Naja (Afronaja) nigricollis (Reinhardt, 1843)

Conradie, Werner, Baptista, Ninda L., Verburgt, Luke, Keates, Chad, Harvey, James, Júlio, Timóteo & Neef, Götz, 2021, Contributions to the herpetofauna of the Angolan Okavango-Cuando-Zambezi river drainages. Part 1: Serpentes (snakes), Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 292) 15 (2), pp. 244-278 : 269

Naja (Afronaja) nigricollis (Reinhardt, 1843) Black-necked Spitting Cobra ( Map 32 )

Material: PEM R 23250, near Caiundo, Cuando Cubango Province, -15.68460° 17.47872°, 1,190 m asl; PEM R 23556, EN140 North of Menongue, Bié Province, -13.08633° 16.75083°, ~ 1,710 m asl. Description: Dorsal scales smooth and in 19 rows at midbody; 188 smooth ventrals; 62 paired subcaudals; 1 or 2 preoculars; 3 postoculars; temporals 2+4 and 2+5; supralabials 6, the 3 rd entering the orbit; 8 infralabials, the first four in contact with the anterior chin shield; cloacal scale entire. Male: 311 + 24 mm ( PEM R 23561). For PEM R 23250 we only have the head. Habitat and natural history notes: Both specimens had mammal hair in the gut or in their mouths. Comment: It is a widespread species in central and western Angola ( Marques et al. 2018). The only specimens we encountered were in the western part of the study area, associated with drier Miombo woodlands. They seem to be absent from the wetter Miombo woodlands around the source lakes area.

Figures

Map 32. Distribution of Naja (Afronaja) nigricollis in Angola.