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Macrelaps microlepidotus (GÜNTHER, 1860)

IUCN Red List - Macrelaps microlepidotus - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaAtractaspididae (Aparallactinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Kwazulu-Natal Black Snake
G: Natal-Schwarzschlange 
SynonymUriechis microlepidotus GÜNTHER 1860: 168
Uriechis microlepidotus — GURNEY 1860: 342
Atractaspis natalensis PETERS 1877: 616
Macrelaps microlepidotus — BOULENGER 1897: 375
Macrelaps microlepidotus — DE WITTE & LAURENT 1947
Macrelaps microlepidotus — WELCH 1994: 73
Macrelaps microlepidotus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 417 
DistributionRepublic of South Africa (Natal, Cape Province)

Type locality: Port Elizabeth, Algoa Bay (in error), corrected to D’Urban (=Durban), Port Natal (=Natal) by GURNEY 1860).  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesSyntypes: BMNH 1946.1.3.9, 1946.1.8.67
Syntypes: ZMB 4102, 7883 [Atractaspis natalensis] 
DiagnosisUnfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 2917 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentVenomous!

Type species: Uriechis microlepidotus GÜNTHER 1860 is the type species of the genus Macrelaps BOULENGER 1897.

Phylogenetics: see Portillo et al. 2018 for a phylogenetic analysis of members of Aparallactinae, inlcuding members of Macrelaps.

Reference images: see Uetz et al. 2024 for high-resolution reference images for this species. 
EtymologyNamed after Greek mikros (= small) + lepidotos (= scaled), referring to the relatively small scales.

The genus was named after Greek makros (μακρός), long + Greek elaps (ἔλαψ), snake. [“…Two fine female specimens, the larger measuring 1 metre (tail 110 millim.)…”]. 
References
  • Bates, M.F.; Branch, W.R., Bauer, A.M.; Burger, M., Marais, J.; Alexander, G.J. & de Villliers, M.S. (eds.) 2014. Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland. Suricata 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 512 pp.
  • Bogert,C.M. 1940. Herpetological results of the Vernay Angola Expedition. I. Snakes, including an arrangement of the African Colubridae. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 77: 1-107 - get paper here
  • Boulenger,G.A. 1897. On little-known snakes from Natal. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (6) 20: 374-376 - get paper here
  • CONRADIE, W. & T. BUSSCHAU. 2018. Macrelaps microlepidotus (Günther, 1860). African Herp News (67): 41 - get paper here
  • Conradie, W., J. Venter, et al. 2012. Geographic Distributions: Macrelaps microlepidotus (Günther, 1860) Natal Black Snake. African Herp News (58): 19-21 - get paper here
  • Günther, A. 1860. Description of Uriechis microlepidotes, a new snake from South Africa. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (3) 5: 168-169 - get paper here
  • Gurney,J.H. 1860. Uriechis microlepidotus. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3) 5: 342 - get paper here
  • Marais, J.J. 1980. Macrelaps microlepidotus Breeding Records. J. Herp. Assoc. Africa (24): 39-39 - get paper here
  • O’Shea, M. 2018. The Book of Snakes. Ivy Press / Quarto Publishing, London, - get paper here
  • Peters, Wilhem Carl Hartwig 1877. Übersicht der Amphibien aus Chinchoxo (Westafrika), welche von der Africanischen Gesellschaft dem Berliner zoologischen Museum übergeben sind. Monatsber. königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin. 1877 (October): 611-620 - get paper here
  • Portillo, F., Branch, W.R., Conradie, W., Rödel, M-O., Penner, J., Barej, M.F., Kusamba, C., Muninga, W.M., Aristote, M.M., Bauer, A.M., Trape, J-F., Nagy, Z.T., Carlino, P., Pauwels, O.S.G., Menegon, M., Burger, M., Mazuch, T., Jackson, K., Hughes, 2018. Phylogeny and biogeography of the African burrowing snake subfamily Aparallactinae (Squamata: Lamprophiidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution - get paper here
  • Spawls, S., Branch, B. 2020. The Dangerous Snakes of Africa. Bloomsbury, London, 336 pp. - get paper here
  • Tolley, K.A., Conradie, W., Pietersen, D.W., Weeber, J., Burger, M. & Alexander, G.J. (eds) 2023. Conservation status of the reptiles of South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. Suricata 10. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria
  • Uetz, P.H.; Patel, M.; Gbadamosi, Z.; Nguyen, A.; Shoope, S. 2024. A Reference Database of Reptile Images. Taxonomy 4: 723–732 - get paper here
  • Venter, Jan A.; Werner Conradie 2015. A checklist of the reptiles and amphibians found in protected areas along the South African Wild Coast, with notes on conservation implications. Koedoe 57 (1): 1-25. doi: 10.4102/koedoe.v57i1.1247 - get paper here
  • Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
  • Witte, G. F. de & LAURENT,R.F. 1947. Revision d'un groupe de Colubridae africains: genres Calamelaps, Miodon, Aparallactus, et formes affines. Mém. Mus. Roy. Hist. Nat. Belgique (sér. 2) 29: 1-134 - get paper here
 
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