LONNBERG, RHPT1L1A AND BATRACHIA. 1 :{ 



Ophidia. 



Between t>0 and 70 species of snakes are recorded from German East Africa. 

 By the addition of Professor YNGVE SJOSTEDTS collections, the fauna of the Kili- 

 mandjaro-Meru district lias reached to about half this number or exactly 30 spe- 

 cies. 19 species of snakes have been collected by S.JOSTEDT (in 85 specimens). 

 Some of these were of course recorded from Kilimandjaro before. The remaining 11 

 by others, chiefly by G. A. FISCHER and JACKSON. 



Concerning the geographical distribution of the snakes which have been found 

 in this region and of which a list is appended below, the following remarks may be 

 made. The members of the genera Typhlops, Glaucoma and Python are all widely 

 distributed in tropical Africa. The same is also the case with the representatives of 

 the genera Tropidonotus, Boodon, Philothamnus, Homalosoma, Dasypeltis, Leptodira, 

 A in pJorhinus, Thelotornis, Elapechis, Naja, Causus, and Bitis, and the species Lyco- 

 phidiuni cape use, Psammophis sibilans, and Dendraspis anyusticeps. Chiefly confined 

 to East Africa but rather widely distributed there are the members of the genera 

 Chlorophis and Coronella, the remaining three species of Psammophis, and Aparallac- 

 tus concolor. Lycophidium jack^oni has been found only within the borders of German 

 East Africa, and Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus, and AparaUdctns jacksoni have as jet 

 only been collected at Kilimandjaro. 



Among the snakes there are thus only a few forms which may be regarded as 

 endemic in this region and nearly all the others are at home almost everywhere in 

 suitable places in tropical Africa. 



A comparison between the ophidian fauna of Kilimandjaro and that of Cameroon 

 in West Africa is of a certain interest as it shows as well that some species are com- 

 mon to both and in other instances there are corresponding members of the same 

 genera. The following species of snakes belong to both these distant regions Ti/ph- 

 lops punctatus, Python sebce, Dasypeltis scabra, Leptodira hotdmbceia, Philothamnus se- 

 mivariegatus, Thelotornis kirtlandi, Naja inelanoleuca, N. niyricollix, Dendraspis angusti- 

 ce.ps, Cansus rhombeatus and Bitis arietans. 



The analogous forms may be matched as follows: 



Cameroon. Kilimandjaro. 

 Tropidonotus fuliginoides T. olivaceus 



Boodon olivaceus & w'ryatti* B. lineatifs 



Lycophidium 5 specie.* /,. capense 



Chlorophis irregularis d- curl unlit* Chi. neylectii* 



Dendraspis jamesoni D. sjostcdli 



From a biological point of view this comparison could be extended still further. 

 Although the following snakes belong to different genera they may occupy similar 

 places in nature. The small opisthoglyphous genera Miodon and Elapops from Ca- 

 meroon, and Aparallactus from Kilimandjaro. 



