Psammophis leightoni

Psammophis leightoni

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 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: Psammophiidae
Genus: Psammophis
Species: Psammophis leightoni

Name

Psammophis leightoni Boulenger, 1902: 126

• Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.8.27, collected by G. Leighton.
• Type locality: “Eerste River Station, 21 miles east of Cape Town, Cape Colony”.

Synonyms

• Psammophis sibilans trinasalis Werner, 1902: 340 [synonymised by Taft, Maritz & Tolley (2022: 66)]
  • Lectotype: ZFMK 30503, ♂, collected by F. Werner on 1900. [designated by Elzen (1980: 343)]
  • Type locality: “Windhoek, Deutsch-Südwest-Afrika [=Namibia]”.

• Psammophis leightoni namibensis Broadley, 1975: 9 [synonymised by Taft, Maritz & Tolley (2022: 66)]
  • Holotype: TMP 37093, adult ♀, collected by W.D. Haacke on 12 May 1969.
  • Type locality: “Harus in the Uri-Hauchab Mountains, Diamond Area No. 2, South West Africa”.

References

Primary references

• Boulenger, G.A. 1902. Description of a new snake of the genus Psammophis, from Cape Colony. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1902: 126. BHL
• Werner, F. 1902. Über westafrikanische Reptilien. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 52: 332–348. BHL Reference page. 
• Broadley, D.G. 1975. A review of Psammophis leightoni and Psammophis notostictus in southern Africa (Serpentes: Colubridae). Arnoldia (Rhodesia) 7(13): 1–17. Reference page. 
• Taft, J.M., Maritz, B. & Tolley, K.A. 2022. Stable climate corridors promote gene flow in the Cape sand snake species complex (Psammophiidae). Zoologica Scripta 51(1): 58–75. DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12514 Reference page. 

Additional references

• Broadley, D.G. 2002. A review of the species of Psammophis Boie found south of latitude 12°S (Serpentes: Psammophiinae). African Journal of Herpetology 51(2): 83–119. DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2002.9635466 Reference page. 

Vernacular names

English: Cape Sand Snake