Psammophis cf. tanganicus Loveridge, 1940

Kirchhof, Sebastian, Wasonga, Victor, Mazuch, Tomáš, Spawls, Stephen & Malonza, Patrick Kinyatta, 2023, An annotated checklist of the herpetofauna of the Sibiloi National Park in northern Kenya based on field surveys, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 324) 17 (1 / 2), pp. 1-18 : 10

Psammophis cf. tanganicus Loveridge, 1940

Vouchers: NMK-370S (field no. SK16 1093)

Records: KA (B)

Remarks: A slim grey sand snake very similar to Psammophis biseriatus , of which it was originally described as a subspecies. Its taxonomic status will remain unresolved without thorough genetic and morphological analyses covering their entire ranges. According to Loveridge (1940) the only character separating P. biseriatus biseriatus from P. b. tanganicus [sic] is the number of labial scales entering the orbit (two in P. b. biseriatus vs. three in P. b. tanganicus [sic]). Specimen NMK-370S has nine labials and the 4 th, 5 th, and 6 th are in contact with the orbit. Labials are not plain white but rather largely blotched in light brown. This poorly known snake occurs from sea level to about 1,300 m in dry savanna and semi-desert, but the known Kenyan records are few and very scattered ( Spawls et al. 2018). We found only one individual ( Fig. 4U ) in the bushland at Karare in the evening of 2 December 2016 right at sunset. It was actively moving on the ground, but immediately climbed into a shrub when disturbed. If the specimen proves to be P. tanganicus this will be the first record from the Lake Turkana area. Genetic analyses are necessary to resolve the taxonomic status of P. biseriatus and P. tanganicus .

Figures

Fig. 4. Reptile species recorded during the surveys: (A) Crocodylus niloticus; (B) Agama lionotus; (C) Agama rueppelli; (D) Holodactylus africanus; (E) Hemidactylus angulatus; (F) Hemidactylus barbierii; (G) Hemidactylus lanzai; (H) Hemidactylus ruspolii; (I) Homopholis fasciata; (J) Lygodactylus somalicus; (K) Stenodactylus sthenodactylus; (L) Heliobolus spekii; (M) Latastia longicaudata; (N) Philochortus rudolfensis; (O) Chalcides bottegi; (P) Mochlus sundevallii; (Q) Trachylepis striata; (R) Varanus albigularis; (S) Eryx colubrinus; (T) Platyceps brevis; (U) Psammophis cf. tanganicus; (V) Psammophis punctulatus; (W) Rhamphiophis rostratus; (X) Naja pallida; (Y) Bitis arietans; and (Z) Echis pyramidum.