Thelotornis Smith, 1849

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 : 401-403

Genus Thelotornis Smith, 1849

Thelotornis capensis oatesi ( Günther, 1881) OATES’ TWIG SNAKE

Thelotornis Capensis Smith 1849:19 . Holotype: not located, presumed lost fide FitzSimons (1937) and

Broadley (2001) (collector A. Smith). Type locality: “Kaffirland and the country towards Port Natal”

[= Durban], South Africa. Dryiophis oatesii Günther 1881:330 , color pl. D. Holotype: BMNH 1946.1 .9.76. (formerly BMNH 78.7.31.1)

(collector C.G. Oates). Type locality: “ Matabeleland ” [= western Zimbabwe] fide Broadley (2001:61). Dryiophis Kirtlandii : Bocage (1895a:119). Thelotornis kirtlandii : Loveridge (1936a:39). Thelotornis Kirtlandi : Monard (1937b:135). Thelotornis capensis : Bogert (1940:70), Laurent (1954a:58), Wallach et al. (2014:714). Thelotornis kirtlandii capensis : Loveridge (1944b:154, 1953a:277, 1957:275). Thelotornis kirtlandii oatesii : Hellmich (1957b:69). Thelotornis capensis oatesii : Laurent (1964a:116), Spawls and Branch (1995:23), Broadley (1979:130,

2001:61), Broadley and Wallach (2002:70), Broadley and Cotterill (2004:51), Eimermacher (2012:63),

Bates et al. (2014:423), Conradie et al. (2016:19).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern. Global distribution: The species as a whole is known from Southern Angola and northern Namibia, west through northern Botswana, Zambia and southeast Democratic Republic of Congo to Zimbabwe, western Mozambique and Malawi, and south into the northeastern provinces of

South Africa. Thelotornis capensis oatesi occupies much of this range exclusive of South Africa, eastern Botswana and adjacent areas.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 366): The subspecies occurs in southern and central-east

Angola. Lunda Norte: “Sombo” [-8.68333,

20.95000] (Laurent 1954:58). Lunda Sul :

“Alto Chicapa” [-10.88333, 19.23333] ( Laurent 1964a:116; Broadley 2001:68). Benguela:

“Quisange” [-12.43333, 14.05000] ( Bocage

1895a:119; Loveridge 1944b:159); “Hanha”

[-12.25000, 13.75000] ( Bogert 1940:70;

Loveridge 1944b:159; Broadley 2001:68).

Huíla: “Caconda” [-13.73333, 15.06667]

( Loveridge 1936a:40, 1944b:159; Broadley

2001:68); “Quillengues” [-14.06667,

15.08333] ( Bocage 1895a:119; Loveridge

1944b:159); “Kuvangu” [-14.46667, 16.30000]

( Monard 1937b:135; Loveridge 1944b:159);

“ Huilla” [-15.05000, 13.55000] (Bocage MAP 366. Distribution of Thelotornis capensis oatesi in 1895a:119; Broadley 2001:68), “Jõa Almeida” Angola .

[-15.18333, 13.68333] ( Broadley 2001:68).

Namibe: “Biballa” [-14.76667, 13.36667] ( Bocage 1895a:119; Loveridge 1944b:159). Cunene: “Chimporo” [-16.03333, 17.15000] ( Monard 1937b:135; Loveridge 1944b:159); “Dorbush am Cunene, Chitado (thorny bush in Chitado)” [-17.30000, 13.90000] ( Hellmich 1957b:69; Broadley 2001:68). Cuando Cubango: “Cuito basin (52)” [-14.59333, q] ( Conradie et al. 2016:9, 12, 19).

Undetermined Locality: “ Rio Quando” ( Bocage 1895a:119; Loveridge 1944b:159).

Taxonomic and distributional notes: Bocage (1895a) noted that some Angolan specimens in the Museu Bocage collections previously identified as Dryiophis Kirtlandii from “Quissange,” “Biballa,” “Rio Quando,” “Quillangues,” and “Huilla” resembled the individuals described by Günther (1881) as Dryiophis Oatesi from “ Matabeleland,” Zimbabwe. Loveridge (1944b) considered two races of Thelotornis kirtlandii (Hallowell, 1844) , one from the north as the typical form and one from the south as Thelotornis kirtlandii capensis , which might represent the southern records of Bocage (1895a) and Monard (1937b). This association should correspond to Thelotornis capensis oatesi as suggested by Loveridge (1953a) and represented in Broadley (1979). Broadley (1979) and Broadley and Wallach (2002) presented distribution maps but did not list the localities plotted. The status of T. c. oatesi as a valid taxon remains problematic and has not been resolved by morphological and genetic analyses ( Eimermacher 2012).

Thelotornis kirtlandii (Hallowell, 1844) FOREST TWIG SNAKE

Leptophis Kirtlandii Hallowell 1844:62 . Holotype: ANSP 5271 (collector E. Blanding, don. W. Blanding).

Type locality: “ Liberia, West Africa.” Dryophis Kirtlandi : Bocage (1866a:48). Thelotornis Kirtlandi : Ferreira (1900a:52), Boulenger (1915:213), Parker (1936:125), Themido (1941:10),

Laurent (1954a:59, 1964a:116), Thys van den Audenaerde (1966:34). Thelotornis kirtlandii capensis : Loveridge (1944c:154). Thelotornis kirtlandii kirtlandii : Loveridge (1944c:149, 1957:274), Hellmich (1957b:69). Thelotornis kirtlandii : Spawls and Branch (1995:24), Broadley (2001:57), Broadley and Wallach (2002:69),

Eimermacher (2012:64), Broadley and Cotterill (2004:51), Spawls et al. (2004:390), Broadley and Cotterill (2004:51), Chirio and LeBreton (2007:552).

Global conservation status ( IUCN): Not Evaluated.

Global distribution: The species is known from from Guinea-Bissau east through forested areas of West Africa and the Congo basin to Uganda and South Sudan, south to northern Angola, northwestern Zambia and south-central Tanzania.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 367): The species occurs in the northern Angola. Luanda: “Luanda” [-8.83333, 13.26667] ( Ferreira

1900a:52; Themido 1941:10). Lunda Norte:

“Ile Bena-Mai, riv. Luachimo, près de Dundo

(Bena-Mai island)” [-7.35000, 20.83333] ( Laurent 1954a:59; Broadley 2001:66); “Dundo”

[-7.36667, 20.83333] ( Broadley 2001:66).

Malanje: “ Duque de Bragança ” [-9.10000,

15.95000] ( Bocage 1866a:48, 1895a:119;

Loveridge 1944b:154). Kwanza Norte: “PiriDembos” [-8.56667, 14.50000] ( Hellmich

1957b:69; Broadley 2001:66); “Ambaca”

[-9.26667, 15.18333] ( Ferreira 1900a:52);

“Canhoca” [-9.25000, 14.68333] ( Broadley

2001:66); “Cazengo” [-9.33333, 14.76667]

( Ferreira 1900a:52; Loveridge 1944c:154).

Kwanza Sul: “Quirimbo” [-10.68333, MAP 367. Distribution of Thelotornis kirtlandii in Angola.

14.26667] ( Parker 1936:125; Loveridge

1944c:154, 159; Broadley 2001:66).

Taxonomic and distributional notes: Broadley (1979) and Broadley and Wallach (2002) presented distribution maps but did not list the localities plotted.