MARQUES ET AL.; AMPHIBIANS AND TERRESTRIAL REPTILES OF ANGOLA 
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20I6a:29); “Leba Pass, between river and highway” [-15.07033, 13.24381] (Ceriaeo et al. 
20I6a;29); “Namibe-Lubango road, 2.0 km east (by road) of Mangueiras, south side of the road” 
[-15.04467, 13.15906] (Ceriaeo et al. 2016a:29); “Namibe-Lubango road, road marker 59, 1.8 km 
west by road of Caraculo” [-15.01531, 12.64244] (Ceriaeo et al. 2016a:29); “Pieo Azevedo” 
[-15.53400, 12.49197] (Ceriaeo et al. 2016a:29); “Espinheira” [-16.78894, 12.35775] (Ceriaeo et 
al. 2016a:29). 
Taxonomic and distributional notes: Three subspeeies of Rhoptropus boultoni have been 
reeognized (Bauer and Good 1996; Bauer and Lamb 2001), but reeent moleeular phylogenetie 
research has revealed that all three are specifically distinct (Kuhn 2016; Heinicke et al. 2017) and 
do not form a monophyletic group. Rhoptropus boultoni generally occupies areas of large boulders 
or occurs in association with large trees, such as baobab, Adansonia digitata (Bauer and Good 
1996). There is deep genetic substructure in R. boultoni sensu stricto (Kuhn 2016) and further 
investigation may reveal that the taxon as now construed constitutes a species complex of similar, 
large-bodied Rhoptropus. 
Rhoptropus montanus Laurent, 1964 Mountain Namib Day Gecko (Endemic) 
Rhoptropus boultoni montanus Laurent 1964a:31. Holotype: MD 1854 (collector A. Barros Machado). Type 
locality: “Boca da Humpata, region de Sa da Bandeira” [Boca da Humpata, Lubango], Huila Province, 
Angola. 
Rhoptropus boultoni montanus: Bauer and Good (1996:644); Ceriaeo et al. (2016a:29), Heinicke et al. 
(2017:6). 
Global conservation status (lUCN): Not Evaluated. 
Global distribution: The species is Endemic to southwestern Angola. 
Ocurrences in Angola (Map 152): All 
known localities are on top of the Great escarp¬ 
ment. Huila: “Boca de Humpata, Sa da Ban¬ 
deira” [-14.93333, 13.51667] (Laurent 
1964a:31; Bauer and Good 1996:644). 
Namibe: “Leba Pass overlook” [-15.07700, 
13.23292] (Ceriaeo et al. 2016b;29); “Leba 
Pass, between river and highway” [-15.07033, 
13.24369] (Ceriaeo et al. 2016a;29). 
Taxonomic and distributional notes: 
Three subspecies of Rhoptropus boultoni, 
including R. b. montanus, were long recog¬ 
nized (Bauer and Good 1996; Bauer and Lamb 
2001), but recent molecular phylogenetic 
research has revealed that all three are specifi¬ 
cally distinct (Kuhn 2016; Heinicke et al. 
2017) and do not form a monophyletic group. 
Additional localities from recent collections 
(Ceriaeo et al. 2016a) reinforce that this is a 
high elevation species, occurring in cooler, more mesic environments than most of its congeners. 
We recently examined the holotype of this taxon, which is in poor condition, having gone com¬ 
pletely black and brittle after more than 60 years in formalin. 
Map 
Angola. 
152. Distribution of Rhoptropus montanus in 
