Trachylepis ansorgii ( Boulenger, 1907 )

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

Trachylepis ansorgii ( Boulenger, 1907)

Fig. 8 f

Records.

Maylowe [- 13.8357, 13.2763, 800 m] ( MUHNAC / MB 03 - 001396, 001397); Basecamp 1 [- 13.7770, 13.2591, 1488 m] ( CAS 263567; UF 187313); Rock outcrop near Basecamp 1 [- 13.7865, 13.2572, 1594 m] ( UF 187314); vic. N’Dolondolo [- 13.8104, 13.1361, 713 m] ( CAS 263545); Catchi, rock outcrops near basecamp [- 13.7653, 13.2571, 1645 m] (MUNHAC / MB 03 - 001472, 001475, 001477, 001478, 001482); Catchi surroundings [- 13.7620, 13.2569, 1585 m] (MUNHAC / MB 03 - 001473, 001474, 001479 – 001481, 001485); 2 km N of Maylowe [- 13.8280, 13.2625, 818 m] ( MUHNAC / MB 03 - 001476); Lutala crater, near airstrip [- 13.7325, 13.1841, 1567 m] ( MUHNAC / MB 03 - 1484).

Comments.

Butler et al. (2019) presented the first topotypical material since the taxon was originally described by Boulenger (1907). According to the molecular results of Butler et al. (in press) and Ceríaco et al. (2024), T. ansorgii is a valid species, distinct from T. sulcata . Trachylepis ansorgii is restricted to the highlands of Angola, mostly distributed from Malanje to northern Huíla Province, while T. sulcata seems to occur in the southwestern regions of the country, with records for southern Namibe and southwestern Huíla provinces ( Ceríaco et al. 2024). The material collected from Serra da Neve is the first evidence of T. ansorgii in Namibe Province and the southernmost record of the species, emphasizing the species restriction to areas of high elevations.

Figures

Figure 8. a Matobosaurus maltzahni b Acontias mukwando c Panaspis sp. 1 d Sepsina copei e Trachylepis albopunctata f Trachylepis ansorgii g Trachylepis binotata h Trachylepis bouri. Photographs by AT (a – c, e – h); LMPC (d).