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Scaphiophis albopunctatus PETERS, 1870

IUCN Red List - Scaphiophis albopunctatus - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaColubridae, Colubrinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: African Shovel-nosed Snake 
SynonymScaphiophis albopunctatus PETERS 1870: 644
Scaphiophis albopunctatus — FISCHER 1885: 100
Scaphiophis albopunctatus var. nigropunctatus MOCQUARD 1887: 77
Scaphiophis albopunctatus — GÜNTHER 1888: 333
Scaphiophis albopunctatus — GÜNTHER 1895: 526
Scaphiophis albopunctatus — SCHMIDT 1923: 90
Scaphiopus albopunctatus — ESSEX 1928: 268 (in error)
Scaphiophis albopunctatus albopunctatus — LOVERIDGE 1955
Scaphiophis albopunctatus — BROADLEY 1994
Scaphiophis albopunctatus — BROADLEY 1998
Scaphiophis albopunctatus albopunctatus — BROADLEY & HOWELL 1991: 30
Scaphiophis albopunctatus — CHIRIO & INEICH 2006
Scaphiophis albopunctatus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 663
Scaphiophis albopunctatus — SPAWLS et al. 2018: 534 
DistributionUganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, S Sudan (Jumhūriyyat), Republic of South Sudan (RSS), Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire; except in the east), Congo (Brazzaville), Angola, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Guinea (Conakry), Ethiopia

Type locality: “Keta [Kita] (Guinea)” [Ghana]  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: ZMB 6945 
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 953 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentSynonymy: after BROADLEY 1994 (not all authors listed in Broadley are listed here).

Type species: Scaphiophis albopunctatus PETERS 1870: 644 is the type species of the genus Scaphiophis PETERS 1870.

Distribution: not in Liberia or Sierra Leone fide TRAPE & BALDÉ 2014: 320. 
EtymologyApparently named after the white spots on body of the species, after Latin albus (=white) and punctum (= point, but also stitch) and -atus (= bearing).

The genus was named after Greek scapheus (σκάφευς), digger + Greek ophis (ὄφις), snake. [“…σκάφιον, Schaufel, ὄφις…”]. 
References
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  • Boulenger, G. A. 1897. A list of reptiles and batrachians from the Congo Free State, with the description of two new snakes. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6) 19: 276-281 - get paper here
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