Lycodonomorphus laevissimus

Taxonavigation

Taxonavigation: Elapoidea

Superregnum: Eukaryota Cladus: Unikonta Cladus: Opisthokonta Cladus: Holozoa Regnum: Animalia Subregnum: Eumetazoa Cladus: Bilateria Cladus: Nephrozoa Superphylum: Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Megaclassis: Osteichthyes Cladus: Sarcopterygii Cladus: Rhipidistia Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes Cladus: Elpistostegalia Superclassis: Tetrapoda Cladus: Reptiliomorpha Cladus: Amniota Cladus: Sauropsida Classis: Reptilia Cladus: Eureptilia Cladus: Romeriida Subclassis: Diapsida Cladus: Sauria Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha Superordo: Lepidosauria Ordo: Squamata Cladus: Unidentata, Episquamata Cladus: Toxicofera Subordo: Serpentes Infraordo: Caenophidia Superfamilia: Elapoidea

Familia: Lamprophiidae
Genus: Lycodonomorphus
Species: Lycodonomorphus laevissimus

Name

Lycodonomorphus laevissimus (Günther, 1862)

• Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.12.78 (formerly FPM R9 and BMNH 1861.11.7.23), ♂, collector and date unknown.
• Type locality: “probably from East Indies” (in error), corrected to “South Africa” by FitzSimons (1962: 104).

Combinations

• Natrix laevissima Günther, 1862: 124 [original combination]
• Neusterophis laevissima — Günther, 1863: 16 [subsequent combination]
• Tropidonotus laevissimus — Boulenger, 1893: 226 [subsequent combination]
• Lycodonomorphus laevissimus — Loveridge, 1953: 253 [subsequent combination]

Synonyms

• Grayia lubrica Sclater, 1898: 109 [synonymised by FitzSimons (1962: 104)]
  • Holotype: SAM 2009, obtained by M. Watermeyer, date unknown.
  • Type locality: “Tsomo in the Transkei district of the eastern part of Cape Colony”.

• Hydrablabes melanogaster Werner, 1923: 161 [synonymised by FitzSimons (1962: 104)]
  • Holotype: NMW 23437, ♂, collected by Kühn, date unknown.
  • Type locality: “Tenimber Inseln” (in error).

• Lycodonomorphus laevissimus fitzsimonsi Raw, 1973: 715 [synonymised by Haagner & Branch (1994)]
  • Holotype: TM 21261, adult ♂, collector and date unknown.
  • Type locality: “Lothair, Ermelo District, south-eastern Transvaal”.

• Lycodonomorphus laevissimus natalensis Raw, 1973: 715 [synonymised by Haagner & Branch (1994)]
  • Holotype: UM 27057, adult ♀, collected by L.R.G. Raw, date unknown.
  • Type locality: “Londen Stream, Hillary, Durban, Natal at an altitude of 65 metres above sea-level”.

References

Primary references

• Günther, A. 1862. On new species of snakes in the collection of the British Museum. Annals and Magazine of Natural History. Series 3 9(50): 124–132. BHL Reference page. 
• Sclater, W.L. 1898. List of the reptiles and batrachians of South Africa, with descriptions of new species. Annals of the South African Museum 1(1): 95–111. BHL Reference page. 
• Werner, F. 1923. Neue Schlangere des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien 36: 160–166. JSTOR
• FitzSimons, V.F.M. 1962. Snakes of southern Africa. Purnell and Sons: Cape Town. 423 pp. Reference page. 
• Raw, L.R.G. 1973. A review of the dusky-bellied water snake, Lycodonomorphus laevissimus (Günther), with descriptions of two new subspecies. Annals of the Natal Museum 21(3): 713–718. Reference page. 
• Haagner, G.V. & Branch, W.R. 1994. A taxonomic revision of the subspecies of the dusky-bellied water snake (Lycodonomorphus laevissimus). Journal of African Zoology 108(3): 237–250. Reference page. 

Links

• Uetz, P. & Hallermann, J. 2024. Lycodonomorphus laevissimus. The Reptile Database. Accessed on 30 October 2021.
• Maritz, B. 2018. IUCN: Lycodonomorphus laevissimus  (Least Concern). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T110133954A115673036. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T110133954A115673036.en

Vernacular names

English: Dusky-bellied Water Snake