Dasypeltis fasciata Smith, 1849

Pauwels, Olivier S. G., Morelle, Stephan, Albert, Jean-Louis, Carlino, Piero, Rahola, Nil & Trape, Jean-François, 2019, New reptile records from Lékédi Park and Haut-Ogooué Province, southeastern Gabon, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 174) 13 (1), pp. 143-161 : 149

Dasypeltis fasciata Smith, 1849

The adult specimen RMCA 29891 (see Appendix 1) was collected by M. Gauduin in 1969–1970 in ‘‘Munana, près de Moanda’’ [= Mounana near Moanda, in Lébombi-Léy- ou Dept.]. SM encountered an adult individual in Bakoumba at 20h00 on 12 February 2017 (RBINS 18477; Appendix 1; Fig. 16 ). Contrary to the Dasypeltis confusa individual above, it was very calm when approached and handled. Its poorly defined black dorsal bands are due to the black color of the interstitial skin between scales, which allows to easily distinguish this species from Dasypeltis confusa which shows black scales forming well-defined saddle-shaped marks on the dorsum, like in the individual shown on Fig. 15 . Another individual was found by NR while it was being preyed upon by a Naja melanoleuca on the compounds of the CIRMF in Franceville, Passa Dept., on 25 December 2014 ( Fig. 24 ). First records for the Prov. (not listed from the Prov. by Pauwels and Vande weghe 2008; Carlino and Pauwels 2015; Pauwels et al. 2016a). This species was evaluated as Least Concern by the IUCN; the former species was not yet evaluated.

Figures

Fig. 16. Adult Dasypeltis fasciata in Bakoumba, Haut-Ogooué Prov., southeastern Gabon. Photograph by S. Morelle.

Fig. 15. AdultDasypeltis confusa in Lékédi Park, Haut-Ogooué Prov., southeastern Gabon. Photograph by S. Morelle.

Fig. 24. Young Naja melanoleuca swallowing an adult Dasypeltis fasciata in Franceville, Haut-Ogooué Prov., southeastern Gabon. Photograph by N. Rahola.