Limnophis bicolor (Günther, 1865)

Conradie, Werner, Baptista, Ninda L., Verburgt, Luke, Keates, Chad, Harvey, James, Júlio, Timóteo & Neef, Götz, 2021, Contributions to the herpetofauna of the Angolan Okavango-Cuando-Zambezi river drainages. Part 1: Serpentes (snakes), Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 292) 15 (2), pp. 244-278 : 260

Limnophis bicolor (Günther, 1865)

Bicoloured Swamp Snake ( Fig. 18 , Map 16) Specimens: PEM R23297, Delala River, near Samunanga village, Moxico Province, -12.93169° 18.81458°, 1,363 m asl; PEM R23454, Quembo River source trap 4, Moxico Province, -13.13586° 19.04709°, 1,368 m asl; PEM R23992, Rio Cuquema, upstream, Bié Province, -12.46902° 16.82415°, 1,640 m asl; PEM R24000, Upstream of Lungwebungu River bridge, Moxico Province, -12.56330° 18.64470°, ~ 1,307 m asl. Description: Dorsal scales smooth and in 19 rows at midbody; 127–136 smooth ventrals; 37–55 paired subcaudals; 1 preocular; 2 postoculars; temporals 1+2; parietal not touching the 6 th supralabial, nasal sutures touching 1 st supralabial; supralabials 8, with mostly 3 rd and 4 th entering the orbit; infralabials 9, with first five in contact with the anterior chin shield; cloacal scale divided. Largest female: 471 + 108 mm (PEM R23992); largest male: 333 + 93 mm (PEM R24000). Habitat and natural history notes: One specimen (PEM R23297) was observed swallowing a fish ( Tilapia sparrmanii [ Cichlidae ]), which was regurgitated upon capture. Another specimen (PEM R2400) contained a suckermouth catlet ( Chiloglanis sp. ) in its stomach. All material are females, except PEM R2400. All females collected showed early egg development (March and April), except a female (PEM R23454) collected in November which contained eight well-developed eggs. Comment: The new material represents only the second set of published records for Moxico Province and the first for the Cuando River system ( Laurent 1964; Conradie et al. 2020). Limnophis bangweolicus is also known to occur in eastern Moxico Province ( Laurent 1964), and can easily be distinguished by different gular and subcaudal coloration patterns, head shape, and scalation ( Conradie et al. 2020).

Figures

Fig. 18. Limnophis bicolor from Delala River, near Samunanga village. Photo by Werner Conradie.