In the 74th African Herp News (AHN) of August 2020 the HAA promoted citizen science platforms such as iNaturalist, and introduced a series of challenges to encourage members to contribute their records. The most novel and exciting records from the reporting period are to be selected and featured in future AHN publications.

Please join the following projects if you would like to contribute or check out the progress of these challenges. We also encourage users to help confirm species identifications within these projects.

Challenge 1:
New records Jalla’s Sand Snake (Psammophis jallae)

Challenge 2:
Herpetofauna of the southern Drakensberg and adjacent Lesotho

A new species of Atheris (A. hetfieldi ) has described from the Bioko Island by Ceríaco et al. (2020). This is the second Bush Viper known the the island and is currently the only endemic snake to the island (although this may change as more studies are done).

A specimen of A. hetfieldi was collected way back by Leonardo Fea in 1901-1902 but was not described. Another specimen of this species was collected 1998, and both were used in the current description where it is morphologically distinct from other Atheris species. The paper also updates the dichotomous key for the genus (Spawls & Branch 2020) .

Atheris hetfieldi differs from the A. squamigera (also present on the island), by the following characters:
"four suprarostrals (usually three in A. squamigera, see Fig. 4), three scales between the eye and the nasal (two in A. squamigera), and an higher number of interrictals (19–20 in Atheris hetfieldi sp. nov. versus 14 to 16 in A. squamigera); "

The snake is named in honour of James Hetfield from the heavy metal band Metallica.

Read the full article here:
Ceríaco, L.M., Marques, M.P. and Bauer, A.M., 2020. The Bush Vipers, genus Atheris Cope, 1862 (Squamata: Viperidae) of Bioko Island, Gulf of Guinea, with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 4838 (4): pp. 581-593.

A recent review of Swamp Snakes (Limnophis) from Central Africa describes a new species from the North of Angola. Limnophis branchi is named in honour of Bill Branch, who worked in Angola over the last decade. It is known to occur in seasonal wetlands and is frequently found eating the fish in the fish traps of local fisherman.

Morphology Key:
Limnophis branchi can be distinguished from L. bicolor in having dark markings on the throat and belly and nasal suture in contact with the loreal (not the 1st upper labial).
L. branchi can be distinguished from L. bangweolicus in having dark markings (appearing barred) on the belly and underside of the tail, barred upper lip, a pale dosrolateral stripe only one scale in width (as opposed to 3-4 scales) and lacking any black dorsolateral stripes.

Limnophis branchi

Read the full article here:
Conradie, W., Deepak, V., Keates, C. and Gower, D.J., 2020. Kissing cousins: a review of the African genus Limnophis Günther, 1865 (Colubridae: Natricinae), with the description of a new species from north-eastern Angola. African Journal of Herpetology, pp.1-29.

A recent revision of the Angolan Boaedon describes 3 new species (B. bocagei , B. branchi and B. fradei), re-validates B. variegatus, assigns B. lineatus var.
lineolatus to B. variegatus, and elevates B. mentalis to full species status.

The paper also includes a dichotomous key for the identification of these species. Features important in this key include: subcaudal scale, venter pigmentation, midbody scale rows, head scales (top of head), length and thickness of white dorsolateral stripes, chin scales (underside of head), supralabials entering orbit (side of head), body markings, pigmentation of the lower 2-3 dorsal scale rows (so lots of diagnostic photographs will be necessary).

"Figure 2. Confirmed records of Boaedon species in Angola. Orange dots: Boaedon bocagei sp. nov.; Orange star: Boaedon bocagei sp. nov. Type Locality; Blue dots: Boaedon fradei sp. nov.; Blue star: Boaedon fradei sp. nov. Type Locality; Yellow dots: Boaedon branchi sp. nov.; Yellow star: Boaedon branchi sp. nov. Type Locality; Purple dots: Boaedon olivaceus; Red dots: Boaedon virgatus; Green dots: Boaedon fuliginosus; Pink dots: Boaedon mentalis; Brown dots: Boaedon variegatum; Brown star: Boaedon variegatum Type Locality; Black dots: Boaedon angolensis; White star: Boaedon angolensis "

Read the full article here:
Hallermann, J., Ceríaco, L.M., Schmitz, A., Ernst, R., Conradie, W., Verburgt, L., Marques, M.P. and Bauer, A.M., 2020. 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. African Journal of Herpetology, pp.1-50.

Previously considered as Panaspis wahlbergi sensu lato, this species is known from the Oromia Region in western Ethiopia (and may also be present in central Ethiopia). This species can be distinguished from other Panaspis by the following characters:
"eye in the “ablepharine” condition; scales in 24 rows at the midbody; adult coloration of light-colored upper labials lacking round black spots; coppery dorsum flecked with black, separated from dark brown or black lateral coloration by a single row of light-colored scales; and a coppery bronze tail."

Photo by Timothy J. Colston.

Colston, Pyron & Bauer, 2020
10.11646/zootaxa.4779.2.2

The species placement of Breviceps has recently been evaluated. This shows potential for many new species
in the mossambicus and verrucosus groups.

One major outcome is the elevation of Breviceps adspersus pentheri to full species status due to the clear polyphyly of the B. adspersus.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jbi.13394

Nielsen, S. V., S, R. Daniels, W. Conradie, M. P. Heinicke, and B. P. Noonan. 2018. Multilocus phylogenetics in a widespread African anuran lineage (Brevicipitidae: Breviceps) reveals patterns of diversity reflecting geoclimatic change. Journal of Biogeography 45: 2067–2079.

The first Atlas of amphibians and reptiles has just been published for Angola. Unfortunately there are no pictures of the species like Suricata 1 had, but the range maps are extremely useful.

Check it out:
http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/izg/PCAS%20v65%20Suppl%20II%2028Dept18%20Angola%20(CAS%20web).pdf

A new revision of African forest cobras (Naja) by Wuster et al. has described two new species and recognised a total of five species. In southern Africa, Naja melanoleuca is now known as N. sbfulva, melanoleuca reserved

Most species can be identified by their geographic distribution, with rxceptions between Naja savannula and guineensis, and melanoleuca and subfulva.

N. subfulva can be distinguished from melanoleuca by a brown rather than black anterior dorsum.

N. savannula can be distinguised from guineensis by having dorsal coloration extending further down the body, typically between 3-8 light bands.

https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4455.1.3
Wuster, W. et al. 2018 Integration of nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences and morphology reveals unexpected diversity in the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca) species complex in Central and West Africa (Serpentes: Elapidae). Zootaxa, 4455(1), 68-98.

Thanks to Alex (@alexanderr) for writing this up.

Thank you iNatters for your help in reaching this huge mark!!

Ptychadena mutinondoensis has been described recently from Mutinondo Wilderness in northern Zambia.

The species can be diagnosed by the following:
"contrasting longitudinal bands on the posterior thigh"-excludes: P. subpunctata, P. taenioscelis, P. keilingi, P. upembae, P. guibei, P. nilotica, and P. anchietae
"the foot is longer than half SVL" -excludes P. schillukorum and P. mossambica
"it has no light triangle on the snout"-excludes P. subpunctata,P. obscura, P. anchietae and P. oxyrhynchus
"three phalanges of the fourth toe free of web"-excludes P. keilingi and P. bunoderma
"less than one phalanx of the fifth toe free of web"-excludes P. mossambica, P. keilingi, P. upembae, P. guibei, P. taenisocelis, P. bunoderma, P. ansorgii, P. porosissima and P. obscura
"The median skin folds are all similarly developed" not enlarged like P. bunoderma
"The snout is without skin folds" excludes P. uzungwensis and P. broadleyi
"the snout—nostril distance greater than the internarial distance" excludes P. schillukorum, P. mossambica, P. keilingi, P.upembae, P. guibei, P. ansorgii, P. broadleyi, P. grandisonae, P. porosissima, P. nilotica, P. obscura and P. anchietae
"The foot is shorter than the tibia" excludes P. subpinctata, P. keilingi, P. guibei, P. taenioscelis, P. ansorgii and P. nilotica
" The snout is longer and sharper in dorsal view compared to Ptychadena broadleyi"

CHANNING, A. and WILLEMS, F., 2018. A new grass frog with rupicolous tadpoles from northern Zambia (Anura: Ptychadenidae). Zootaxa, 4462(3), pp.349-366.