Psammophis mossambicus Peters, 1882

Santos, Bruna S., Marques, Mariana P., Bauer, Aaron M. & Ceríaco, Luis M. P., 2021, Herpetological results of Francisco Newton’s Zoological Expedition to Angola (1903 – 1906): a taxonomic revision and new records of a forgotten collection, Zootaxa 5028 (1), pp. 1-80 : 32

Psammophis mossambicus Peters, 1882

Material (four specimens): Three adult specimens (MHNCUP/ REP 178–180, formerly UP-MHNFCP-040696, 017421 and 040698 respectively; Fig. S66 ), collected from unknown locality, date unknown; one adult specimen (MHNCUP/ REP 181 , formerly UP-MHNFCP-017423), collected from Cabicula, Cazengo [-9.16667º, 13.56667º, 37 m a.s.l.] Bengo Province, in 1903 .

Comments: Psammophis mossambicus is a moist savanna and grassland species that occurs across Sudan to South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal Province), west to southeastern Nigeria and northern Namibia and east to Mozambique and Kenya ( Marques et al. 2018; Trape et al. 2019). Like P. leopardinus , P. mossambicus was also initially described as a variety of P. sibilans ( Peters 1882b) . The extant specimens were previously identified as P. sibilans and might therefore correspond to part of the specimens Ferreira cited (see previous account). Specimen MHNCUP/REP 181 possibly matches the citation from “Cazengo”. The taxonomy of the P. sibilans group was recently addressed by Trape et al. (2019) using molecular, morphological, and field data. The authors reassigned central African populations (north, south, and east of the Congo forest block) of P. phillipsi (Hallowell, 1844) to P. mossambicus and treated P. occidentalis Werner, 1919 as a synonym of P. mossambicus .

Figures

FIGURE S66. Specimen of Psammophis mossambicus (MHNCUP/REP 179), from unknown locality. Photo by Bruna Santos.