Python sebae ( Gmelin, 1789 )

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 : 119-120

Python sebae ( Gmelin, 1789)

Figure 30B

Coluber sebae Gmelin, 1789: 1118 . Type locality: “Brasiliensis, è regione Guairâ”, in error, corrected to Africa fide FitzSimons (1962).

Coluber speciosus Bonnaterre, 1790: 17 . Type locality: “ Le Brésil ”, in error.

Boa hieroglyphica Schneider, 1801: 266 . Type locality: not directly stated.

Python houttuyni Daudin, 1803b: 254 . Type locality: not directly stated.

Python sebae ( Gmelin, 1789) : Duméril & Bibron 1844: 400.

Python liberiensis Hallowell, 1845: 249 . Type locality: “ Liberia, West Africa ”.

Distribution. This species is widespread from Mauritania to Somalia and south to Zimbabwe. In Equatorial Guinea it has been recorded in Bioko at Basilé ( Bocage 1895a) and Riaba (=Concepción) ( Mertens 1941), in Elobey (Martínez y Sáez 1886; Pérez del Val 2001), and in Río Muni at Utoche River (Pérez del Val 2001) and Monte Alén National Park ( Lasso et al. 2002), including Monte Mitra ( Gonwouo & Nsang 2005) ( Map 34C ).

Comments. Fa & García Juste (2001) reported this species as part of the bush-meat market of Río Muni in Monte Mitra Forest. The finding of the exact locality of the specimen MNCN 23811 collected from “Río Utoche” was possible thanks to the old geographic map of Río Muni provided by Gustavo Pittaluga ( Pittaluga 1910).

Specimens examined. Fifteen specimens. Equatorial Guinea: without specific locality, 1986 ( EBD 31634) , without date (a single egg) (EBD 18715), without date ( EBD 6167 ) . Island of Elobey , before 1886 ( MNCN 22790 , MNCN 22792 ) . Río Muni: San Joaquín de Ndyiacom , 25 June 1987 ( EBD 27793) ; Utoche river , 1909 ( MNCN 23811 ) ; Colegio la Salle , Bata, 1964 ( EBD 2851–2852 ) ; “Encomoison” (locality not found, but likely corresponding to Micomeseng), 03 September 1984 ( EBD 20279) ; Road from Bata to Movo, 03 September 1984 ( EBD 29670) ; Miboman (road to Niefang), 08 July 1986 ( EBD 20919) ; Bata , 05 June 1984 ( EBD 18362) . Bioko : without specific locality ( MNCN 22794 ) ; Malabo , 1983 ( EBD 29671) .

Figures

FIGURE 30. From left to right: lateral, dorsal and ventral views of the head of: Mehelya poensis (A) (EBD 27749), and Python sebae (B) (MNCN 22790); and dorsal and ventral views of the head of Myriopholis perreti (C) (in the EBD collection, without EBD number). Photos: AS-V.

MAPS 34 A–C. Distribution maps for Equatorial Guinean records of (A) Mehelya poensis; (B) Mehelya stenophthalmus; (C) Python sebae.