Telescopus Wagler, 1830

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 : 400-401

Genus Telescopus Wagler, 1830

Telescopus semiannulatus semiannulatus Smith, 1849 COMMON TIGER SNAKE

Telescopus semiannulatus Smith 1849 : pl. 72, first of two unnumbered pages of accompanying text. Holotype: BMNH 1946.1 .2.55 (formerly BMNH 1871.4.21.1) (collector A. Smith) fide Wallach et al. (2014). Type locality: Not stated, “ South Africa ” by inference (Loveridge 1957:270).

Telescopus semiannulatus semiannulatus : Loveridge (1957:270), Hellmich (1957b:71), Thys van den Audenaerde (1966:34).

Telescopus semiannulatus : Wallach et al. (2014:698).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Not

Evaluated.

Global distribution: The species is widely distributed from Angola and the southern

Democratic Republic of Congo to Kenya and

Tanzania and south through Namibia northern and eastern South Africa.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 365): The species occurs in northern Angola. Lunda

Norte: “Dundo” [-7.36667, 20.83333] ( Thys van den Audenaerde 1966:34); “Mucoloje”

[-7.50000, 20.91667] ( Thys van den Audenaerde 1966:34). Kwanza Sul: “Libolo-Luati”

[-9.98333, 14.90000] ( Hellmich 1957b:71).

Taxonomic and distributional notes:

FitzSimons (1937) stated that the type was not located in either the BMNH or RSM. Wallach

MAP 365. Distribution of Telescopus semiannulatus et al. (2014) incorrectly stated that Loveridge semiannulatus in Angola.

(1957) had specified “Loanda, South Africa

[= La Locanda, E Western Cape Prov., SW South Africa, 33°51’S, 22°31’E, elevation 350 m]” as the restricted type locality of T. semiannulatus . Loanda, is however, the locality listed in the BMNH register for BMNH 1871.4.21.1. The subspecies T. s. polystictus Mertens, 1954 occurs in western Namibia and the northwestern Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Although it approaches the Angolan border ( Broadley 1990), there are no published records from Angola. Likewise, the nominotypical form occurs in the western Caprivi Strip, immediately adjacent to southeastern Angola and should therefore be expected in Cuando Cubango.