Agama schacki Mertens, 1938

Marques, Mariana P., Parrinha, Diogo, Lopes-Lima, Manuel, Tiutenko, Arthur, Bauer, Aaron M. & Ceríaco, Luis M. P., 2024, An island in a sea of sand: a first checklist of the herpetofauna of the Serra da Neve inselberg, southwestern Angola, ZooKeys 1201, pp. 167-217 : 167-217

Agama schacki Mertens, 1938

Fig. 9 f, g

Records.

Rock outcrop near Basecamp 1 [- 13.7865, 13.2572, 1594 m] ( CAS 263035), [- 13.7881, 13.2571, 1612 m] ( INBAC / AMB 10233); N’Dolondolo [- 13.8133, 13.1362, 681 m] ( INBAC / AMB 10302, 10303); vic. N’Dolondolo [- 18.8105, 13.1361, 707 m] ( CAS 263026); Maylowe [- 13.83424, 13.27669, 803 m] ( CAS 266128, CAS 266129; INBAC / LMPC 1169; MUNHAC / MB 03 - 001783); Catchi surroundings [- 13.7620, 13.2569, 1584 m] (MUNHAC / MB 03 - 001784); Catchi, rock outcrops near basecamp [- 13.7653, 13.2571, 1645 m] (MUNHAC / MB 03 - 001785 – 001796); 2 km N of Maylowe [- 13.8280, 13.2616, 804 m] (MUNHAC / MB 03 - 001797); Serra da Neve base, 2 km N of Maylowe, rock outcrops near basecamp [- 13.8280, 13.2625, 820 m] (MUNHAC / MB 03 - 001798).

Comments.

Originally described by Mertens (1938) as a subspecies of Agama planiceps Peters, 1862 , A. schacki was shown to be a distinct species by Butler et al. (in press), based on molecular data. Marques et al. (2018) had already considered A. schacki as a full species and restricted its distribution to the Escarpment area in western Huíla and eastern Namibe and Benguela provinces. The species is strongly associated with higher elevations, being replaced by A. planiceps in lowland areas of southern Namibe Province.

Figures

Figure 9. a Trachylepis chimbana b Trachylepis huilensis c Trachylepis laevis d Chamaeleo dilepis e Agama aculeata f Agama schacki (male) g Agama schacki (female) h Afrotyphlops schlegeli petersii. Photographs by AT (a, c, d, f, g) and LMPC (b, e, h).