Dendroaspis jamesoni ( Traill, 1843 )

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 : 101

Dendroaspis jamesoni ( Traill, 1843)

Figure 25C

Elaps jamesoni Traill, 1843: 53 . Type locality: “ Demerara, Equinoxial America” in error, corrected to West Africa fide Mertens (1938).

Dendraspis angusticeps Duméril, 1856: 558 (non Smith). Type locality: “Envoyé du Gabon ”.

Dendraspis welwitschii Günther, 1865: 97 . Type locality: “Golungo Alto, … Angola ”.

Dinophis fasciolatus Fischer, 1885: 111 . Type locality: “Westafrika”.

Dendraspis jamesonii ( Traill, 1843) : Boettger 1888: 85.

Dendraspis neglectus Bocage, 1903: 44 . Type locality: “Fernão do Pó”, Bioko.

Dendroaspis jamesoni kaimosae Loveridge, 1936a: 64 . Type locality: “Kaimosi forest, …, Kakamega district, Nyanza Province, Kenya Colony”.

Distribution. This species extends from Togo to Sudan. In Equatorial Guinea it has been recorded in Bioko ( Boulenger 1896; Bocage 1903; Drewes et al. 1999) at Riaba (=Concepción) ( Mertens 1941) and Ureca ( Mertens 1964a), and in Río Muni at Cabo San Juan ( Boulenger 1905) and Monte Alén National Park ( Lasso et al. 2002), including Monte Mitra ( Gonwouo & Nsang 2005) ( Map 29A ).

Comments. There are two currently recognized subspecies: Dendroaspis jamesoni jamesoni , widespread across most of the species range, including Equatorial Guinea, and D. j. kaimosae, restricted to eastern region of the species range, from the eastern of Democratic Republic of the Congo to Kenya and Uganda.

Specimens examined. Fifteen specimens. Equatorial Guinea: without specific locality, but likely Cabo San Juan as part of the material examined by Boulenger (1905) ( MNCN 22869 ) . Río Muni: Río Utoche , 10 August 1909 ( MNCN 22307 ) ; Cogo , 08 February 1984 ( EBD 18674) ; Miboman (road to Niefang) ( EBD 20920) ; Miboman , Km 27 road from Bata to Movo, 02 June 1985 ( EBD 20778) ; Miboman (road to Niefang), 08 July 1986 ( EBD 20776–20777 ) ; Miboman (road from Bata to Niefang) ( EBD 24969) ; Asonga , 17 August 1986 ( EBD 24970) ; Miboman, December 1987 ( EBD 27784–27785 ) ; San Joaquín de Ndyiacom , April 1988 ( EBD 27783) ; San Joaquín de Ndyiacom (road from Bata to Ayamiken), 03 February 1987 ( EBD 24971) ; Colegio de la Salle, Bata, November 1960 ( EBD 2871 ) ; Acurenam , 27 August 1984 ( EBD 18369) .

Figures

FIGURE 25. From left to right: lateral, dorsal and ventral views of the head of: Atractaspis corpulenta (A) (EBD 29751), Atractaspis reticulata (B) (EBD 20937), and Dendroaspis jamesoni (C) (EBD_no number). Photos: AS-V.

MAPS 29 A–C. Distribution maps for Equatorial Guinean records of (A) Dendroaspis jamesoni; (B) Naja (Boulengerina) annulata; (C) Naja (Boulengerina) melanoleuca.