Aspidelaps Fitzinger, 1843

Marques, Mariana P., Ceríaco, Luis M. P., Blackburn, David C. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2018, Diversity and Distribution of the Amphibians and Terrestrial Reptiles of Angola Atlas of Historical and Bibliographic Records (1840 - 2017), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 65, pp. 1-501 : 361-362

Genus Aspidelaps Fitzinger, 1843

Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi Bogert, 1940 ANGOLAN CORAL SNAKE

Natrix lubrica Laurenti 1768:80 . Lectotype: specimen described and illustrated by Seba (1735:44, pl. 43, fig. 3) fide Wallach et al. (2014:55, see Notes below), lost fide Broadley in Golay et al. (1993:113) although status considered unknown by Broadley and Baldwin (2006). Type locality: restricted to “Africa” based on the lectotype designation ( Laurenti 1768:80) and more specifically to “ex Promontorio Bonae Spei/Cap de Bonne-Esperance” [= Cape of Good Hope, Western Cape Province], South Africa ( Seba 1735:44).

Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi Bogert 1940:94 , fig. 17A–D. Holotype: AMNH 32801 (collectors A.S. Vernay, H. Lang and R. Boulton). Type locality: “Munhino (101 km east of Mossamedes, via railroad)” ( Bogert 1940:95) [= Muninho, 101 km east of Namibe], Namibe Province, Angola.

Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi : FitzSimons (1962:278), Manaças (1981:21), Broadley (1990:281), Spawls and Branch (1995:54), Branch (1998:104), Broadley and Baldwin (2006:167), Dobiey and Vogel (2007:32), Wallach et al. (2014:55).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated.

Global distribution: The species is known from southwestern Angola and Namibia as far south as Lüderitz.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 325): The species occurs in southwestern Angola, near the bor- der between Cunene Province and Namibia. Namibe: “Munhino (101 km east of Mossamedes, via railroad)” [-14.91667, 13.00000] ( Bogert 1940:94; Manaças 1981:21; Broadley 1990:281; Broadley and Baldwin 2006:167).

Taxonomic and distributional notes: Laurenti (1768) cited only a specimen figured by Seba (1735) for both Natrix lubrica as a whole and for his “Var. β.” although another form from Suriname was noted, so there must have originally been syntypes. The history of Seba’s collections have been discussed in detail ( Engel 1937, 1961; Boeseman 1970; Juriev 1981, Adler 1989; Bauer 2002; Bauer and Günther 2013). Seba’s second collection (the first had been sold to Peter the Great of Russia in 1716; Driessen-van het Reve 2006) was sold after his death at auction ( Anonymous

1752). Seba specimens are known or believed to be present in collections in St. Petersburg,

London, Leiden (including specimens until recently in Amsterdam), Paris, Copenhagen ,

Stockholm, Bremen and Berlin ( Boeseman

1970; Juriev 1981; Thireau et al. 1998; Bauer and Günther 2013) but few can be traced to particular plate figures, and the lectotype of

Natrix lubrica is not among these. Wallach et al. (2014) cited no source for the designation of a lectotype, and indeed, no lectotype seems to have been formally designated previously,

although most authors have only cited the

African syntype (or Seba’s figure) as type material, apparently unaware that the original description was based on more than one specimen. We interpret Wallach et al.’s use of the

MAP 325. Distribution of Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi in term lectotype as an intended lectotype desig- Angola .

nation, but as it lacks an express statement of deliberate designation (Art. 74.7.3) this designation is not valid, although it is appropriate, as the other specimen(s) implied are apparently referable to some other taxon, presumably from South America. Broadley and Baldwin (2006) referred Aspidelaps lubricus infuscatus Mertens, 1954 , which had generally been recognized as the taxon occurring in northern Namibia, to the synonomy of A. l. cowlesi.