Psammophis brevirostris PETERS, 1881
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Higher Taxa | Psammophiidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Short-snouted Grass Snake |
Synonym | Psammophis brevirostris PETERS 1881: 89 Psammophis breviceps PETERS 1881: 87 (in error for brevirostris) Psammophis brevirostris — WERNER 1899 Psammophis brevirostris — STERNFELD 1910: 56 Psammophis sibilans brevirostris — AUERBACH 1987: 169 Psammophis sibilans brevirostris — BOYCOTT 1992 Psammophis sibilans brevirostris — BAUER et al. 1995: 73 Psammophis brevirostris — BROADLEY 2002 Psammophis brevirostris — SHINE et al. 2006 Psammophis brevirostris — WALLACH et al. 2014: 576 Psammophis brevirostris — SCHLEICHER 2020 |
Distribution | Republic of South Africa (Eastern Cape etc.), Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal, relict populations in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and E Namibia Type locality: “Xa Matlale” [Matlale Mission, N Transvaal, Republic of South Africa] |
Reproduction | oviparous. |
Types | Lectotype: ZMB 7256 (designated by BROADLEY 1977) |
Diagnosis | Description (brevirostris; 207 specimens examined): Nostril pierced between 2 nasals; preocular 1, usually widely separated from frontal; postoculars 2; temporals usually1/2+3; supralabials 8 (very rarely 7 or 9), the fourth & fifth (rarely third & fourth, fourth only or fifth & sixth) entering orbit; infralabials usually 10 (rarely 9 or 11), the first 4 (rarely 3 or 5) in contact with anterior sublinguals; dorsal scales in 17-17-13 rows; ventrals 146-167; cloacal shield divided; subcaudals 79-108. Dorsum olive brown, vertebral scale row usually with a pale median line, seven mid-dorsal scale rows often black-edged, forming narrow black lines; pale or with traces of pale transverse bars posteriorly and often faint crossbands on neck. Labials uniform yellow or white, sometimes with faint brown infuscation. Ventrum uniform white or with lateral series of black dots, a pair situated near the free edge of each ventral [BROADLEY 2002]. |
Comment | Taxonomy: Werner 1902 described Psammophis brevirostris temporalis which may be a synonym of Psammophis sibilans brevirostris. Distribution: see map in BROADLEY 2002: 91 (Fig. 5). Not in Angola (where it is replaced by other Psammophis) fide Marques et al. 2018. |
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