Hormonotus modestus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)

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 : 341-342

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5252/z2011n3a4
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4547162
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B7FC4E-C02D-6E60-FCDA-FDD56BDAE19E
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Hormonotus modestus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)
status

Treatment

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 2 specimens ( ZMB 11241, “ Togo ” without precise locality; MNHN 2006.2197 About MNHN , Sodo Zion ) .

MORPHOLOGY. — TL 502 mm and 665 mm; 15 MSR smooth and oblique, vertebral row enlarged; 228-245 Ven; 86 Sc, paired; anal single; 9 supralabials; 9 infralabials; 1 preocular; 3 postoculars; temporal scale formula 1 + 2.

DISTRIBUTION. — This burrowing species occurs in the forested area of Togo. Previously, Matschie (1893), Sternfeld (1909: 13) and Chippaux (2006) had already recorded its occurrence in the country. Specimens mentioned by Sternfeld (1908b, 1909: 13) were collected at Bismarkburg, now Adele.

Lamprophis fuliginosus (Boie, 1827) ( Fig. 5 View FIG )

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 57 specimens ( MRAC 29476 View Materials , MRAC 29478 View Materials , GHS-W 0528, Payo; MRAC 29503 View Materials , Niamtougou; MRAC 29553 View Materials , Tomegbe; MRAC 29560 View Materials , MRAC 29573 View Materials , T 130 , T 134 , Fazao; MRAC 29582 View Materials , MRAC 29586 View Materials , Kolokope; MRAC 29609 View Materials , MRAC 29615-16 View Materials , MRAC 29619 View Materials , Togoville; MRAC 29596 View Materials , MRAC 29600 View Materials , Tetetou; MRAC 29706 View Materials , Ezime; MRAC 73014.0028 View Materials , Agou; GHS-W 0032, GHS-Togo 73, T 225 , Agave; GHS-W 1286, T 147 , T 152 , T 154 , Diguingue; GHS-Togo 13, Sodo; MRAC A7036.0002 View Materials , MRAC A7036.0011 View Materials - 0012 View Materials , GHS-W 0024, GHS-W 1018-19, GHS-W 1033, GHS-W 1063, GHS-W 1066, GHS-W 1072-3, GHS-W 1076, GHS-W 1097-8, GHS-W 1203, GHS-W 1206-7, GHS-W 1412, GHS-W 1414, GHS-W 1424-5, GHS-W 1430, GHS-W 1433, GHS-W 1437, GHS-Togo 27, and GHS-Togo 41, Sodo Zion; GHS-W 1235, GHS-W 1288, Yo [Agome Yo], T 214 , Huilehui; T 233 , Bafilo) .

MORPHOLOGY. — TL from 310 to 935 mm; 28-31 MSR, smooth; 202-248 Ven, smooth; 44-68 Sc; anal single; 8-9 supralabials; 8-10 infralabials; 1 preocular; 2 postoculars; temporal scale formula 1 + 2 + 3.

DISTRIBUTION. — This species is very common and present in all ecological regions of the country. It occurs in all ecosystems: savannahs, forest, in urbanized areas, and so on. Additional specimens were collected in Aledjo, Fazao and Huilehui. The species had been recorded from Togo by Matschie (1893), Sternfeld (1908b, 1909: 11), from Missahohe, Kete (Kete-Kratchi currently in Ghana), Hulselmans & Verheyen (1970), Hulselmans et al. (1970), and Roman (1984). Publications of Trape & Mané (2004, 2006b) and Chippaux (2006) mentioned the presence of this species throughout Western and Central Africa. However, Chirio & Ineich (2006) stated that this nominal taxon is a complex of two species which is in need of a taxonomical revision.

CONSERVATION STATUS. — According to reports of the CITES Division of the DFC Togo, 30 specimens were exported from Togo in 2005.

REMARKS

The genus is currently under revision by the senior author of this paper; the results will be presented elsewhere. Nevertheless, in Togo and West Africa, the characters of both Lamprophis fuliginosus and Lamprophis lineatus are quite constant. Both species can be easily separated by the condition of the contact between the upper part of the preocular and the frontal. In all (57) examined specimens of L. fuliginosus from throughout West Africa, the preocular is in broad contact with the frontal, whereas these scales are separated in all (12) examined specimens of L. lineatus . On the basis of new characters, it appears that there are more than one species under the name L. lineatus , especially in Central Africa.