Trachylepis albilabris (Hallowell, 1857)

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

Trachylepis albilabris (Hallowell, 1857)

Figure 8N–O

Material. ANGOLA – Cabinda Province • between Dinge and Chindende; –5.0922, 12.3092; 31 m a.s.l.; EI 776; GenBank: PQ456020. • Nganzi; –5.5025, 12.3679; 107 m a.s.l.; Photographic record. • Mayombe NP, Sanga Mongo; –4.6661, 12.4407; 146 m a.s.l.; P2.066; GenBank: PQ456017. • Mayombe NP, Mbundu; –4.6875, 12.4981; 127 m a.s.l.; P3.130; GenBank: PQ456018. • Mayombe NP, Miconge; –4.4860, 12.8780; 377 m a.s.l.; P3.171; GenBank: PQ456019 .

Identification. A medium-sized skink (max. SVL = 75.8 mm). Dorsum olive-brown with dark flecks, a dark brown to black lateral band running from the snout to the tail, bordered by a white stripe below. Supra- and infralabials characteristically white with a yellowish to orange patch near the forelimb insertion ( Figure 8O ). In reproductively active males, the white colouration on the labials is replaced by a yellowish colouration ( Figure 8N ). Specimens from Cabinda Province are genetically identical to material from Lekoumou, Republic of the Congo (GenBank: KY683566 ).

Biology and distribution. An arboreal skink widely distributed in West Africa, from Guinea Bissau to Angola ( Allen et al. 2019). In Cabinda Province, the species was found in all four ecological zones considered, moving actively during the day on tree trunks and branches.

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).