Namibiana latifrons ( Sternfeld 1908 )

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 : 44

Namibiana latifrons ( Sternfeld 1908)

Glauconia latifrons Sternfeld, 1908 . Neue und ungenügend bekannte afrikanische Schlangen. S. Ber. Ges. Naturforsch. Freunde Berlin 4: 94.

This species has caused confusion, and continues to be mis-assigned to L. scutifrons ( Ceriaco et al. 2016a) . Sternfeld (1908) noted that material identified as Glauconia scutifrons by Boulenger was different from Peters (1854) type for the species, and therefore proposed the new name Glauconia latifrons for this material. Unfortunately, he gave no type locality. Broadley and Watson (1976) noted that Boulenger’s knowledge of scutifrons was based solely on two specimens from Benguela, identified as such by Peters (1865). To stabilize the situation, they designated the Benguela material as the types of Leptotyphlops latifrons , and also reassigned Bocage’s (1895) records of Stenosoma scutifrons from Catumbela and N’Gunza (= Novo Redondo) to L. latifrons . The species is endemic to the coastal region of southwestern Angola.

Angolan Beaked Thread Snake

Namibiana rostrata (Bocage 1886)

Stenostoma rostratum Bocage, 1886 . Typhlopiens nouveaux de la Faune africaine. Jorn. Sci. Math. Phys. Nat., Lisboa 11: 173.

The only specimen known to Bocage (1886) was his type of Stenosoma rostrata sent by Anchieta from “Humbe, sur les bords du Cunene.” Broadley and Broadley (1999) noted additional material, including another thread snake collected in May 1954 by Dr Charles Koch at Vane e Lombe , Namibe Province, Angola (1513 Ad , 15°30’S, 13°30’E), two from west of Huila, and a problematic record from “ Luanda.” Many old specimens were listed from the home base of the collector, rather than from where they were actually collected. Fresh material from Luanda is required to confirm if the species extends as far north .