Dalophia ellenbergeri (ANGEL, 1920)
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Dalophia ellenbergeri
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| Higher Taxa | Amphisbaenidae, Amphisbaenia, Lacertoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Monopeltis ellenbergeri ANGEL 1920 Monopeltis ellenbergeri — MONARD 1931: 97 Dalophia ellenbergeri — GANS et al. 1976 Tomuropeltis ellenbergeri —BRYGOO 1990: 10 Tomuropeltis ellenbergeri — FRANK & RAMUS 1995 Dalophia ellenbergeri — GANS 2005: 30 Dalophia ellenbergeri — LONGRICH et al. 2015 Dalophia ellenbergeri — PIETERSEN et al. 2021 |
| Distribution | Zambia, Angola Type locality: ‘‘Lealui Dist. (Haut-Zambéze)’’. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Syntypes: MNHN-RA 1920.0078-0080 (3 specimens) |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis. A medium-sized (365 to 420 mm. snout-vent length in adults), slender species of Dalophia lacking dark pigmentation. The species has 312 to 344 body, three to four lateral and 35 to 43 (one specimen has 30) caudal annuli, 14 to 21 (generally 16 or 18) dorsal plus 11 to 14 (generally 12) ventral segments to a midbody annulus and two to five (generally four) first and four to nine (generally seven or eight) second postgenials. The azygous head shields are broadly fused and only lateral blind sutures occur (even in juveniles). The most heavily keratinized zone does not reach the parietal edge of the shield in juveniles. There are no preoculars. The nasals are usually in medial contact and generally fail to reach the lip; their slender posterior processes usually make contact with the oculars. There are four parietal shields. The elongate pectoral region has six slender shields, the medial ones slightly wider posteriorly and the lateral ones irregular. The four midventral segments of the precloacal annulus are enlarged and more or less wedged between the medial and adjoining pairs of pectorals. Lateral sulci are clearly expressed, but the middorsal sulcus is shown by aligned intersegmental sutures or a zigzag pattern caused by non-alignment of dorsal quarter-annuli. Additions or subtractions of dorsal half-annuli are few, but occur primarily in the second and third 50 body annuli. The species has but traces of herringbone pattern of the dorsal interannular sutures of the trunk. There is a well-marked caudal autotomy site of the sixth to eighth (generally seventh or eighth) caudal annulus. The middorsal segments of the tail may be partially or completely fused across the midline. The interannular sutures here form an anteriorly acute set of angles with the median (their points may be rounded). Each leg of the chevron is as wide as three or four more anterior segments. (Broadley et al. 1976: 451) |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | Named after Victor Ellenberger (1879-1972), a Protestant evangelical missionary, naturalist and anthropologist in Southern Africa. He was born to a Swiss family in Lesotho, sent to France for his education, became a French national, and returned to the mission in Africa (1903-1934) before returning to France in 1935. |
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