Mehelya crossii (Boulenger, 1895)

Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoude, Trape, Jean François, David, Patrick, Ohler, Annemarie, Dubois, Alain & Glitho, Isabelle Adolé, 2011, The snake fauna of Togo: systematics, distribution and biogeography, with remarks on selected taxonomic problems, Zoosystema 33 (3), pp. 325-360 : 344

Mehelya crossii (Boulenger, 1895)

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 8 specimens ( MRAC 29639 , Kpewa ; MRAC 29708 , Atakpame ; MRAC 29709 , Yaokope ; GHS-W 0031, GHS-Togo 17, Agave ; GHS- Togo 11, Yo [Agome Yo]; GHS-Togo 48, T 206 , Sodo Zion) .

MORPHOLOGY. — TL from 335 to 1305 mm; 17 MSR keeled, vertebral row enlarged and with two keels; 220-233 Ven, keeled; 52-62 Sc; anal single; 7-9 supralabials; 8-9 infralabials; 1 preocular; 2 postoculars; temporal scale formula 1 + 2 + 3.

DISTRIBUTION. — This species is mostly a savannahdweller but it also occurs in the forested area. It is present throughout the country. Previously it had been recorded from Togo by Hulselmans & Verheyen (1970), Hulselmans et al. (1970) and Roman (1984).

Mehelya guirali (Mocquard, 1887) ( Fig. 6 )

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 4 specimens ( MRAC 73 14 R 30, Notse [previously Nuatja ]; MNHN 1989.0184 , “ Togo ou Benin ”; GHS-Togo 29, Kouma Konda, T 29 , Missahohé) .

MORPHOLOGY. — TL from 1170 to 1215 mm; 15 MSR keeled, vertebral row enlarged with two keels; 254-259 Ven strongly keeled; 61-67 Sc, paired; anal

single; 7-8 supralabials; 8-9 infralabials; 1 or 2 preoculars; 2 postoculars; temporal scale formula 1 + 2 + 3.

DISTRIBUTION. — This species was first recorded from Togo by Sternfeld (1908b), from Missahohe, and described as Simocephalus baumanni Sternfeld, 1908 . It was subsequently synonymized with Mehelya guirali by Loveridge (1939). Mehelya guirali is mostly a forest-dweller occurring in ER IV. It had been recorded from Togo by Werner (1929) and Roman (1984).

Figures

FIG. 6. — Mehelya guirali (Mocquard,1887),Kouma Konda.Photo by G. Segniagbeto.