Atheris Cope, 1862

Marques, Mariana P., Ceríaco, Luis M. P., Blackburn, David C. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2018, Diversity and Distribution of the Amphibians and Terrestrial Reptiles of Angola Atlas of Historical and Bibliographic Records (1840 - 2017), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 65, pp. 1-501 : 308

Genus Atheris Cope, 1862

Atheris squamigera (Hallowell, “1854” 1855) VARIABLE BUSH VIPER

Echis squamigera Hallowell “1854” 1855:193. Holotype: ANSP 6949 (collector M.P. Bellonni-Duchaillu).

Type locality: “Near the river Gaboon, Guinea ” (Hallowell “1854” 1855:193), Gabon River, Gabon. Atheris squamigera : Peters (1881:150), Bocage (1887a:189, 1895a:152), Laurent (1954a:62), Loveridge

(1957:304), Frade (1963:252), Spawls and Branch (1995:99), Broadley (1998a:128), Ernst and Rödel

(2002:55), Chirio and LeBreton (2007:596), Dobiey and Vogel (2007:100), Wallach et al. (2014:62) Atheris Lucani : Rochebrune (1885:89). Atheris squamiger : Boulenger (1905:114, 1915:222), Ferreira (1906:169). Atheris squamigera squamigera (Hallowell) : Laurent (1954a:62), Hellmich (1957b:76), Manaças (1981:39).? Atheris squamigera squamigera (Hallowell) : Laurent (1964a:128).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated.

Global distribution: The species is endemic to West and Central Africa.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 268): The species occurs in northern Angola , including the Cabinda enclave . Cabinda: “ Foz do Luango ” [-5.15000, 12.16667] (Manaças 1981:39) ;

“Landana” [-6.21667, 12.15000] ( Rochebrune

1885:90, Loveridge 1957:304, Manaças

1981:39). Lunda Norte: “Riv. Kundueji, environs de Dundo, Lunda” [-7.36667, 20.83333]

( Laurent 1964a:128); “Dundo, rives de la Luachimo” [-7.38333, 20.85000] ( Laurent

1954a:62; Manaças 1981:39); “forêt de la Luachimo” [-7.38333, 20.85000] ( Laurent

1964a:128). Kwanza Norte: “Piri-Dembos”

[-8.53333, 14.43333] ( Hellmich 1957b:76;

Manaças 1981:39); “Golungo Alto” [-9.13333,

14.76667] ( Boulenger 1905:114; Ferreira

1906:169; Manaças 1981:39). Undetermined

Locality: “Cuango” ( Peters 1881:150; Bocage MAP 268. Distribution of Atheris squamigera in Angola.

1887a:189; 1895a:152; Manaças 1981:39)

(Malanje Province impossible to georeference: See History Section for more detailed information). Taxonomic and distributional notes: The date of the description of this taxon has variably been given as 1854, 1855 ( Wallach et al. 2014), or 1856 ( McDiarmid et al. 1999; Broadley 1998a). Although the contents of volume 7 of the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia covers the years 1854 and 1855 and the printed cover page indicates 1856, part V of the volume, in which Hallowll’s paper appeared, was printed in 1855. Several taxonomic revisions of the genus Atheris Gray, 1842 were undertaken by Broadley (1996a, 1998a), but the taxonomic status of several entities remain to be established (Ernst and Rödel 2002). A re-examination of museum specimens is necessary to determine if Atheris squamigera (Hallowell, “1854” 1855) is a geographically variable species or a species complex ( Broadley 1998a; B. Hughes in Ernst and Rödel 2002).