PSAMMOPHIS ZAMBIENSIS Hughes & Wade, 2002

Zambian Whip Snake, Psammophis zambien, Sambische Sandrennnatter

Psammophis sibilans (not Linnaeus) Pitman, 1934: 297 (part, ‘Chimikombe’ specimens only).

Dromophis lineatus (not Dumèril & Bibron) Laurent, 1956: 247 (Kundelungu, DRC).

Psammophis? sibilans Broadley & Pitman, 1960: 445.

Psammophis brevirostris leopardinus (not Bocage) Broadley, 1971: 88; Brandstätter, 1955: 53, Pl. 39 & 1966: 48 (Zambia only); Haagner et al., 2000: 16.

Psammophis zambiensis Hughes & Wade, 2002: 75. Type locality: “Abercorn”, probably = Mweru-Wantipa, Zambia. Holotype: BM 1959.1.1.81; Broadley et al., 2003: 170.

Description. (23 specimens examined) Nostril pierced between 2 nasals; preocular 1, separated from frontal; postoculars 2; temporals usually 2+2/3; supralabials 8 (rarely 7 or 9), the 4 th & 5 th (rarely 3 rd & 4 th) entering orbit; infralabials 9 or 10, the first 4 in contact with anterior sublinguals; dorsal scales in 17-17-13 rows; ventrals 147–161; cloacal divided (entire in NMZB 16601); subcaudals 72–83. Brandstätter (1995, fig. 39) has published a SEM micrograph of a dorsal scale of NMZB 10636 from Ikelenge, Zambia.

Dorsum greenish-brown, top of head with complex pale markings; labials yellowish speckled with black; a pale double chain marking covers the dorsal nine scale rows anteriorly, dorsal scales heavily edged in black (more extensive in juveniles and subadults), a pale dorsolateral stripe on scale row 4 and 5 continues caudad; lower half of outer scale row and ventrals greenish, free edges of ventral irregularly bordered with black (more extensive in subadults). Two specimens from Sakeji School (Haagner et al. 2000), and all those from the Muchinga escarpment and Malawi, lack the distinctive dorsal and ventral markings, but are still distinguishable from sympatric / parapatric P. mossambicus by their low ventral and subcaudal counts.

Size. Largest male (PEM 6237 – Sakeji School, Zambia) 770 + 275 = 1,045 mm; largest female (PEM 6224 – Sakeji School, Zambia) 740 + 180+ mm (tail truncated).

Remarks. This taxon was originally assigned to P. leopardinus, which it resembles in dorsal colour pattern, but it differs in its much lower mandibular tooth counts and also lower ventral and subcaudal counts. In addition there seems to be no connection across eastern Angola and the two forms occupy very different habitats. The sequences of “ P. occidentalis ” from Zambia and Burundi in Kelly et al. (2008) and Fig. 1 may correspond to this species. See Hughes & Wade (2002) for further data.

Habitat. Apparently inhabiting swampy areas in moist miombo woodland in Zambia and Katanga or montane grassland in Malawi.

Distribution. Northern Zambia and adjacent Katanga Province of the DRC, extending into montane areas of northern and central Malawi.