[Herpetology • 2025] Elaiophis gen. n. • Generic Affinities of African House Snakes Revised: A New Genus for Lamprophis inornatus (Serpentes: Lamprophiidae: Lamprophiinae: Boaedontini)

 

  Elaiophis inornatus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) comb. n.

Elaiophis gen. n. 

Tiutenko, Maliuk & Koch, 2025

 Salamandra. 61(2); 

Abstract

 This article is the second part of a revision of the systematics of Boaedontini Dowling, 1969 and a follow-up to the work by Tiutenko et al. (2022). As a result of morphological and phylogenetic analyses, further taxonomic actions are taken in the genus Lycodonomorphus Fitzinger, 1843. Lamprophis inornatus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854, a species initially described in the genus Lamprophis and subsequently assigned to Lycodonomorphus, is here transferred to a new monotypic genus on a basis of combined criteria including genetic distance, morphology, ecology and biogeography. For improved taxonomic stability of the species and the new genus, a neotype for L. inornatus is designated from the specimen ZFMK 032712. The lectotype of Boodon infernalis Günther, 1858 is designated from one of three extant syntypes NHMUK 1858.4.11.5 and the type locality of this species, that is currently treated as a junior synonym of L. inornatus, is restricted to Durban, South Africa. The name ‘infernalis’ should be available if the species status of this northern clade would become restored. Lycodonomorphus subtaeniatus Laurent, 1954, another former Lycodonomorphus species long assumed to be a member of Boaedon, is here formally assigned to this genus and tentatively placed next to Boaedon upembae (Laurent, 1954) and Boaedon virgatus (Hallowell, 1854) on a basis of pholidosis, cranial morphology and dentition. The tribe Boaedontini now contains nine genera that can be separated by morphological characters according to the proposed key. The genus Lycodonomorphus still requires attention of taxonomists, as it contains species, such as L. bicolor, L. laevissimus, L. leleupi, L. mlanjensis, L. obscuriventris, and L. whytii, with uncertain taxonomic position and in this sense has to be viewed as sensu lato.

Key words. Squamata, Elaiophis, nomenclature, osteology, skull, taxonomy

Adult specimens of Elaiophis inornatus comb. n. from Makhanda / Grahamstown, Eastern Cape (A), and Haenertsburg, Limpopo (B).

Photographs by G. K. Nicolau.

Head morphology details (drawings) and general appearance of
Boaedon capensis (A), Lycodonomorphus rufulus (B),
Lamprophis aurora (C), Lycodonomorphus inornatus (D).

Photographs by L. Kemp (A–C) and G. K. Nicolau (D).

Elaiophis gen. n. 

Type species: Lamprophis inornatus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854,

 by present designation. 

Diagnosis: Body cylindric, moderately short. Head moderately depressed. Eye medium-sized to small. Tail short, representing ca. 12–15% of the total length. Head trapezoidal, broader posteriorly, moderately distinct from neck. Snout blunt, square-shaped. Rostral rather large, approximately as high as broad, well visible from below and above. Nasal divided. Eye medium-sized, with wide sub-elliptical pupil. Anterior chin shields equal in size to the posterior or slightly longer. Loreal single, rectangular, horizontally elongate. No labial pits. No loreal grooves. Dorsal scales with two apical pits, arranged in 23 rows at the middle of the body. Subcaudals paired. Anal entire. 18–19 maxillary, 10–11 palatine, 17–19 pterygoid, 20–23 mandibular teeth. No diastemata. Maxillary teeth subequal. Mandibular teeth 2–7 strongly enlarged. Hemipenis bilobal, shallowly forked; sulcus spermaticus centrifugal, dividing approximately half way up shaft. Dorsal colour olive-green, olive, dark brownish olive, glaucous, dark neutral grey. Ventral colour cream white, or pale neutral grey

Content: The genus is currently monotypic, containing one species – Elaiophis inornatus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) comb. n.

Etymology: In South Africa where this snake is distributed it is called ‘Olive Snake’ in English, or ’Olyfslang’ in Afrikaans. Both names refer to the dorsal colour. The new genus name ‘Elaiophis’ is a translation of these vernacular names into Latin, being a compound of the Greek words ὄφις (snake) and ἐλαία (olive). Since the head of the nominal compound (‘ophis’) is masculine, the new noun is of the same gender. As English name for the new genus, we suggest ‘African olive snakes’.

Tiutenko, A., A. Maliuk and C. Koch. 2025. Generic Affinities of African House Snakes Revised: A New Genus for Lamprophis inornatus (Serpentes: Lamprophiidae: Lamprophiinae: Boaedontini).  Salamandra. 61(2); 215-239. 

https://www.salamandra-journal.com/index.php/contents/2025-vol-61/2182-tiutenko,-a-,-a-maliuk-c-koch/file