Scientific Name Updates

[Dispholidus]

All very confusing. Hope CapeNature is up to speed with the name changes - Imagine applying for a permit to keep Lycodonomorphus inornatus (Olive ground snake) and CapeNature comes an finds a Lamprophis inornatus (Olive house snake).

[boing]

All very confusing. Hope CapeNature is up to speed with the name changes - Imagine applying for a permit to keep Lycodonomorphus inornatus (Olive ground snake) and CapeNature comes an finds a Lamprophis inornatus (Olive house snake).

Get hold of a copy of the paper where the name was changed and keep it with your permits etc. That way, if they do come for a spot check and did not know about the change you can show them that it is the same species.

[Westley Price]

Haven't had an update in a while.

Johan Marias has shared this list of the current scientific and common names of reptiles of southern Africa.

It has all the most recent name changes of the File Snakes, House Snakes, Girdled Lizards, Pachydactylus etc.

Check it out!

http://www.scribd.com/doc/124624895/Reptiles-of-Southern-Africa-Species-List-Feb-2013

[rvanhuyssteen]

Can anyone shed some light on the reason the subspecies was split up?

I will appreciate any sources, anecdotes or references etc.

I am finding the list provided by Johan Marais, 2013, to be a good source of information in terms of names, but in order to deepen my understanding I want know the details.

Thanks.

[Westley Price]

You know, I am often against some of the subspecies being elevated to new species, but I am all for new genera being created for unique snakes.

I understand that most of the changes are warranted due to mitochondrial DNA results. A few (like Pachydactylus mariquensis complex) were split due to scalation, but I think DNA is the dominant source.

My main issue with this is where do you draw the line? I am sure if one compares Berg Adders from Mpumalanga to Berg Adders from the Western Cape, there is a difference in DNA due to the time the populations have been isolated, but surely we can't go that far?

I hope WW, armata or one of the other academics can pop in and give a better answer.

[rvanhuyssteen]

Thanks Westly.

I think that there is a long way to go before the understanding of reptiles settles down.

I look forward to seeing what the academics say about the matter.

In the meantime I will try and find some resources to get a deeper understanding.

[rvanhuyssteen]

I am still really struggling with the scientific name updates, especially the merging of the subspecies.

I have three questions:

Is there any other source I can look at besides Johan Marais' 2013 list?

How reliable is the Sarca Virtual Museum for information of subspecies, or has this contributed to further revisions?

When it comes to universal agreements on Southern African species, where can I get the the correct information?

Any help will be appreciated.