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Psammophylax tritaeniatus (GÜNTHER, 1868)

IUCN Red List - Psammophylax tritaeniatus - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaPsammophiidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
SubspeciesPsammophylax tritaeniatus tritaeniatus (GÜNTHER 1868)
Psammophylax tritaeniatus subniger LAURENT 1956 
Common NamesE: Three-lined Grass Snake, Striped Skaapsteker
G: Gestreifter Shaapsteker 
SynonymRhagerrhis tritaeniatus GÜNTHER 1868: 423
Rhagerhis tritaeniata — BOCAGE 1896: 112
Psammophylax tritaeniatus fitzgeraldi BROADLEY 1960
Psammophylax tritaeniatus — AUERBACH 1987: 163
Psammophylax tritaeniatus — BROADLEY 1998
Psammophylax tritaeniatus — BROADLEY et al. 2003: 154
Psammophylax tritaeniatus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 594
Psammophylax tritaeniatus — BATES et al. 2014: 382
Psammophylax tritaeniatus — SPAWLS et al. 2018: 443

Psammophylax tritaeniatus subniger LAURENT 1956: 237
Psammophylax tritaeniatus subniger — KEATES et al. 2019

Psammophylax tritaeniatus tritaeniatus (GÜNTHER 1868)
Rhagerrhis tritaeniatus GÜNTHER 1868: 423
Psammophylax tritaeniatus — PETERS 1869: 661
Coronella tritaeniata GÜNTHER 1881: 329
Trimerorhinus tritaeniatus — BOULENGER 1896: 139 (part.)
Trimerorhinus tritaeniatus — ANGEL 1925
Cerastes tritaeniatus tritaeniatus — MERTENS 1930: 14
Psammophylax tritaeniatus tritaeniatus — BROADLEY 1959
Psammophylax tritaeniatus tritaeniatus — FITZSIMONS 1966
Psammophylax tritaeniatus tritaeniatusr — KEATES et al. 2019 
DistributionNE Namibia, N Botswana, Zimbabwe, NE Republic of South Africa, Angola, S Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, S Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), Zambia, Mozambique

Type locality: Southern Africa.

subniger: SE Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), Burundi, Rwanda; Type locality: “Kipiri, 2000 m [elevation], plateau des Marungu, Terr. de Baudouinville, Tanganika”

vanoyei: NE Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire); Type locality: “Blukwa, Terr. de Djugu, Ituri”  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesType: BMNH 1946.1.2.78 (and possibly additional specimens).
Holotype: RMCA (= MRAC = RGMC) 18597, male [subniger]
Holotype: RMCA (= MRAC = RGMC) 17001, male [vanoyei] 
Diagnosis 
CommentP. t. festivus, subniger, vanoyei fide Jirka Schmidt (pers. comm.). The status of the subspecies seems unclear.

Synonymy partly after FITZSIMONS 1966 and Branch & Bates 2018. 
References
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  • Auerbach, R.D. 1987. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Botswana. Mokwepa Consultants, Botswana, 295 pp.
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