Kinixys erosa (Schweigger, 1812)

Lobón-Rovira, Javier, Lobón-Rovira, Baptista, Ninda L, Clark, Tyron, Verburgt, Luke, Jongsma, Gregory Fm, Conradie, Werner, and, Luis Veríssimo, Vaz, Pedro & Pinto, 2025, Filling the gaps: herpetological checklist of Mayombe National Park and Cabinda Province (Angola) shed light on one of the most unexplored corners of tropical Central Africa, African Journal of Herpetology 74 (1), pp. 1-59 : 1-59

Kinixys erosa (Schweigger, 1812)

Figure 8A

Material. ANGOLA – Cabinda Province • Inhuca ; –4.8590, 12.4440; 81 m a.s.l.; P2.208; GenBank: PQ456003. • Chilito, Mbundo ; –4.7279, 12.5068; 83 m a.s.l.; P3.543; GenBank: PQ456004.

Identification. A large tortoise with spiny and upturned marginal scutes ( Branch 2008). Specimens collected in Cabinda Province differ by>2% (16S p -distance) from material collected from Equateur, DRC (GenBank: LR697076 ) and by 3.5% from its sister species Kinixys homeana (GenBank: DQ 424975).

Biology and distribution. A rainforest dweller widely distributed across West and Central Africa, from Guinea and Sierra Leone to Uganda and southwards to northern Angola ( Sánchez-Vialas et al. 2022). We sampled two individuals caught by local people in primary rainforest and for human consumption, afterwards confiscated by rangers and released in Mayombe NP.

Figures

Figure 8. Some of the reptile species recorded from from Mayombe National Park and Cabinda Province, Angola. Codes in brackets represent field numbers. A. Kinixys erosa (P2.208) from Inhuca. B. Osteolaemus tetraspis (P2.064) from Vaku, Upper Mayombe. C. Chamaeleo dilepis (EI 817), D. Agama congica and E. Gerrhosaurus nigrolineatus from near Nganzi. F. Holaspis guentheri from Vaku, Upper Mayombe. G. H. mabouia (P2.232) from Miconge, Upper Mayombe. G. Hemidactylus pfindaensis (EI 1136) from near Nganzi, and I. H. pfindaensis (P2.234) from Miconge, Upper Mayombe. J. Lygodactylus aff. laterimaculatus (P3.199) from Sanga Wanda, Lower Mayombe. K. Feylinia grandisquamis from near Nganzi. L. Panaspis breviceps (P2.205), from Miconge, Upper Mayombe. M. P. cabindae (EI 1135) from near Nganzi. N. Trachylepis albolabris (P3.130) from Mbundu, Lower Mayombe, and O. from near Nganzi. P. T. maculilabris and Q. T. polytropis (P3.218) from Mbundu, Lower Mayombe. R. Dipsadoboa weileri (P3.151) from Mbundu, Lower Mayombe S. Grayia ornata (P3.145) from Chimbete, Lower Mayombe. T. Hapsidophrys smaragdinus (P1.144) from Tando Zinze. U. Dendroaspis jamesoni, from near Nganzi. V. Naja melanoleuca killed by farmers at Nganzi. W. Psammophis mossambicus (EI 809) from near Nganzi. X. Python sebae from a street market in Cabinda City. Photographs by PVP (A–B, G, I–J, L, N, Q), JLR (R–S), TC (T–U, X), LV (C–E, V–W), Alex Rebelo (H, K, M), Rogério Ferreira (F, P).