A review of the Angolan House snakes, genus Boaedon Duméril, Bibron and Duméril (1854) (Serpentes: Lamprophiidae), with description of three new species in the Boaedon fuliginosus (Boie, 1827) species complex

An integrative taxonomic review of the genus Boaedon in Angola is provided. A molecular phylogeny, based on 99 genetic samples for which the mitochondrial markers 16S rRNA have been sequenced, reveals 23 monophyletic species-level groups in Africa and indicates the presence of nine species in Angola. Based on both phylogenetic and morphological data, we revalidate and designate a neotype for B. angolensis, describe three new species for Angola (e.g. B. bocagei sp. nov., B. branchi sp. nov., and B. fradei sp. nov.), revalidate B. variegatus from its synonymy with B. lineatus and designate a lectotype for this taxon, and identify B. lineatus var. lineolatus as a junior synonym of B. variegatus. The taxonomic status of the recently described B. paralineatus from Central Africa is discussed with respect to the more inclusive B. lineatus group. Moreover, we report on a new country record for Angola, namely B. mentalis, which we elevate here to full species and discuss the taxonomic status of this species in southern Africa. Finally, we provide an identification key and updated distribution maps for all Boaedon species occurring in Angola, including the Cabinda enclave.The National Science Foundation of the United States, the JRS Biodiversity Foundation, FCT, the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project and the Wild Bird Trust National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project.https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ther202021-07-08hj2021Zoology and Entomolog

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

An annotated list of reptiles and amphibians from the 1905 Hamburg expedition to southwest Australia deposited in the Zoological Museum Hamburg

The herpetological material of the 1905 Hamburg expedition to southwest Australia is redetermined and listed with precise locality data and habitat details. Of this material, 275 specimens of 57 species are still part of the herpetological collection of the Zoological Museum Hamburg (ZMH). A map showing 47 (out of 167) collecting points is provided. Some of the type specimens described in the original material by Prof. Franz Werner have been destroyed. A single paratype of Crinia michaelseni (Werner, 1914) now Geocrinia leai (Flecher, 1898), formerly thought to be lost, was recovered in the ZMH collection. This historical collection is a valuable resource for understanding the composition of the herpetofauna of the previous century

The type specimens in the herpetological collection of the Staatliches Museum f\ufcr Naturkunde in Stuttgart

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A new species of Leptotyphlops (Serpentes: Leptotyphlopidae) of the longicaudus-group from West Africa

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An updated diagnosis of the rare Amphisbaena slateri Boulenger, 1907, based on additional specimens (Squamata, Amphisbaenia, Amphisbaenidae)

Amphisbaena slateri is a rare species of worm lizard from Peru and Bolivia, known only from three specimens. We found two additional specimens of this taxon, housed at the herpetological collections of the Zoological Museum (Cenak), Universität Hamburg, and the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute, updating its known geographic distribution and morphological variation. We also discovered an unpublished manuscript by late Carl Gans reporting the finding of the Hamburg specimen, which we reproduce here with the permission of his family. Amphisbaena slateri can be identified by a combination of characters including counts of annuli, segments, and pores, the shape of head scales and color pattern. Basic morphological data is given for all species of Amphisbaenia known for Bolivia and Peru to aid in the identification of specimens from those countries

Lophyrus spinosus C. Duméril & A. Duméril, 1851, a case of mistaken identity

Lophyrus spinosus Duméril & Duméril, 1851 has been considered synonymous with Bronchocela marmorata Gray, 1845 since its original description. The name-bearing type of Lophyrus spinosus is the specimen collected by Hombron and Jacquinot (MNHN 6896) by original designation and the holotype by monotypy of Bronchocela marmorata is the specimen deposited under NHMUK 1946.8.11.16. Accordingly, these two scientific names do not share name-bearing types. Prior to the original descriptions of Lophyrus spinosus and Bronchocela marmorata Hombron & Jacquinot (1843) published a plate depicting Lophyrus spinosus, but only naming the species in French. The nomenclatural implications of this publication are discussed. Our comparison of the holotypes reveals that these two species are not identical. Therefore we resurrect Lophyrus spinosus from its synonymy with Bronchocela marmorata and show that the specimen collected by Hombron and Jacquinot actually belongs to the genus Hypsilurus. Duméril and Duméril (1851) were the first to make the name Lophyrus (= Hypsilurus) spinosus available and the authorship has to be assigned to them. Based on evidence from original travel reports and biogeography we propose that the collection locality of Lophyrus spinosus, i.e. Hypsilurus spinosus Duméril & Duméril (1851), should be corrected to Triton Bay, Kaimana, West Papua, Indonesia

Lophyrus spinosus C. Duméril & A. Duméril, 1851, a case of mistaken identity

Lophyrus spinosus Duméril & Duméril, 1851 has been considered synonymous with Bronchocela marmorata Gray, 1845 since its original description. The name-bearing type of Lophyrus spinosus is the specimen collected by Hombron and Jacquinot (MNHN 6896) by original designation and the holotype by monotypy of Bronchocela marmorata is the specimen deposited under NHMUK 1946.8.11.16. Accordingly, these two scientific names do not share name-bearing types. Prior to the original descriptions of Lophyrus spinosus and Bronchocela marmorata Hombron & Jacquinot (1843) published a plate depicting Lophyrus spinosus, but only naming the species in French. The nomenclatural implications of this publication are discussed. Our comparison of the holotypes reveals that these two species are not identical. Therefore we resurrect Lophyrus spinosus from its synonymy with Bronchocela marmorata and show that the specimen collected by Hombron and Jacquinot actually belongs to the genus Hypsilurus. Duméril and Duméril (1851) were the first to make the name Lophyrus (= Hypsilurus) spinosus available and the authorship has to be assigned to them. Based on evidence from original travel reports and biogeography we propose that the collection locality of Lophyrus spinosus, i.e. Hypsilurus spinosus Duméril & Duméril (1851), should be corrected to Triton Bay, Kaimana, West Papua, Indonesia

Taxonomy and distribution of a common arboreal lizard, Bronchocela jubata Duméril & Bibron, 1837 (Reptilia: Agamidae), with designation of its lectotype from Java, Indonesia

Amarasinghe, A.A. Thasun, Ineich, Ivan, Riyanto, Awal, Hallermann, Jakob, Andayani, Noviar, Abinawanto, A., Supriatna, Jatna (2022): Taxonomy and distribution of a common arboreal lizard, Bronchocela jubata Duméril & Bibron, 1837 (Reptilia: Agamidae), with designation of its lectotype from Java, Indonesia. Zootaxa 5150 (1): 65-82, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5150.1.