Chamaesaura Schneider, 1801

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 : 225-227

Genus Chamaesaura Schneider, 1801

Chamaesaura anguina oligopholis Laurent, 1964 ANGOLAN SNAKE LIZARD

Chamaesaura anguina oligopholis Laurent 1964a:50 . Holotype: MD 6003 (collector A. Serralheiro). Type locality: “Calonda, Lunda,” Lunda Norte Province, Angola.

Chamaesaura anguina oligopholis : Branch (1998:185), Stanley et al. (2011:65), Bates et al. (2014:184).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated.

Global distribution: The species is known from Angola and the adjacent southern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ocurrences in Angola ( Map 181 ): The species is known only from a single locality in Lunda

Norte Province . Lunda Norte: “Calonda”

[-8.41667, 20.53333] ( Laurent 1964a:50).

Taxonomic and distributional notes:

Stanley et al. (2011) recognized two subspecies of Chamaesaura anguina ( Linnaeus, 1758) , the isolated Chamaesaura anguina oligopholis

Laurent, 1964 from Angola and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and C. a. anguina

( Linnaeus, 1758) from South Africa and Swaziland ( Branch 1998; Bates et al. 2014). The relationship between the two subspecies remains problematic ( Stanley et al. 2011) and a molecular assessment is required to determine the extent of divergence ( Bates et al. 2014),

although it is probable that these highly disjunct forms are specifically distinct.

Chamaesaura miopropus Boulenger, 1894 ZAMBIAN SNAKE LIZARD

Chamaesaura miopropus Boulenger 1895b:732 . Holotype: BMNH 1946.8 .29.49 (collector A. Carson). Type locality: “Fwambo, British Central Africa ” [= Zambia].

Chamaesaura macrolepis : Bocage (1895a:25), Monard (1937b:61), Hellmich (1957b:52).

Chamaesaura miopropus : Schmidt (1933:10), Loveridge (1944b:107, 1957:226), Stanley et al. (2011:65), Bates et al. (2014:185).

Chamaesaura macrolepis miopropus : Branch (1998:185), Spawls et al. (2004:189), Broadley and Cotterill (2004: 43).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated.

Global distribution: The species is known from Angola east to southern Tanzania.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 182): The species occus in central-west Angola. Bié:

“Chitau” [-11.43333, 17.15000] ( Schmidt

1933:10; Loveridge 1944b:108). Huambo:

“Galanga” [-12.06667, 15.15000] ( Bocage

1895a:25; Monard 1937b:61; Loveridge

1944b:108); “Bela-Vista” [-12.36667,

16.20000] ( Hellmich 1957b:52). Huíla :

“Caconda” [-13.73333, 15.06667] ( Bocage

1895a:25; Monard 1937b:61; Loveridge

1944b:108).

Taxonomic and distributional notes:

Schmidt (1933) suggested that the two Angolan specimens from “Caconda” and “Galanga”

identified as Chamaesaura macrolepis ( Cope,

1862) by Bocage (1895a) are more likely refer- MAP 182. Distribution of Chamaesaura miopropus in able to C. miopropus Boulenger, 1895 . For Angola.

some time and until recently, C. miopropus was treated as a northern subspecies of C. macrolepis ( Cope, 1862) ( Broadley 1971d; Branch 1998; Spawls et al. 2004). Although this species is distinguished by C. macrolepis by the presence of forelimbs ( Bocage 1895 a, Schmidt 1933; Loverdige 1944b; Broadley 1971a; Broadley and Cotterill 2004) which are absent in the latter taxon. Chamaesaura miopropis is geographically isolated, occurring from Angola east to northern Malawi and southern Tanzania, whereas C. macrolepis is endemic to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Swaziland (Broadley and Cotterill 2004; Bates et al. 2014). Chamaesaura miopropus should therefore be considered a valid species (Broadley and Cotterill 2004; Stanley et al. 2011; Bates et al. 2014).

Figures

MAP 181. Distribution of Chamaesaura anguina oligopholis in Angola.