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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 tritaenia 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] 
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 952 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
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. 
EtymologyNamed after Latin tri = three and Latin taenia, meaning "ribbon, stripe” for having three bands. Apparently in reference to the bands that run along the back of the species. 
References
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