Trachylepis affinis (Gray, 1838)

Sánchez-Vialas, Alberto, Calvo-Revuelta, Marta & Riva, Ignacio De La, 2022, Synopsis of the terrestrial Reptiles of Equatorial Guinea, Zootaxa 5202 (1), pp. 1-197 : 51

Trachylepis affinis (Gray, 1838)

Figure 12C

Tiliqua affinis Gray, 1838: 289 . Type locality: not stated.

Euprepis blandingii Hallowell, 1844: 58 . Type locality: “ Liberia, W. Africa ”.

Euprepis raddoni Gray, 1845: 112 . Type locality: “ West Africa ”.

Euprepes (Euprepis) aeneofuscus Peters, 1864: 54 . Type locality: “ Elmina ” ( Ghana).

Euprepes gracilis Bocage, 1872: 77 . Type locality: “ Bissau ”.

Euprepes stangeri Müller, 1882: 159 . Type locality: “ Akropong ” ( Ghana).

Euprepes pantaenii Fischer, 1885: 90 . Type locality: “a: Sierra Leone, b: Cameroon ”.

Euprepes cupreus Fischer, 1886: 6 . Type locality: “ Insel St. Thomé ”.

Mabuia affinis (Gray, 1838) : Boulenger 1887: 166.

Euprepis affinis (Gray, 1838) : Mausfeld-Lafdhiya et al. 2002 (by implication).

Trachylepis affinis (Gray, 1838) : Bauer 2003 (by implication).

Distribution. Widely distributed from West Africa ( Senegal) to Central Africa ( South Sudan), southward to Angola, including small islands such as Príncipe. In Equatorial Guinea it has been recorded in Bioko at Pico Basilé ( Bocage 1895 a, 1903), Punta Frailes ( Boulenger 1906), Bococo ( Mertens 1941), San Carlos de Luba ( Mertens 1964a), and Malabo (Pérez del Val 2001), and in Río Muni at Río Benito (Boulenger 1901, Hoogmoed 1974), Cabo San Juan ( Boulenger 1905), Evinayong ( Hoogmoed 1974), and Monte Alén National Park ( Lasso et al. 2002) including Monte Mitra forest ( Gonwouo & Nsang 2005) ( Map 13B ).

Comments. This is the lizard most commonly found in Monte Mitra region ( Gonwouo & Nsang 2005). This taxon belongs to a species complex pending further systematic revisions. It contains two main lineages, one from West Africa ( Ghana) and the other from Central-West Africa ( Allen et al. 2019).

Specimens examined. Eighty-three specimens. Bioko: without specific locality ( MNCN 5786 ) ; Catedral Santa María , Malabo, 07 January 1973 ( EBD 22177) ; Malabo 09-12 January 1933 ( MNCN 5797–5798 ) , January 1941 ( MNCN 5806 ) , 04–12 July 1957 ( MNCN 9891 ) ; Ela Nguema , Malabo, 17 September 1984 ( EBD 18678) ; Malabo , 1 November 1983 ( EBD 22052) , February , 1986 ( EBD 20381) , 20 June 1986 ( EBD 21394, EBD 23541–23543 ) ; Las Caracolas , Finca Carboneras, Malabo, 14 June 1984 ( EBD 18703) . Río Muni: Cabo San Juan ( MNCN 5813 ) , 17 August 1901 ( MNCN 5811 ) [likely part of the material examined by Boulenger (1905)]; Asonga, Bata, 4 Agosto 1984 ( EBD 18704–18706 ) , 23 April 1986 ( EBD 20837) ; Mbini (a orillas del río Woro ) (banks of the Uoro River), 17 June 1987 ( EBD 27492–27495 ) ; Covadonga , Corisco Island, 8 November 1985 ( EBD 20955) ; Bome , Bata, 1 August 1987 ( EBD 27490) ; San Joaquín de Ndyiacom , 1990 ( EBD 31521_B-8497) ; Equatorial Guinea (1989– 1990) ( EBD 32032) ; Cogo , April-June 1964 ( EBD 2814–2839 ) ; Finca de los Cocos , Cogo, Bata, from April to June 1964 ( EBD 2803–2840 ) ; Mbini, 11 June 1987 ( EBD 27691) .

Figures

FIGURE 12. From left to right: dorsal, lateral and ventral views of the head of: Mochlus fernandi (A) [(EBD 22170) (dorsal view) and EBD 2841 (lateral and ventral views)], Mochlus striatus (B) (EBD 20839), and Trachylepis affinis (C) (EBD 31521_ B-8497). Photos: AS-V.

MAPS 13 A–C. Distribution maps for Equatorial Guinean records of (A) Mochlus striatus; (B) Trachylepis affinis; (C) Trachylepis albilabris.