Agama congica ( Peters, 1877 )

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

Agama congica ( Peters, 1877)

Figure 8D

Material. ANGOLA – Cabinda Province • Mayombe NP, Inhuca; –4.8590, 12.4440; 81 m a.s.l. ; P2.103; GenBank: PQ455963. • between Dinge and Chindende ; -5.1021 12.3804, 113 m a.s.l. ; sight record. • Nganzi; –5.5292, 12.3264, 89 m a.s.l.; sight record. • Lagoa Massabi; –5.0603, 12.0488, 10 m a.s.l.; sight record.

Identification. Agama congica was described as a variety of A. colonorum ( Agama colonorum var. congica ) by Peters (1877) based on different coloration of juveniles as follows (translation from German): “the pattern of the young specimens (which disappears in the adults) is very different and consists of two rows of black rings on each side and faint lines and spots along the middle of the back on an olive-coloured background”. However, these two morphs were synonymised by Loveridge (1936) and this action was followed by several subsequent authors. Nevertheless, Wagner et al. (2009) considered A. congica to be a valid taxon. A recent phylogenetic analysis ( Butler 2024) that includes material from Cabinda Province and the nearby Republic of Congo recovered an independent clade ascribed to this species. However, this genetic material remains unpublished for comparison. Our samples differ by 1.2% (16S p -distance) from samples of A. finchi from Kenya (GenBank: GU128452 ), 4.3% (16S p -distance) from A. picticauda from Mali (GenBank: GU128441 ) and 4.1% (16S p -distance) from the neotype of A. agama agama from Margui-Wandala Province, northern Cameroon (GenBank: GU133323 ).

Biology and distribution. An arboreal agamid.The species is only known from Cabinda Province, Zaire Province in northern Angola ( Marques et al. 2018) and the neighbouring areas of the Republic of the Congo.In Cabinda Province,the species has been observed on the Littoral Peneplain and Coastal Drier Belt but extending at least to Lower Mayombe, being frequently recorded in urban environments, near villages, plantations and mangroves.

Gerrhosauridae

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).