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Mimophis mahfalensis (GRANDIDIER, 1867)

IUCN Red List - Mimophis mahfalensis - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaPsammophiidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
SubspeciesMimophis mahfalensis mahfalensis (GRANDIDIER 1867)
Mimophis mahfalensis madagascariensis GÜNTHER 1868 
Common Names 
SynonymPsammophis mahfalensis GRANDIDIER 1867: 234
Mimophis (mahafalensis?) albiceps JOURDRAN 1903
Mimophis mahfalensis — GLAW & VENCES 1994: 339
Mimophis mahfalensis — D’CRUZE et al. 2007
Mimophis mahfalensis — SCHLÜTER 2013: 18
Mimophis mahfalensis — WALLACH et al. 2014: 456
Mimophis mahafalensis — WALLACH 2025

Mimophis mahfalensis madagascariensis GÜNTHER 1868
Mimophis madagascariensis GÜNTHER 1868: 421
Mimophis madagascariensis — STEINDACHNER 1891: 296
Mimophis mahfalensis madagascariensis — GLAW & VENCES 1994: 339 
DistributionS/C Madagascar

Type locality: Machikova and Anhoulabé.  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesTypes: BMNH 1946.1.9.50-52 (and possibly additional specimens).
Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.9.50–52, collected by Rev. W. Ellis [madagascariensis] 
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 2975 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentSynonymy: the northern population of what used to be Mimophis mahfalensis has been split off as M. occultus.

Type species: Psammophis mahfalensis GRANDIDIER 1867 is the type species of the genus Mimophis GÜNTHER 1868.

Genome: Roberts et al. 2024. 
EtymologyApparently named after the provenance of the species, the Mahafaly Plateau in the South-West of Madagascar. The missing "a" (mahfalensis rather than mahafalensis) likely being a typesetting error in the original description. No Etymology given in the original description.

M. m. madagascariensis was named after Madagascar. 
References
  • Andersson, Lars Gabriel 1910. Reptiles and batrachians from the north-west of Madagascar collected by V. Kaudern, 1906-1907. Arkiv för Zoologi 7 (7): 1-15. - get paper here
  • Aprea, Gennaro, Gaetano Odierna, Franco Andreone, Frank Glaw and Miguel Vences 2003. Unusual karyotype in the Malagasy colubrid snake Mimophis mahfalensis. Amphibia-Reptilia 24 (2): 215-219 - get paper here
  • Barbour, Thomas 1918. Vertebrata from Madagascar. 2. Amphibia and Reptilia. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard 61 (14): 479-489. - get paper here
  • Belluardo F, Quirós DD, Lobón-Rovira J, Rosa GM, Rasoazanany M, Andreone F, Crottini A 2021. Uncovering the herpetological diversity of small forest fragments in south-eastern Madagascar (Haute Matsiatra). Zoosystematics and Evolution 97(2): 315-343 - get paper here
  • BORA, PARFAIT; J. CHRISTIAN RANDRIANANTOANDRO, ROMA RANDRIANAVELONA, ELISOA F. HANTALALAINA, RAPHALI R. ANDRIANTSIMANARILAFY, DANIEL RAKOTONDRAVONY, OLGA R. RAMILIJAONA, MIGUEL VENCES, RICHARD K. B. JENKINS, FRANK GLAW, AND JÖRN KÖHLER 2010. AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE TSINGY DE BEMARAHA PLATEAU, WESTERN MADAGASCAR: CHECKLIST, BIOGEOGRAPHY AND CONSERVATION. Herp. Cons. Biol. 5 (1): 111-125
  • Cadle, John E. 2009. Sexual Dimorphism and Reproductive Biology in the Malagasy Snake Genus Liopholidophis (Lamprophiidae: Pseudoxyrhophiinae) Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. 60 (15): 461–502
  • Clause, J. K. 2017. Mimophis mahfalensis (Malagasy Big-eyed Snake) Diet. Herpetological Review 48 (2): 454-455 - get paper here
  • Cocca, W., G. M. Rosa, F. Andreone, G. Aprea, P. E. Bergò, F. Mattioli, V. Mercurio, J. E. Randrianirina, D. Rosado, M. Vences & A. Crottini 2018. The herpetofauna (Amphibia, Crocodylia, Squamata, Testudines) of the Isalo Massif, Southwest Madagascar: combining morphological, molecular and museum data. Salamandra 54 (3): 178-200 plus Supplementary Material - get paper here
  • D'Cruze, Neil; Annette Olsonn, David Henson, Sunil Kumar, and David Emmett. 2009. The Amphibians and Reptiles of the Lower Onilahy River Valley, a Temporary Protected Area in Southwest Madagascar. Herp. Cons. Biol. 4: 62-79 - get paper here
  • D'Cruze, Neil; Jeremy Sabel, Katie Green, Jeffrey Dawson, Carlie Gardner, Janine Robinson, Georgina Starkie, Miguel Vences, and Frank Glaw. 2007. The First Comprehensive Survey of Amphibians and Reptiles at Montagne des Francais, Madagascar. Herp. Cons. Biol. 2 (2): 87-99 - get paper here
  • D’Cruze, N.; Köhler, J.; Franzen, M & Glaw, F. 2008. A conservation assessment of the amphibians and reptiles of the Forêt d’Ambre Special Reserve, north Madagascar. MADAGASCAR CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT 3 (1): 44-54 - get paper here
  • Evans, A. M., Marshal, J. P., & Alexander, G. J. 2021. Forest patch characteristics affect reptile occurrence in north‐western Madagascar. Austral Ecology - get paper here
  • Gardner, Charlie J.; Xavier Vincke, Louise D. Jasper 2015. Additions to the urban herpetofauna of Toliara, southwest Madagascar. Herpetology Notes 8: 47-49 - get paper here
  • Glaw ,F. & Vences, M. 1994. A Fieldguide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar. Vences & Glaw Verlag, Köln (ISBN 3-929449-01-3)
  • Grandidier, A. 1867. Liste des reptiles nouveaux découverts, en 1866, sur la côte sud-ouest de Madagascar. Revue et Magazine de Zoologie (Paris), Sér. 2, 19: 232-234
  • Guibé ,J. 1958. Les serpents de Madagascar. Memoires de l’Institut Scientifique de Madagascar 12: 189-260
  • Günther, A. 1868. Sixth account of new species of snakes in the collection of the British Museum. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (4) 1: 413-429 - get paper here
  • Hulbert, F. & Lutzmann, N. 2004. Mimophis mahfalensis (GRANDIDIER). Sauria, Berlin 26 (2): 1-2 [erratum in 26 (4): 46] - get paper here
  • Hyde Roberts, S., Sannolo, M., Longosoa, H. T., Clark, R., Jhaveri, L., Rosa, G. M., ... & Crottini, A. 2025. A littoral treasure trove: a comprehensive assessment of the herpetofauna of Sainte Luce, southeastern Madagascar. Systematics and Biodiversity 23(1): 2513472 - get paper here
  • Lobón-Rovira, R., Belluardo, F., Rasoazanany, M., Rosa, G. M. & Crottini, A. 2021. Canopy chameleon (Furcifer willsii) consumption by common big-eyed snake (Mimophis mahfalensis) in Fivahona Forest, eastern Madagascar. Malagasy Nature, 14: 81-83 - get paper here
  • McLellan, Fiona M 2013. New snake records for the island of Nosy Be, northwest Madagascar: Mimophis mahfalensis (Grandidier, 1867) and Pseudoxyrhopus quinquelineatus (Günther, 1881). Herpetology Notes 6: 295-297.
  • Nagy, Zoltán Tamás; Ulrich Joger, Michael Wink, Frank Glaw and Miguel Vences 2003. Multiple colonization of Madagascar and Socotra by colubrid snakes: evidence from nuclear and mitochondrial gene phylogenies. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B: 270, 2613-2621; DOI 10.1098/rspb.2003.2547 - get paper here
  • O’Shea, M. 2018. The Book of Snakes. Ivy Press / Quarto Publishing, London, - get paper here
  • Pejak, J. 2011. Madagaskar 2011: Auf der Suche - nicht nur nach Phelsuma gouldi. Der Taggecko 76: 4-9
  • Rakotoarison, Andolalao; Jesse Erens, Fanomezana M. Ratsoavina, Miguel Vences 2015. Amphibian and reptile records from around the Betsiboka delta area in North-Western Madagascar. Herpetology Notes 8: 535-543 - get paper here
  • Roberts, Jackson R; Justin M Bernstein, Christopher C Austin, Taylor Hains, Joshua Mata, Michael Kieras, Stacy Pirro, Sara Ruane 2024. Whole Snake Genomes from Eighteen Families of Snakes (Serpentes: Caenophidia) and Their Applications to Systematics. Journal of Heredity, esae026 - get paper here
  • Schlüter, Uwe 2013. Madagaskarleguane - Lebensweise, Pflege und Fortpflanzung. KUS-Verlag, 88 pp. - get paper here
  • Schmidt, W. & Liebel, K. 1997. Reise in den Südosten Madagaskars. Reptilia (Münster) 2 (5): 33-38 - get paper here
  • Steindachner, F. 1891. Über einige neue und seltene Reptilien- und Amphibienarten. Sitzungsb. Ber. Kais. Akad. Wiss., Wien, Abt.1, 100 (6): 289-313, 2 plates - 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.
 
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