REVIEW OF DISPHOLIDINI WITH NEW TANZANIAN GENUS AND SPECIES 



63 



Table 1 Dispholidini compared with Philothamnini: variation in midbody scale rows, ventrals, subcaudals and supralabials (rare variations in 

 parentheses). 



Taxon 



midbody rows 



ventrals 



subcaudals 



supralabials [in orbit] 



Philothamnus spp. * 



(13) 15 



135-213 



60-175 



8/9 [4 to 6] 



Hapsidophrys spp. ** 



15 



150-176 



90-172 



8/9 [4 to 6] 



Thrasops flavigularis 



13(15) 



195-215 



128-146 



8 (9) [4,5 (5,6)] 



Thrasops occidentalis 



15- 19(21) 



175-187 



119-140 



8 (7) [4,5 (5,6)] 



Thrasops jacksonii 



(17) 19(21) 



187-211 



130-155 



8 (9) [4,5 (5,6)] 



Thrasops schmidti 



(16)17(19) 



168-184 



121-149 



8 [4,5] 



Rhamnophis aethiopissa 



15- 17(19) 



154-179 



117-159 



6-9 [3.4; 4,5; 5,6] 



Rhamnophis balesii 



13 



163-179 



91-114 



7-8 [4.5: 5.6] 



Xyelodontophis uluguruensis 



19 



168-169 



? 



8 [4.5] 



Thelotornis kirtlandii 



19 



162-189 



139-161 



8 (7, 9) [4,5 (5.6)] 



Thelotornis usambaricus 



19 



156-169 



151-175 



8 (9) [4,5 (3,4.5)] 



Thelotornis mossambicanus 



(17) 19(23) 



149-166 



127-158 



8 [4,5] 



Thelotornis capensis 



19 



144-177 



128-165 



8 [4,5] 



Dispholidus typus 



(17) 19(21) 



164-201 



104-142+ * 



7 (3,4) 



*Data from Hughes (1985). **Data from Chippaux ( 1999). "168 in D. 'pemba' (MCZ 45587). 



& 5 or 5 & 6 entering orbit. The widespread R. aethiopissa is more 

 variable, 6 to 9 labials, often with 3 & 4 entering orbit in southern 

 and eastern populations. Thelotornis and the Dagger-tooth Vine 

 Snake usually have 8 (4 & 5) and Dispholidus 7 (3 & 4). 



10. Dorsal scales (Table 1 ). In Thrasops the dorsals are smooth in 

 juveniles, the median rows keeled in adults, number of rows at 

 midbody varies from 13-15 in T. flavigularis (which has the dorsals 

 twice as long as the ventrals) to 17-21 (usually 19) in T. jacksonii. In 

 Rhamnophis the dorsals are smooth, with the vertebral row enlarged, 

 13 rows in R. batesii and 15-19 rows in R. aethiopissa. The dorsals 

 are feebly keeled and usually in 19 rows in Thelotornis and the 

 Dagger-tooth Vine Snake, while Dispholidus usually has 19 rows of 

 strongly keeled scales. In the Philothamnini there are usually 15 

 scale rows, which are usually smooth in Philothamnus, but keeled in 

 Hapsidophrys. 



11. Ventral counts (Table 1). The highest counts are found in 

 Thrasops flavigularis and the lowest in Thelotornis capensis. 



12. Subcaudal counts (Table 1). The lowest counts are found in 

 Rhamnophis batesii and some populations of Dispholidus typus, 

 while the highest are found in the two forest species of Thelotornis. 



SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT 



Thrasops flavigularis ( Hallowell) 



Yellow-throated Bold-eyed Tree Snake 



Dendrophis flavigularis Hallowell, 1852, Proc. Acad. not. Sci. 



Philadelphia: 205. Type locality: 'Liberia', later corrected to 



Gabon. 

 Hapsidophrys niger Giinther, 1872, Ann. Mag. not. Hist. (4) 9: 25. 



Type locality: Gaboon. 

 Thrasops pustulatus Buchholz & Peters, 1875, Monatsb. Akad. 



Wiss. Berlin: 199. Type locality: Mungo, Cameroon. 

 ThrasopsflavigularisBocage, 1895: 97; Bogert, 1940: 58; Loveridge, 



1944: 132; Trape & Roux-Esteve, 1995: 40; Chippaux, 1999: 95. 

 Thrasops flavigularis flavigularis Stucki-Stirn, 1979: 319. 

 Thrasops flavigularis stirnensis Stucki-Stirn, 1979: 632. 



Diagnosis. Dorsal scales in 13-15 rows at midbody, the dorsals 

 much longer than the ventrals; ventrals 191-214; subcaudals 128- 

 146; usually 2 labials in contact with the lowest postocular; no 

 enlarged occipitals. 



DESCRIPTION. Supralabials 8 (rarely 9), fourth & fifth (rarely fifth 

 & sixth) entering orbit; infralabials 9-12, the first 3-5 in contact 

 with anterior sublinguals; preoculars 1 or 2; postoculars 3 (rarely 2), 

 usually 2 labials in contact with the lowest; temporals 1 + 1; no 

 occipitals. Dorsals in 17-15-13, 17-13-11, 15-13-13, 15-13-11 or 

 13-13-11 rows, feebly keeled in adults; ventrals 191-214; cloacal 

 divided; subcaudals 128-146 pairs. 



Coloration in life. Subadults olive to dark brown above, head 

 uniform, body mottled with black and yellow, the black being on the 

 interstitial skin and bases of the scales, the yellow in the centres of 

 the scales, the yellow spots very pronounced on the tail. Chin and 

 throat yellow, rest of venter chequered black and yellow. Adults 

 usually uniform black above, venter blackish, but throat usually 

 yellow or brownish white. 



SIZE. Largest 6 (IFAN 687 - Sibiti, Congo-Brazzaville) 1514 + 

 586 = 2100 mm (Villiers, 1966); largest 9 (AMNH 50573 - Metet, 

 Cameroon) 1235 + 505 = 1740 mm (Bogert. 1940). Stucki-Stirn 

 (1979) gives the maximum length as 240 cm. 



Habitat. Lowland forest. 



Distribution. Southwestern Nigeria, Bioko Island, Cameroon, 

 Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville, extreme eastern Democratic Republic 

 of Congo and northwestern Angola (Fig. 5). 



Thrasops occidentalis Parker 



Western Bold-eyed Tree Snake 



Thrasops occidentalis Parker. 1940, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (11) 5 

 273, fig. 1 & 2a. Type locality: Axim, Gold Coast [= Ghana] 

 Loveridge, 1944: 131; Cansdale, 1961: 31, PI. vi, fig. 11 & 12 

 Hughes & Barry, 1969: 1018; Chippaux, 1999: 100. 



Diagnosis. Dorsal scales in 1 5-2 1 rows at midbody, the vertebral 

 row widened; ventrals 175-187; subcaudals 119-140; 3 labials in 

 contact with lowest postocular. 



DESCRIPTION. Supralabials 8 (rarely 7 or 9), the fourth & fifth 

 (rarely fifth & sixth) entering orbit; infralabials 8-10, the first 4-6 in 

 contact with anterior sublinguals; preocular 1; postoculars 3, 3 

 labials in contact with the lowest; temporals 1 + 1; no occipitals. 

 Dorsals in 15-21 rows at midbody, the median rows keeled in adults, 

 smooth in juveniles; ventrals 175-187; cloacal divided; subcaudals 

 119-140 pairs. 



COLORATION IN LIFE. Juveniles with head and neck olive, body 



