubut, Rio Negro, and Neuquén Provinces Predators of A. p. planiceps include horn- for collection permits. bills and rock kestrels and up to 30% of KEY WORDS: Reptilia: Squamata: Sauria: Igu- anidae: Liolaemus cuyanus, L. gracilis, L. grosseorum, adults have been documented with broken L. kriegi, L. wiegmannii, distribution, Patagonia, Argen- tails (BRANCH 1998). Although it is expect- tina ed that small predators other than raptors SUBMITTED: January 8, 2004 prey on A. p. planiceps, this is most likely AUTHORS: Dr. Luciano Javier AVILA, CEN- the first record of A. p. planiceps being PAT-CONICET, Boulevard Almirante Brown s/n, preyed upon by Galerella nigrata U9120ACV, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina < [email protected] >; Lie. Mariana ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The following MURANDO, CENPAT-CON1CET, Boulevard Almirante individuals and institutions are acknowledged for Brown s/n, U9120ACV, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, logistical support and financial assistance: Argentina (Present address: Department of Integrative Commercial Bank of Namibia's Go Green Fund, Roger Biology, Brigham Young University, 401 WIDB, FUSSEL, Mike GRIFFIN, Galen RATHBUN, Rob SIMMONS, Provo, Utah, USA); Sr. Cristian Hernan Fulvio PEREZ, Lindy VAN DEN BOSCH, Mike and Helen WARREN, Agustin Alvarez 1182 "A". 8000. Bahia Bianca Wildlife Society of Namibia & Otto Zapke. (Buenos Aires), Argentina. < [email protected] >; REFERENCES: BRANCH, B. (1998): Field Dr. Jack Walter SITES, Jr. Department of Integrative guide to snakes and other reptiles of southern Africa. Biology, Brigham Young University, 401 WIDB, Cape Town (Struik Publishers Pty Ltd.), pp. 399. SKIN- Provo, Utah, USA NER, J. D. & SMITHERS, R. H. N. (1990): The mammals of the southern African subregion. Pretoria (University of Pretoria Press), pp. 771. Agama planiceps PETERS, 1862 KEY WORDS: Reptilia: Squamata: Sauria: as prey item for Black Mongoose Agamidae; Agama planiceps, prédation, Namibia SUBMITTED: November 24, 2003 Galerella (sanguinea) nigrata AUTHORS: Tristan COWLEY & Peter CUNNING- HAM, Department of Nature Conservation, Polytechnic On three occasions during July and of Namibia, P/Bag 13388, Windhoek, Namibia. August 2003 (9/07, 20/07, 19/08) adult Na- < [email protected] > in ibian Rock Agamas {Agama planiceps planiceps PETERS, 1862) were observed SMITH, being caught and eaten by adult male Black Python natalensis 1833 Mongooses Galerella {sanguinea) nigrata preys on South African Porcupine in the Erongo Mountains west of Omaruru Hystrix africaeaustralis in western Namibia. Whilst conducting fieldwork on the On 12 December 2003 a dead adult habitat use and home range of G nigrata it Southern African Python, Python natalensis was noticed that they often attempted to prey SMITH, 1833, of 3 m in length was found on A p. planiceps individuals although most- approximately 60 km north-west of Oka- ly unsuccessfully. The three occasions when handja on the farm Okarumetero in central A. p. planiceps individuals were caught Namibia with the carcass of an adult South occurred during the early morning between African Porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis 08:30 and 09:30 on cool days when the aga- individual inside it. The quills of the porcu- mas were less mobile. Once caught, they pine were protruding through the skin of the were quickly subdued by being vigorously python possibly indicating that the python shaken for a few seconds and then totally had caught and consumed the porcupine consumed. On one occasion cooperative after which the quills resulted in the death of hunting by two G nigrata individuals on A. the individual. It would seem from the car- p. planiceps was even observed albeit also cass remains that the python was disturbed unsuccessful. after ingesting the porcupine and tried to According to SKINNER & SMITHERS regurgitate its prey consequently resulting (1990), Sauria rank second behind Insecta in the death of the snake. in the diet of Galerella sanguinea as identi- The diet of P. natalensis consists main- fied from 60 stomach contents from south- ly of warm-blooded prey and includes rock ern Africa. The only Agama identified from hyrax, hares, cane rats, monkeys, small ante- the stomach contents however, was A. lope, fish, monitor lizards, small crocodiles ©Österreichische Gesellschaft für Herpetologie e.V., Wien, Austria, download unter www.biologiezentrum.at

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and game birds (MARAIS 1992; BRANCH BRINGS0E et al. (2001) claimed later 1998; CLAUSS & CLAUSS 2002). Bigger prey that the name Testudo marginata weissin- is also consumed and records include geri TRUTNAU, 1994 - which appeared unin- sitatunga, reedbuck, young waterbuck, occa- tentionally before BOUR'S (1995) descrip- sionally humans and even difficult prey such tion in a terrarium book - would be available as porcupine (BROADLEY 1990). because of inclusion of a minimal character- According to WALKER (1984) the prin- isation ("a diagnosis"). Additionally, the cipal predators of H. africaeaustralis are name Testudo weissingeri BOUR, 1995 lion and leopard. SKINNER & SMITHERS (1990) [where the date of authority was erroneous- note that H. africaeaustralis quills have ly and consistently quoted as 1996] was said been known to damage predators such as to be a primary older homonym and thus not lion and leopard and can cause fatal available in any case (BRINGSOE et al. 2001). wounds. KENMUIR & WILLIAMS (1992) state These interpretations are erroneous, how- that although larger predators may kill por- ever. TRUTNAU'S (1994) "description" goes cupines they seldom emerge unscathed from as follows: "Auf dem Peleponnes [sic!] the attack. This observation indicates that wurden vor kurzer Zeit kleiner bleibende although P. natalensis may prey on H. Testudo marginata entdeckt, die sich außer africaeaustralis they also succumb to the in der Größe auch in anderen Merkmalen defense mechanism of the latter species. unterscheiden und die wohl in Zukunft als Testudo marginata weissingeri in die Syste- REFERENCES: BRANCH, B. (1998): Field guide to snakes and other reptiles of southern Africa. matik eingehen werden." ICZN (1999) Cape Town (Struik Publishers Pty Ltd.), pp. 399. Artide 15.1 rules however that, "A new BROADLEY, D. G. (1990): Fitzsimons' snakes of south- name or nomenclatural act proposed condi- ern Africa. Johannesburg (Jonathan Ball & Ad Donker tionally and published after 1960 is not Publishers), pp. 387. CLAUSS, B. & CLAUSS, R. (2002): Common amphibians and reptiles of Botswana. thereby made available." If one checks in Windhoek (Gamsberg Macmillan Publishers), pp. 114. the Code's glossary (ICZN 1999), it says KENMUIR, D. & WILLIAMS, R. (1992): Wild mammals: under the term "conditional": "Of the pro- a field guide and introduction to the mammals of Zim- posal of a name or a type fixation: one made babwe. Harare (Longman Zimbabwe Ltd.), pp. 136. MARAIS, J. (1992): A complete guide to the snakes of with stated reservations [Art. 15.1]." TRUT- Southern Africa. Johannesburg (Southern Book Pub- NAU'S (1994) expression "...wohl in Zu- lishers), pp. 208. SKINNER, J. D. & SMITHERS, R. H. N. kunft" means "possibly/likely in the future", (1990): The mammals of the southern African subre- therefore the paragraph is conditional and gion. Pretoria (University of Pretoria Press), pp. 771. WALKER, C. (1984): Signs of the wild. Cape Town (C. the author has reservations. In conclusion, Struik Pty Ltd.), pp. 223. T marginata weissingeri TRUTNAU is not an available name according to the present KEY WORDS: Reptilia: Squamata: Serpentes: Boidae; Python natalensis, prey, Namibia Code (ICZN 1999), and thereby the name Testudo weissingeri BOUR, 1995 is available SUBMITTED: February 24, 2004 and valid. A piquant aside is that the collec- AUTHORS: Junge JANSEN & Peter CUNNING- tion of the Naturhistorisches Museum in HAM, Department of Nature Conservation, Polytech- Vienna has several T weissingeri specimens nic of Namibia, P/Bag 13388, Windhoek, Namibia. < [email protected] > collected by the late H. WEISSINGER and his friend P. KEYMAR labeled with the working title "Testudo marginata modesta" by the Nomenclatural validity of the name collectors themselves [the citation of this Testudo weissingeri BOUR, 1995 name appears here for curiosity reasons only and is not a nomenclatural act]. The testudinid taxon Testudo weissin- REFERENCES: BOUR, R. (1995): Une nouvelle geri BOUR, 1995 was described ten years ago espèce de tortue terrestre dans le Péloponnèse (Grèce). - Dumerilia, Paris; 2: 23-54. BRINGSOE, H. & BUSKIRK, from south-western Péloponnèse in Greece. J. R. & WILLEMSEN, R. E. (2001): Testudo marginata The type locality is Kardamili, Messenia, SCHOEPFF - Breitrandschildkröte; pp. 291-334. In: Greece, by original designation. The species FRITZ, U. (ed.): Handbuch der Reptilien und Amphibien was named in honour of the late HEINZ Europas, Band 3/1IIA: Schildkröten (Testudines) I WEISSINGER (Bataguridae, Testudinidae, Emydidae). Wiebeisheim who had previously worked (AULA-Verlag). ICZN (1999): International Code of with this population. Zoological Nomenclature. Fourth Edition adopted by