Natricidae, Bonaparte, 1838

Branch, William R., 2018, When roads appear jaguars decline: Increased access to an Amazonian wilderness area reduces potential for jaguar conservation, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 159) 12 (2), pp. 41-82 : 53-54

Family: Natricidae

The Natricidae is a recent coloniser of Africa, and has a reltively low diversity in sub-Saharan Africa with only five genera ( Afronatrix, Heliophis, Hydraethops , Limnophis , and Natriciteres ) and 11 species. All are semiaquatic, feeding on frogs and fish.

Bangweulu Swamp Snake

Limnophis bangweolicus (Mertens 1936)

Helicops bangweolicus Mertens, 1936 . Eine neue Natter der Gattung Helicops aus Inner-Afrika. Zoologischer Anzeiger 114: 284.

Mertens’ (1936) species L. bangweolicus was described from Lake Bangweulu, northern Zambia, and treated as a synonym of Günther’s L. bicolor by de Witte (1953). It was revived as a subspecies by Laurent (1964), who found snakes referable to both taxa in northeast Angola, recording L. bicolor bangweolicus from Calundo, Moxico. Broadley (1991a) found the species in close proximity in the Ikelenge pedicle in northwest Zambia, and suggested that the two races should be treated as full species. This was supported by additional material from the region ( Haagner et al. 2000), which also supported a dietary difference between the two species. Conradie et al (2016, 2017) record additional material in the Angolan Okavango catchment.

Striped Swamp Snake

Limnophis bicolor (Günther 1865)

Limnophis bicolor Günther, 1865 . Fourth account of new Species of Snakes in the Collection of the British Museum. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3) 15: 97.

Günther (1865) described Limnophis bicolor based on two specimens sent by Bayâo in 1864 from Calandula. Bocage (1866, 1879) discussed additional specimens sent by Anchieta from Huila, Caconda, Quindumbo, and Cahata, and Boulenger (1893) transferred the species to Helicops . Bocage (1895) discussed the species (as Helicops bicolor ) and noted that it was found only on the high plateau. Later specimens were recorded from Hanha (Bocage 1896) and numerous localities on the southern high plateau ( Monard 1931, 1937), and Bela Vista (Hellmich 1957). After reassessing the taxonomic status of L. bicolor (see above), Laurent (1964) recorded specimens of L. b. bicolor from Alto Chilo and Alto Chicapa. Branch and Conradie (2015) recorded the species around Lagoa Carumba, Lunda Norté, where it was commonly caught in fish traps.

Western Forest Marsh Snake

Natriciteres bipostocularis ( Broadley 1962)

Natriciteres variegata bipostocularis Broadley, 1962 . Serpentes, Colubridae , Natriciteres olivacea bipostocularis n. subsp. Occ. Pap. Nat. Mus. South. Rhodesia 3 (26B): 785.

The status of Marsh snakes in Angola remains problematic. Although Bocage listed two species, Natriciteres fuliginoides and N. olivaceus , in his monograph, only the latter was known to him from Angola, based on Peter’s (1882) record from Malanje and Anchieta’s record from Punga Andongo (also noted by Boulenger 1905). Later records included Dondo (Hellmich (1957) and Dundo and Muita ( Laurent 1950, 1954). Subsequently, Broadley (1966a) referred Peter’s Malanje record and another from Bela Vista (Hellmich 1956, as Natriciteres olivacea uluguruensis ) to N. variegata bipostocularis , which was described from northeastern Zambia and extended west through Katanga to the highlands of central Angola ( Broadley 1966b). It is now treated as a full species ( Broadley et al. 2003). There remains a large disjunction between the main range of N. bipostocularis in Zambia and DRC and the isolated records in western Angola, although the eastern regions of the country remain poorly surveyed.

Olive Marsh Snake

Natriciteres olivacea (Peters 1854) Coronella olivacea Peters, 1854 . Diagnosen neuer Batrachier, welche zusammen mit der früher (24. Juli und 17. August) gegebenen Übersicht der Schlangen und Eidechsen mitgetheilt werden. Ber. Bekanntmach. Geeignet. Verhandl. Königl.-Preuss. Akad. Wiss., Berlin 1854: 622.

Bocage (1895) knew this small marsh snake (as Mizodon olivaceus ) from relatively few localities, e.g., Pungo-Andongo and Malange (= Malanje), and considered that its range south was limited by the Kwanza River. Additional material includes: “ Angola,” a specimen from the Vernay Lang Angola expedition without further details (Bogert 1840), Dundo and Muita ( Laurent 1954), and Dondo (Hellmich 1957).