Lycophidion meleagre Boulenger, 1893

Santos, Bruna S., Marques, Mariana P., Bauer, Aaron M. & Ceríaco, Luis M. P., 2021, Herpetological results of Francisco Newton’s Zoological Expedition to Angola (1903 – 1906): a taxonomic revision and new records of a forgotten collection, Zootaxa 5028 (1), pp. 1-80 : 31

Lycophidion meleagre Boulenger, 1893

Material (one specimen): One adult specimen (MHNCUP/REP 325, formerly UP-MHNFCP-017394; Fig. S63 ), collected from unknown locality, in September 1903.

Comments: Lycophidion meleagre has a disjointed distribution, having been recorded from northwestern Angola, northeastern Tanzania, southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and southeastern Kenya ( Marques et al. 2018), although Branch (2018) comments the Tanzanian records need to be critically reviewed. Ferreira (1904) cited a juvenile specimen of “ Lycophidium meleagris ” from “Cabiri”, commenting that it was a very rare species, represented then by only two specimens extant in the Natural History Museum London and one in the Lisbon museum. Although we find the specimen to be an adult, it is likely that it matches the one Ferreira published, as Newton was in Cabiri in September 1903.

Figures

FIGURE S63. Specimen of Lycophidion meleagre (MHNCUP/REP 325), from unknown locality. Photo by Bruna Santos.