Psammophis mossambicus Peters, 1882

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 : 267

Psammophis mossambicus Peters, 1882

Olive Grass Snake ( Fig. 30 , Map 28)

Material: PEM R 23402, DOR near Katchiungo, Huambo Province, -12.65341° 16.02845°, 1,828 m asl; PEM R 23286, Cuanavale River source lake, Moxico Province, -13.09330° 18.89396°, ~ 1,367 m asl; PEM R 23448, Cuando River Source Trap 3, Moxico Province, -13.00334° 19.13564°, 1,364 m asl; PEM R 23491, Quembo trap 2, Moxico Province, -13.13544° 19.04397°, 1,375 m asl; PEM R 27382, Quembo River bridge camp, Trap 2, Moxico Province, -13.52816° 19.28067°, 1,240 m asl; INBAC: WC-5186, DOR 1, near Cauanga, -12.73778° 15.94731°, 1,777 m asl. Description: Dorsal scales smooth and in 17 rows at midbody; 162–174 smooth ventrals; 81–98 paired subcaudals; 1 preocular; 2 postoculars; temporals mostly 2+3 or 2+3+3; 8 supralabials, the 4 th and 5 th entering the orbit; 10 infralabials, the first four in contact with the anterior chin shield; cloacal scale divided. Largest female: 867 + 350 mm ( PEM R 20024); largest male: 1,000 + 398 mm ( PEM R 23286). Habitat and natural history notes: The remains of Trachylepis sp. and Panaspis sp. were found in the stomachs of two of the specimens. Comment: Although Trape et al. (2019) recently made substantial progress in resolving most of the taxonomical issues surrounding the P. sibilans complex, historical Angolan material assigned to either P. brevirostris , P. leopardinus , P. mossambicus , P. phillipsi , or P. sibilans needs to be re-examined and genetically assessed ( Conradie et al. 2016).

Figures

Fig. 30. Psammophis mossambicus from Quembo River source. Photo by Werner Conradie.