340 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
Series 4, Volume 65, Supplement II 
Global distribution: The species is 
known from Nigeria to South Sudan and 
Kenya, south to Tanzania and west to the Dem¬ 
ocratic Republic of Congo and Angola. 
Ocurrences in Angola (Map 300): The 
species is only known from the type locality 
“Congulu” in Kwanza Sul Province, however, 
its distribution may comprise all northern 
regions of the country. Kwanza Sul: “Congu¬ 
lu” [-10.86667, 14.28333] (Parker 1936:122; 
Loveridge 1957:252; Laurent 1968:470; 
Broadley and Hughes 1993:12; Broadley 
1996b: 16; Chippaux 2006:80; Wallach et al. 
2014:411). 
Taxonomic and distributional notes: 
Loveridge (1957) treated L. ornatum as a sub¬ 
species of Lycophidion capense (Smith, 1831), 
but it was later elevated to specific status again 
by Laurent (1968). 
ll^E 1&°E 20“E I4«E 
Map 300. Distribution of Lycophidion ornatum in 
Angola. 
Genus Mehelya Csiki, 1903 
Mehelya poensis (Smith, 1847) Western Forest File Snake 
Heterolepispoensis Smith 1847a: page 2 of 2 unnumbered pages aeeompanying plate 55 [Heterolepis capen- 
sisl Holotype, BMNH 1946.1.14.20 (formerly BMNH 47.4.4.? fide BMNH register) (colleetors T. Vogel 
and J. Ansel [Niger Expedition]). Type loeality: “Fernando Po” [= Bioko], Gulf of Guinea, Equatorial 
Guinea. 
Heterolepis biearinatus: Boeage (1866a:49). 
Heterolepis poensis: Ferreira (1906:168). 
Simoeephaluspoensis: Monard (1937b:111). 
Mehelya poensis: Hellmieh (1957b:61). 
Mehelya poensis: Loveridge (1939:145, 1957:253), 
Laurent (1950a:8), Thys van den Audenaerde 
(1966:32), Spawls et al. (2004:332), Broadley 
and Cotterill (2004:48), Chippaux (2006:84), 
Chirio and LeBreton (2007:482), Broadley et al. 
(2018:6). 
Gonionotophis poensis: Kelly et al. (2011:425), 
Braneh and Conradie (2015:200), Wallaeh et al. 
(2014:426). 
Global conservation status (lUCN): Not 
Evaluated. 
Global distribution: The species is 
known from Guinea-Bissau east to South 
Sudan and south to the southern Democratic 
Republic of Congo and northern Angola. 
Ocurrences in Angola (Map 301): The 
species occurs in northern regions of Angola, 
including the Cabinda enclave. Cabinda: 
I2”E 20°E I4'E 
Map 301. Distribution of Mehelya poensis in Angola. 
