396 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
Series 4, Volume 65, Supplement II 
Philothamnus nitidus: Spwals et al. (2004:359), Chippaux (2006:132), Chirio and LeBreton (2007:516), 
Wallach et al. (2014:546). 
Global conservation status (lUCN): Not Evaluated. 
Global distribution: The species is known from West and Central Africa, form Sierra Leone 
to the Democratic Republic of Congo and adjacent eastern Angola, east to southwestern Kenya and 
southwestern Tanzania. The subspecies P. n. loveridgei occupies the eastern portion of the range, 
from the eastern Congo eastwards, including all of the Democratic Republic of Congo and north¬ 
eastern Angola. 
Ocurrences in Angola (Map 359): The 
species has been recorded only from “Dundo,” 
Lunda Norte Province. Lunda Norte: 
“Dundo” [-7.36667, 20.83333] (Laurent 
1964a: 106; Thys van den Audenaerde 
1966:33). 
Taxonomic and distributional notes: 
Hughes (1985) noted that BMNH 1946.1.10.24 
is one of the types of P. nitidus, the individual 
supposedly from Demerara, but that it is actu¬ 
ally referable to the species from Sao Tome, 
P. thomensis Bocage, 1882. Both BMNH 
1946.1.10.28 and 1946.1.6.2, regarded as the 
syntypes of P. nitidus by Wallach et al. (2014) 
are indicated as types of Ahaetulla lagoensis in 
the BMNH register, with the explicit locality 
“Lagos.” This conflicts with the statement by 
Wallach et al. (2014) that BMNH 1946.1.10.28 
is listed as a type of P nitidus in the BMNH 
register. It is clear that some confusion still surrounds the types of P. nitidus and similar forms in 
the BMNH collection. The majority of recent authors (e.g., Spwals et al. 2004; Chippaux 2006; 
Chirio and LeBreton 2007) have not included Angola in the distribution of Philothamnus nitidus. 
However, Laurent (1964a), and later Thys van den Audenaerde (1966) reported specimens identi¬ 
fied as Philothamnus nitidus loveridgei Laurent, 1960 from Dundo, and this locality was accepted 
and plotted by Hughes (1985). The nominotypical subspecies has not been reported from Angola, 
but according to Hughes (1985) it occurs very near to Cabinda. It is likely that P. n. loveridgei also 
occurs in Zaire Province, based on the proximity of records from the southern bank of the lower 
Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 
Map 359. Distribution 
loveridgei in Angola. 
of Philothamnus nitidus 
Philothamnus ornatus Bocage, 1872 Ornate Green Snake 
Philothamnus ornatus Bocage 1872:80. Syntypes: MBL [2 speeimens from Huila] (eolleetor J.A. d’Anehieta) 
and MBL [from Caeheu] (eolleetor C. Hopffer), all destroyed by fire 18 Mareh 1978. Type loeality: “Huil- 
la,” Angola and “Caeheu, sur la eote de Guinee, Afrique oeeidentale” [= Caeheu], Guinea-Bissau, restriet- 
ed to “Huilla, Angola,” Huila Provinee by Bogert (1940:51). 
Philothamnus ornatus: Boeage (1882b: 16, 1895a:93, 1897a:200), Hellmieh (1957b:65), Broadley (1990:236), 
Braneh (1998:94), Spawls et al. (2004:359), Chippaux (2006:134), Chirio and LeBreton (2007:518), 
Wallaeh et al. (2014:546), Conradie et al. (2016:19). 
Chlorophis ornatus: Boulenger (1893:93, 1905:112), Monard (1937b:119), Bogert (1940:51), Frade 
(1963:252). 
Philothamnus irregularis ornatus: Loveridge (1958:84, 1951:8). 
