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Bull. nut. Hist. Mux. bond. (Zool.) 68(2): 51-55 



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ber2002 

 



71 



kistoft :um 

 20 DEC 2002 



Hemipenial variation in the African snake 

 genus Crotaphopeltis Fitzinger, 1843 

 (Serpentes, Colubridae, Boiginae) 



THOMAS ZIEGLER 



Zoplogisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig, Adenauerallee 160, D-53U3 Bonn. 

 Germany, e-mail: dr.th.ziegler@t-online.de 



JENS B0DTKER RASMUSSEN 



Zoological Museum. University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2 100 Copenhagen 0. Denmark, e- 



mail: jhrasmussen@zmuc.ku.dk 



SYNOPSIS. Hemipenial variation within the six recognized species of the African snake genus Crotaphopeltis is described. The 

 hemipenial ornamentation of the widely distributed species. C. hotamboeia and C. hippocrepis, seems fairly constant whereas the 

 ornamentation of C. degeni and C. tornieri, species with disjunct distributions, displays relatively large intraspecific variation. 

 In spite of the variation, the size and ornamentation of the hemipenes serve to distinguish between sympatic and parapatric 

 species. 



INTRODUCTION 



The various species within the African snake genus, Crotaphopeltis 

 have been treated in a series of taxonomic papers (Rasmussen, 1 985: 

 1993a; 1997: Rasmussen etal., 2000). Hemipenes have been exam- 

 ined in situ and in everted or even in partly everted condition where 

 possible. Recent collecting has increased the number of specimens 

 with everted hemipenes. This provides a welcome opportunity for 

 redescribing the hemipenes of the six recognized species. Further, 

 differences between the hemipenes of the various isolated popul- 

 ations of C. tornieri, of C. degeni, and of the various populations of 

 the widely distributed C hotamboeia may provide an indication of 

 the taxonomic status of some of the populations. 



MATERIAL AND METHODS 



Specimens included in the present study are held in the collections of 

 the following museums: The Natural History Museum, London 

 (BMNH); California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco (CAS); 

 Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard (MCZ); Musee Royal 

 d'AfriqueCentrale.Tervuren (MRAC);Rijksmuseum van Naturlijke 

 Historic Leiden (RMNH); National Museum of Natural History, 

 Washington (USNM); Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Mu- 

 seum Alexander Koenig, Bonn (ZFMK); Zoological Museum, 

 University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen (ZMUC). 



In the following list the catalogue numbers and places of origin are 

 given for each specimen of the six currently recognized Crotapho- 

 peltis species: 



Crotaphopeltis barotseensis. BOTSWANA: 

 (ZMUC 631232). 



Okawanga Delta 



Crotaphopeltis braestrupi. SOMALIA: Mareri, ca. 8 km SW of 

 Gelib(CAS 153370, 153379). 



Crotaphopeltis degeni. CAMEROON: Gueme (MRAC 73-15- 

 R209). ETHIOPIA: Gambela (USNM 24389). SUDAN: Assalaya, 

 10 mis E. of Kosti (RMNH 24411, 25018). TANZANIA: Tumba, 



Lake Rukwa (ZMUC 631233); Minziro Forest (ZMUC R631598, 

 R631610, R631618. R631621). UGANDA: Kome Island, Victoria 

 Nyanza(BMNH 1984.883). 



Crotaphopeltis hippocrepis. GHANA: Legon (ZFMK 63880); Legon 

 Hill (ZMUC R631238); Legon Road, Achimota (ZFMK 63775); 

 Wa, Secondary School (ZFMK 63875. 63877). 



Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia. CONGO: Tchissanga (ZMUC 

 R631 177). GHANA: Wa (ZFMK 63874). KENYA: Langata, NW 

 of" Nairobi (ZMUC R63984). SOUTH AFRICAN REPUBLIC: 

 Cape Peninsula (ZMUC R63894); Tshaneni (ZMUC R63889). SU- 

 DAN: Talanga Forest (ZMUC R63980); Torit (ZMUC R63979). 

 TANZANIA: Magombero Forest (ZMUC R63921); Msolwa area, 

 Rubeho Mountains (ZMUC R63 1205-06, R63 1208-10); Rungwe 

 Mountains (ZMUC R631264, R631266, and R631268). ZAIRE: 6 

 km NE of Kafumba, near Kikwit (ZMUC R63 1072). 



Crotaphopeltis tornieri. TANZANIA: East Usambara Mountains: 

 Amani (R631 122-3); Kwamkoro (R631I27). Rungwe Mountains: 

 Rungwe Mission ZMUC R631257. Udzungwa Mountains: Kihanga 

 River, Udzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve ZMUC R63 1269-70; 

 Kilanzi-Kitungulu Forest Reserve ZMUC R63 1244-45, R631252- 

 54. R631256. West Usambara Mountains: Mazumbai (ZMUC 

 R63963, R631129. R631135, R631137, R631140, R63 1142-3, 

 R63 1146-7. R631155). 



Terminology follows Bohme (1988) and Ziegler & Bohme (1997). 

 Preparation of the hemipenes of specimens previously preserved in 

 alcohol was done according to the method described by Pesantes 

 (1994) and Ziegler & Bohme (1997). 



RESULTS 



Crotaphopeltis barotseensis (Fig. 1). In situ hemipenes extend to 

 subcaudal scute no. 7-8 (x=7.4, n=5) (Rasmussen, 1997). The only 

 known everted hemipenes of this species have been prepared from a 

 preserved specimen (ZMUC R631232). Consequently the organs 

 are somewhat wrinkled, hardened and not completely distended. 



© The Natural History Museum, 2002 



