Bamanophis, a new genus for the West African colubrid Periops dorri Lataste, 1888 (Reptilia: Squamata: Colubrinae)

Abstract

Bamanophis, a new genus for the West African colubrid Periops dorri Lataste, 1888 (Reptilia: Squamata: Colubrinae). - Bamanophis gen. n. is a monotypic colubrine genus from the Sahel to Guinea Savanna. It is well defined by external morphology, osteology, and hemipenis features. B. dorri (Lataste) shows a variety of scale and skull character states unknown in Afrotropical, Palaearctic, and Saharo-Sindian racers and related genera. Noteworthy are differences in midbody dorsal scale row number frequencies between males and females and significant sexual dimorphism of ventral counts in Senegal. The distribution of Dorr's Racer is reviewed and new locality records from Guinea and Senegal as well as ecological data are presented.