Psammophis cf. phillipsii (Hallowell, 1844)

Ineich, Ivan, LeBreton, Matthew, Lhermitte-Vallarino, Nathaly, Abstract. - The, Laurent Chirio, Oku, Mount & Highlands, Bamenda, 2015, The reptiles of the summits of Mont Oku and the Bamenda Highlands, Cameroon *, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 108) 9 (2), pp. 15-38 : 30

Psammophis cf. phillipsii (Hallowell, 1844) (three specimens)

Material: CamHerp 180, 601C, 844C (three specimens, Mbiame, 6.190°N and 10.849°E, elev. 1,955 m, coll. CamHerp M. LeBreton and L. Chirio, July 8, 2002).

This terrestrial snake is common in Cameroon and Central African Republic. It occupies a variety of habitats ranging from degraded forests to high savannas. It does not hesitate to frequent the villages and even large cities like Yaounde. The species is abundant in the whole southern half of the country, except in undisturbed forest areas, and is found up to 2,000 m at Tabenken. Species status was granted to this taxon by Kelly et al. (2008) as Psammophis occidentalis Werner, 1919 , but that name does not apply to those populations of the P. phillipsii complex (entire anal plate). They are however distinct from P. phillipsii sensu stricto and their status is under revision (Trape, pers. comm. to LC). Those populations were previously recognized as P. phillipsii by Chirio and Ineich (2006) and Chirio and LeBreton (2007). They belong to a central African species whose distribution does not occur west of the Cameroon border. This snake (as Psammophis sibilans ) was also reported from Bafut (elev. 1,200 m, 6.08°N, 10.10°E) by Böhme (1975).