Hemisus Wagler, 1827

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 : 83-84

Genus Hemisus Wagler, 1827

Hemisus guineensis Cope, 1865 GUINEA SNOUT-BURROWER

Hemisus guineensis Cope 1865:100 . Holotype: NHMW 1095 (collector unknown) fide Häupl and Tiedemann

(1978:18). Type locality: Not stated, later restricted to “ Guinea,” by inference according to Häupl and

Tiedemann (1978:18). Hemisus guineensis microps Laurent 1972:55 , fig. 27. Holotype: MRAC 851 (collector H. Schouteden). Type locality: “Kidada, Lower-Congo,” Democratic Republic of Congo. Hemisus guttatum : Bocage (1895a:184), Monard (1938:56), Frade (1963:254). Hemisus marmoratum : Monard (1938:56). Hemisus marmoratus : Bocage (1887b:208). Hemisus marmoratus guineensis : Laurent (1950a:15), Hellmich (1957a:28), Loveridge (1957:355). Hemisus guineensis : Laurent (1964a:147), Häupl and Tiedemann (1978:18), Channing (2001:121), Rödel and

Ernst (2003:27), Channing and Howell (2006:126), Onadeko and Rödel (2009:5), Frétey et al. (2011:27),

Frost (2016), Ceríaco et al. (2016b:29). Hemisus guineensis microps : Cei (1977:17, 18), Poynton and Broadley (1985a:533), Poynton (1992:71), Ruas

(1996:28), Conradie et al. (2016:11).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern.

Global distribution: The species is known from Angola, south to the Caprivi Strip in Namibia, northern Botswana, and Mozambique to the extreme northeast border of South Africa, and also occurs from Senegal to Uganda and Kenya.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 25): The species is found in western and eastern Angola.

Zaire: “ St. Salvador do Congo ” [-6.26667,

14.23333] ( Bocage 1895a:183; Monard

1938:56; Laurent 1972:55). Kwanza Norte:

“Mucoso” [-9.53333, 14.65000] ( Hellmich

1957a:28). Malanje: “Cangandala National

Park” [-9.84606, 16.72233] (Ceríaco et al.

2016b:29). Lunda Norte: “Muita, Luembe E

(Muíta)” [-7.80000, 21.45000] ( Laurent

1950a:15; Laurent 1972:55; Ruas 1996:28).

Moxico: “Cazombo” [-11.88333, 22.91667]

( Laurent 1964a:147; Laurent 1972:55; Poynton

1992:71; Ruas 1996:28). Namibe: “ Intérieur de Mossamedes (Mossamedes)” [-15.20000,

12.15000] ( Bocage 1887b:208; 1895a:184;

Monard 1938:56; Ruas 1996:28). Undeter-

MAP 25. Distribution of Hemisus guineensis in Angola.

mined Locality: “arid subregion, Angola ”

( Frade 1963:254); “plateaus regions, Angola ” ( Cei 1977:17); “arid territories along the coast, Angola ” ( Cei 1977:18).

Taxonomic and distributional notes: See notes below for Hemisus marmoratus .

Hemisus marmoratus ( Peters, 1854) MARBLED SNOUT-BURROWER

Engystoma marmoratum Peters 1854:628 . Syntypes: ZMB 3548 [2 specimens] and ZMB 10107 , fide Bauer et al. (1995:41, 1996:260) (collector W.C.H. Peters). Type locality: “Cabaceira” (Peters 1954:628), Mozambique.

Hemisus marmoratus : Inger (1959:541), Schmidt and Inger (1959:170), Channing (2001:124), Rödel and

Ernst (2003:27), Onadeko and Rödel (2009:5), Frétey et al. (2011:27), Frost (2016). Hemisus marmoratum : Bocage (1887a:183, 1895a:183), Boulenger (1905:107), Monard (1937a:29, 1938:56,

82), Frade (1963:254). Hemisus sudanense : Boulenger (1882:178). Hemisus marmoratus (?) angolensis : Hellmich (1957a:28). Hemisus guineensis microps : Laurent (1972:55), Ruas (1996:28).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern.

Global distribution: The species is widespread in sub-saharan Africa (excluding rainforest areas), extending from Senegal to Ethiopia and Somalia, south into northern South Africa. Ocurrences in Angola (Map 26): The species is found in western and eastern Angola.

Kwanza Norte: “Dondo” [-9.68333,

14.43333] ( Bocage 1895a:183; Monard

1938:56; Laurent 1972:55; Ruas 1996:28).

Kwanza Sul: “Semba Acendu” [-9.85000,

16.15000] ( Boulenger 1905:107; Monard

1938:56; Laurent 1972:55; Ruas 1996:28).

Bié: “Chitau” [-11.43333, 17.15000] ( Laurent

1972:55; Poynton 1992:71). Benguela:

“ Catumbella (Catumbela)” [-12.43333,

13.55000] ( Bocage 1895a:183; Monard

1938:56; Laurent 1972:55; Ruas 1996:28);

“ Benguella (Benguela)” [-12.58333, 13.41667]

( Boulenger 1882:179; Laurent 1972:55, Poynton 1992:71). Huíla: “Kalukembé (Caluquembé)” [-13.78333, 14.68333] ( Monard 1937a:29,

1938:56, 82; Laurent 1972:55; Ruas 1996:28). MAP 26. Distribution of Hemisus marmoratus in Angola.

Cuando Cubango: “Kakindo (Caquindo)” [-15.45000, 17.05000] ( Monard 1937a:29, 1938:56, 82; Laurent 1972:55; Ruas 1996:28). Undetermined Locality: “western subregion and Angolan highlands (Angolan coastal or watersheds)” ( Cei 1977:18).

Taxonomic and distributional notes: The delimitation of Hemisus guineensis ( Cope, 1865) and Hemisus marmoratus ( Peters, 1854) is more complicated than reflected by the current taxonomy. Both are likely part of a larger complex of morphologically similar species (Rödel and Ernst 2003; Onadeko and Rödel 2009). Both species have been reported to occur in Angola. However, Laurent (1972), in the only synoptic taxonomic review of the genus, explicitly considered Angolan populations to represent what he described as a subspecies of H. guineensis ( H. guineensis microps ) that might even represent a distinct species. In West Africa, H. guineensis occurs in the forest or near to forests, and is common in grasslands and open woodlands, whereas H. marmoratus is usually associated with savannas ( Channing 2001; Channing and Broadley 2002; Rödel and Ernst 2003; Channing and Howell 2006; Onadeko and Rödel 2009; Frost 2016). Channing (2001) provided several records for both species in Angola but without information about the specimens corresponding to these records. Vouchers sampled from diverse habitat types and with associated genetic data are needed to evaluate which taxa are present in Angola as well as their distributions.