Thrasops aethiopissa Günther, 1862

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 : 83

Thrasops aethiopissa Günther, 1862

Figure 20B

Rhamnophis aethiopissa Günther, 1862: 129 . Type locality: “West Africa”.

Crypsidomus aethiops ( Günther, 1862) : Boettger 1888: 64.

Thrasops splendens Andersson, 1901: 11 . Type locality: “Mapanja,… Bibundi”, Mapanja and Bibundi, Cameroon.

Rhamnophis ituriensis Schmidt, 1923: 81 . Type locality: Niapu , Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Rhamnophis aethiopissa elgonensis Loveridge 1929: 24 . Type locality: “ Yala (=Lukosa) River at the foot of Mount Elgon”.

Thrasops aethiopissa aethiopissa ( Günther, 1862) : Trape & Roux-Estève 1995: 40.

Distribution. It is distributed from West Africa in Guinea to East Africa in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. In Equatorial Guinea it has been recorded in Río Muni at Monte Alén National Park ( Lasso et al. 2002) and in Bioko ( Boulenger 1896; Loveridge 1944) between San Carlos and Moka (Merterns 1964) ( Map 23A ).

Comments. Treated by some authors within the genus Rhamnophis Günther, 1862 (see Chippaux & Jackson 2019 for a discussion). The specimen EBD 27755 contained in its stomach a half digested frog of the species Chiromantis rufescens (Günther, 1869) ( Anura : Rhacophoridae ).

Specimens examined. Sixteen specimens. Bioko: Malabo, July 1986 ( EBD 20821) . Río Muni: Nvom (road from Aconibe to Asoc), May 1987 ( EBD 24953) ; Miboman (road from Bata to Niefang) ( EBD 24954) ; Miboman (30 km from Bata), 14 October 1985 ( EBD 20819) ; Miboman (road to Niefang, Km 30), 01 February 1987 ( EBD 24958–24959 ) ; Miboman (road to Movo), 1.753596º, 9.780538º, 01 September 1984 ( EBD 18367) ; Miboman (road from Movo to Niefang), February 1987 ( EBD 27541) , 1987 ( EBD 25058) ; Mongomo , 01 April 1985 ( EBD 20822), 16 April 1986 ( EBD 20921) ; San Joaquín de Ndyiacon (road from Bata to Ayamiken), 03 February 1987 ( EBD 24960–24961 ), February 1987 ( EBD 27542) ; San Joaquín de Ndyiacom , April 1988 ( EBD 27755) , 1990 (B9544; without EBD label).

Figures

FIGURE 20. From left to right: lateral, dorsal and ventral views of the head of: Thelotornis kirtlandii (A) (MNCN 23261), Thrasops aethiopissa (B) (EBD 20821), and Thrasops batesii (C) (EBD 27732). Photos: AS-V.

MAPS 23 A–C. Distribution maps for Equatorial Guinean records of (A) Thrasops aethiopissa; (B) Thrasops batesii; (C) Thrasops flavigularis.