Elapsoidea semiannulata semiannulata Bocage, 1882 Angolan Garter Snake

Conradie, Werner, Baptista, Ninda L., Verburgt, Luke, Keates, Chad, Harvey, James, Júlio, Timóteo & Neef, Götz, 2021, Contributions to the herpetofauna of the Angolan Okavango-Cuando-Zambezi river drainages. Part 1: Serpentes (snakes), Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 292) 15 (2), pp. 244-278 : 269

Elapsoidea semiannulata semiannulata Bocage, 1882 Angolan Garter Snake ( Fig. 33 , Map 31)

Material: PEM R 23561, en route to Kulu River source, approx.-12.73915° 18.39236°, 1,453 m asl; PEM R 27370, lower Quembo River, -13.52988° 19.28340°, 1,242 m asl. Description: Dorsal scales smooth and in 13 rows at midbody; 146 and 148 smooth ventrals; 23 and 25 paired subcaudals; 1 preocular; 2 postoculars; temporals 1+2; 7 supralabials, 3 rd and 4 th entering the orbit; 7 infralabials, the first four in contact with the anterior chin shield (4 th in narrow contact); cloacal scale divided. Thirty faint bands present on the dorsum, extending onto the flanks but absent from the venter. Largest male: 393 + 43 mm ( PEM R 27370). Habitat and natural history notes: Members of the logistic team stumbled upon a scene where a larger unidentified snake was busy consuming a smaller snake ( Elapsoidea s. semiannulata ). The larger snake then regurgitated its prey and disappeared into the bush. The second specimen was found active at night in grassland next to the Quembo River. Comment: This material represents only the second and third record for Moxico Province. The only other record for the country is from 200 km northeast of Lunea = Vila Luso (Manaças 1981). Outside of Angola, the species is known from Zambia west of the Zambezi River and northern Namibia ( Broadley 1971).

Figures

Fig. 33. Elapsoidea semiannulata semiannulata from Quembo River bridge site. Photo by Werner Conradie.