Typhlacontias Bocage, 1873

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 : 272-274

Genus Typhlacontias Bocage, 1873

Typhlacontias johnsonii Andersson, 1916 JOHNSON’S BURROWING SKINK

Typhlacontias johnsonii Andersson 1916 . Lectotype: GNM Re. Ex. 1388a (collector D. F. d’Azinhaes), designated by Haacke (1997:142). Type locality: “Port Alexander, Portuguese West Africa” [= Tômbua] Namibe Province, Angola.

Typhlacontias punctatissimus : Bocage (1895a:56), Monard (1937b:86).

Typhlacontias johnsonii : Haacke (1997:142), Branch (1998:146), Ceríaco et al. (2016a:58).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Not

Evaluated.

Global distribution: The species is known from Angola and Namibia.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 233): The species is restricted to the Namibe desert.

Namibe: “ Rio Coroca ” [-15.78333, 12.06667]

( Bocage 1895a:56; Monard 1937b:86; Haacke

1997:144; Ceríaco et al. 2016a:58); “ Porto Alexandre (= Tombua)” [-15.80000, 11.83333]

( Andersson 1916:19; Haacke 1997:144; Ceríaco et al. 2016a:58); “Lacrau” ( Haacke

1997:144; Ceríaco et al. 2016a:58).

Taxonomic and distributional notes:

Bocage’s (1895a) Typhlacontias punctatissimus Bocage, 1873 from “Coroca” was probably referable to this species ( Haacke 1997), but it was destroyed in the fire at the Museu MAP 233. Distribution of Typhlacontias johnsonii in Angola.

Bocage.

Typhlacontias punctatissimus punctatissimus Bocage, 1873 DOTTED BLIND DART SKINK

Typhlacontias punctatissimus Bocage 1873b:213 . Syntypes: MBL (2 specimens) catalogue numbers unknown (collector J.A. d’Anchieta), destroyed by fire 18 March 1978. Type locality: “ Rio Curoca ,” Namibe Province, Angola.

Typhlacontias punctatissimus : Bocage (1887b:203, 1897a:197), Boulenger (1887:429), de Witte and Laurent (1943:34), Frade (1963:252-253), Branch (1998:146).

Typhlacontias punctatissimus punctatissimus : Haacke (1997:146), Ceríaco et al. (2016b:58).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated.

Global distribution: The species is known from Angola and northern Namibia.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 234): Restricted to the Namibe Province. Namibe: “Mossamedes” [-15.20000, 12.15000] ( Boulenger 1887:429; Haacke 1997:150; Ceríaco et al. 2016a:58); “Mossâmedes desert, 35 km south from the city” [-15.50000, 12.16667] ( Laurent 1964a:82; Ceríaco et al. 2016a:58); “Rio Coroca” [-15.78333, 12.06667] ( Bocage 1873b:213, 1887b:203, 1897a:197; Ceríaco et al. 2016a:58); “Porto Alexandre (=Tombua)” [-15.80000, 11.83333] ( Haacke 1997:147; Ceríaco et al. 2016a:58).

Taxonomic and distributional notes: The nomenclatural history of T. punctatissimus and its subspecies was reviewed by Haacke (1997), who validated the existence of two sympatric subspecies in southern Angola (thus suggesting that they should both be accorded specific status – see account below).

MAP 234. Distribution of Typhlacontias punctatissimus punctatissimus in Angola.

Typhlacontias punctatissimus bogerti Laurent, 1964 BOGERT’S DOTTED BLIND DART SKINK (Endemic)

Typhlacontias bogerti ( Laurent 1964a:82). Holotype: MD 1946 (collector A. Barros Machado). Type locality: “ Désert de Moçâmedes , 35 km au sud de la ville” [= Namibe desert, 35 km south of the village of Namibe] Namibe Province, Angola.

Typhlacontias bogerti : Haacke (1965:22).

Typhlacontias punctatissimus bogerti : Haacke (1997:150).

Typhlacontias punctatissimus bogerti : Branch (1998:147), Ceríaco et al. (2016a:30, 58).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated.

Global distribution: Known only from southwestern Angola.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 235):

Restricted to the Namibe Province. Namibe:

(Map 240) “Mossamedes (= Namibé)”

[-15.20000, 12.15000] ( Haacke 1965:22,

1997:150; Ceríaco et al. 2016b:58); “ 10 km S

of Moçâmedes (= Namibé)” [-15.269404,

12.164081] ( Haacke 1997:150; Ceríaco et al.

2016b:58); “ 34 km S of Moçâmedes

(= Namibé)” [-15.478951, 12.203563] ( Haacke

1997:150; Ceríaco et al. 2016b:58); “Pico

Azevedo” [-15.53400, 12.49197] (Ceríaco et al. 2016b:31); “ 8 km of SE of Pico Azevedo”

[-15.55000, 12.51667] ( Haacke 1997:150);

“ Rio Coroca ” [-15.78333, 12.06667] ( Haacke

1997:150; Ceríaco et al. 2016b:58); Ceríaco et al. 2016b:58; “Kakolo windmill, Iona National MAP 235. Distribution of Typhlacontias punctatissimus Park ” [-16.66667, 12.33333] ( Haacke bogerti in Angola.

1997:150; Ceríaco et al. 2016b:58); “Espinheira” [-16.78528, 12.35468] (Ceríaco et al. 2016b:31).

Taxonomic and distributional notes: Typhlacontias p. bogerti appears to be endemic to Angola, restricted to northern Namib Desert in Iona Park west of the Coroca Sand Sea and south of the town of Namibe ( Haacke 1965, 1997; Branch 1998).

Typhlacontias rohani Angel, 1923 ROHAN’S BLIND DART SKINK

Typhlacontias Rohani ( Angel 1923:162, figs. 6–8. Holotype: MHNP 1923.1 (collector J. de Rohan-Chabot). Type locality: “Lwankundu, sous-affluent du Kwãndo” [= Cuando Cubango Province, sub-tributary of Cuando River], Angola.

Typhlacontias rohani : Monard (1937b:96), de Witte and Laurent (1943:35), Guibé (1954:102), Brygoo (1985:92), Haacke (1997:152), Broadley (2006:557), Conradie et al. (2016:26) .

Global conservation status (IUCN): Not

Evaluated.

Global distribution: The species is limit-

ed to the Kalahari sand regions of southeastern

Angola, northwestern Namiba, northern

Botswana, western Zimbabwe and southern

Zambia.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 236): In

Angola known only from the southeastern part of the country. Cunene: “Chimporo”

[-16.03333, 17.15000] ( Monard 1937b:96).

Cuando Cubango: “Lwankundu River, subtributary of Kwando” ( Angel 1923:164; Brygoo 1985:92; Haacke 1997:152); “Cuando basin (38)” [-17.58830, 22.65694] ( Conradie et al. 2016:9-10, 26);”Cuando basin (44a)”

[-17.57333, 23.26000] ( Conradie et al. 2016:9-

10, 26). MAP 236. Distribution of Typhlacontias rohani in Angola.

Taxonomic and distributional notes:

Guibé (1954) incorrectly listed “Huilla” as the type locality, without justification ( Brygoo 1985).

Typhlacontias rudebecki Haacke, 1997 RUDEBECK’S BLIND DART SKINK (Endemic)

Typhlacontias rudebecki Haacke 1997:155 , fig. 5. Holotype: TM 25465 (collector G. Rudebeck). Type locality: “São Nicolau, Moçâmedes [= Namibe] district, Angola (1412Ad).”

Typhlacontias rudebecki : Ceríaco et al. (2016a:58).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated.

Global distribution: The species is known from Angola.

Ocurrences in Angola ( Map 237 ): The species is only known from the type locality. Namibe: “São Nicolau, Moçâmedes [= Namibe]” [-14.26667, 12.36667] ( Haacke 1997:155; Ceríaco et al. 2016a:58) .

Taxonomic and distributional notes: This species was described by Haacke (1997) based on a single specimen from “São Nicolau, Moçâmedes [= Namibe]” collected by G. Rudebeck. According to the orginal description this species is closer to Typhlacontias rohani Angel, 1923 and Typhlacontias gracillis Roux, 1907 , than to the Namib species, however, its general proportions differ and its habitat, although not explicitly recorded, is coastal Namib Desert.

Figures

MAP 237. Distribution of Typhlacontias rudebecki in Angola.