Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk).
Latest update:
August 27th, 2024.
 
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Genus
Polemon
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African Snake Eaters
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Afrikanischer Schlangenfresser
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Afrikanske Slangeædere
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1858 |  |
Microsoma Jan (type species: Microsoma neuwiedi Jan 1858) |
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1858 | |
Polemon Jan (type species: Polemon barthii Jan 1858) |
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1859 | |
Miodon Dumeril (type species: Elapomorphus gabonensis Dumeril 1856; syn. Williams & Wallach 1989) |
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1860 | |
Urobelus Reinhardt (type species: Urobelus acanthias Reinhardt 1860; syn. Williams & Wallach 1989) |
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1902 | |
Cynodontophis Werner (type species: Cynodontophis aemulans Werner 1902; syn. Williams & Wallach 1989) |
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1911 | |
Elapocalamus Boulenger (type species: Elapocalamus gracilis Boulenger 1911; syn. Resetar & Marx 1981) |
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1941 | |
Melanocalamus Witte (type species: Melanocalamus leopoldi Witte 1941; syn. Williams & Wallach 1989) |
Contents:
16 species, of which 1 (6.3) is endemic.
Endemism: 0%  100%
Remarks:
Miodon was considered a valid genus of uncertain affinities by Zaher, Grazziotin, Cadle, Murphy, Moura-Leite & Bonatto (2009).
Distribution:
Equatorial Africa.
Reported from:
Angola,
Benin,
Burkina Faso,
Burundi,
Cameroon,
Central African Republic,
Congo-Brazzaville,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Equatorial Guinea
(Bioko,
Rio Muni),
Gabon,
Ghana,
Guinea,
Ivory Coast,
Kenya,
Liberia,
Malawi,
Mali,
Nigeria,
Rwanda,
Sierra Leone,
South Sudan,
Tanzania,
Togo,
Uganda,
Zambia.
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Polemon acanthias
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Five-striped Snake Eater, (Reinhardt's Snake Eater)
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Fünfstreifige Schlangenfresser
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Femstribet Slangeæder
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1860 | |
Urobelus acanthias Reinhardt |
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Elapomorphus acanthias Jan 1863 |
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Miodon acanthias Boulenger 1896 |
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Polemon acanthias Welch 1982 |
Distribution:
Ghana,
Guinea,
Ivory Coast,
Liberia,
Nigeria,
Sierra Leone,
Togo.
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Polemon ater
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Black Snake Eater
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Schwarze Schlangenfresser
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Sort Slangeæder
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2019 | |
Polemon ater Portillo, Branch, Tilbury, Nagy, Hughes, Kusamba, Muninga, Aristote, Behangana & Greenbaum |
Remarks:
Known with certainty only from Congo-Kinshasa, but specimens previously identified as christyi from Malawi, Zambia, and West-Central Tanzania are provisionally
assigned to ater.
Also some specimens from Burundi and Rwanda may refer to ater but need further studies
(Portillo, Branch, Tilbury, Nagy, Hughes, Kusamba, Muninga, Aristote, Behangana & Greenbaum 2019).
Distribution:
Congo-Kinshasa,
Malawi,
Tanzania,
Zambia.
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Polemon barthii
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Guinea Snake Eater
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Guinea-Schlangenfresser
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Guinea-slangeæder
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1858 | |
Polemon barthii Jan |
Remarks:
Chirio & Trape (2013) reported the species from Sierra Leone, but no localities in the country were shown in their map.
Chippaux & Jackson (2019) did not include Sierra Leone in the distribution.
Records from Gabon (e.g., Chippaux & Jackson 2019) are erroneous (Pauwels & Vande weghe 2008).
Records from Cameroon (e.g., Lawson 1993; Chippaux & Jackson 2019) need confirmation.
The species was not included for the country by Chirio & LeBreton (2007), nor by Chirio & Trape (2013).
Distribution:
Ghana,
Guinea,
Ivory Coast,
Liberia.
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Polemon bocourti
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Lambaréné Snake Eater, (Bocourt's Snake Eater)
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Lambaréné-Schlangenfresser
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Lambaréné-slangeæder
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1897 | |
Polemon bocourti Mocquard |
Remarks:
Presence in Guinea (e.g., Angel, Guibé & Lamotte 1954; Villiers 1975; Chippaux & Jackson 2019) needs confirmation.
It was not listed for the country by neither Ineich (2003), nor LeBreton, Kusamba, Gonwouo & Zassi-Boulou (2021).
Distribution:
Cameroon,
Congo-Brazzaville,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Gabon.
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Polemon brevior
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Nigerian Snake Eater
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Nigerianische Schlangenfresser
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Nigeriansk Slangeæder
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1947 | |
Miodon collaris brevior Witte & Laurent |
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Polemon collaris brevior Welch 1982 |
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Polemon brevior Trape 2023 |
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a subspecies of collaris (e.g., Witte & Laurent 1947).
Treated as a separate species herein, following Trape (2023).
Distribution:
Nigeria.
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Polemon christyi
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Eastern Snake Eater, (Christy's Snake Eater)
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Östliche Schlangenfresser
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Østlig Slangeæder
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1903 | |
Miodon Christyi Boulenger |
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Miodon collaris christyi Loveridge 1957 |
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Miodon gabonensis christyi Vesey-Fitzgerald 1961 |
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Polemon christyi Welch 1982 |
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1923 | |
Miodon unicolor Schmidt (Loveridge 1957) |
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1941 | |
Melanocalamus leopoldi Witte (Wallach, Williams & Boundy 2014) |
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Polemon leopoldi Welch 1982 |
Remarks:
Previously included the populations now assigned to ater.
Records from Malawi, Zambia, West-Central Tanzania, and southeastern Congo-Kinshasa are provisionally referred to ater, but need further studies
(Portillo, Branch, Tilbury, Nagy, Hughes, Kusamba, Muninga, Aristote, Behangana & Greenbaum 2019).
Some authors (e.g., Welch 1982; Wagner, Safari & Chenga 2014) have recognized leopoldi as a separate species, but without discussion.
The taxon is known from only a single specimen from Rwanda.
It is treated as a synonym of christyi herein, following Wallach, Williams & Boundy (2014).
Distribution:
Burundi,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Kenya,
Rwanda,
South Sudan,
Tanzania,
Uganda.
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Polemon collaris
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Fawn-headed Snake Eater, (Pale-collared Snake Eater, Collared Snake Eater)
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Hellköpfige Schlangenfresser
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Lyshovedet Slangeæder
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1881 | |
Microsoma collare Peters |
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Miodon collaris Boulenger 1896 |
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Polemon collaris Welch 1982 |
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1888 | |
Elapomorphus caeutiens Günther (Loveridge 1957) |
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1910 | |
Cynodontophis werneri Müller (Loveridge 1957) |
Remarks:
Previously included brevior, graueri, and longior.
Presence in Burundi and Rwanda needs confirmation (Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018).
Distribution:
Angola,
Cameroon,
Central African Republic,
Congo-Brazzaville,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Equatorial Guinea
(Bioko,
Rio Muni),
Gabon,
Nigeria,
Uganda.
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Polemon fulvicollis
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Yellow-necked Snake Eater, Franceville Snake Eater, (Collared Snake Eater)
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Gelbhals-Schlangenfresser
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Gulhalset Slangeæder
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1887 | |
Microsoma fulvicollis Mocquard |
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Miodon fulvicollis Witte & Laurent 1947 |
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Polemon fulvicollis Resetar & Marx 1981 |
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1943 | |
Miodon gracilis Witte & Laurent [not Elapocalamus gracilis Boulenger 1911] |
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Miodon fulvicollis gracilis Witte & Laurent 1947 |
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Polemon fulvicollis gracilis Welch 1982 |
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1981 | |
Polemon fulvicollis laurenti Resetar & Marx [substitute name for Miodon gracilis Witte & Laurent 1943] |
Remarks:
Previously included graueri.
Distribution:
Cameroon,
Congo-Brazzaville,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Gabon,
Uganda.
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Polemon gabonensis
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Gabon Snake Eater, Three-striped Snake Eater
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Gabun-Schlangenfresser
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Gabon-slangeæder
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1856 | |
Elapomorphus gabonensis Dumeril |
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Miodon gabonensis Boulenger 1896 |
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Polemon gabonensis Hughes & Barry 1969 |
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1947 | |
Miodon gabonensis schmidti Witte & Laurent |
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Polemon gabonensis schmidti Welch 1982 |
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1960 | |
Miodon gabonensis brachyurus Laurent |
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Polemon gabonensis brachyurus Portillo, Branch, Tilbury, Nagy, Hughes, Kusamba, Muninga, Aristote, Behangana & Greenbaum 2019 |
Remarks:
In spite of its scientific name, records of the species from Gabon (e.g., Chippaux & Jackson 2019) are erroneous (Pauwels & Vande weghe 2008).
Records from Ghana (Doucet 1963; Villiers 1975) are also regarded as erroneous.
Distribution:
Cameroon,
Central African Republic,
Congo-Brazzaville,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Nigeria,
Uganda.
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Polemon gracilis
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Slender Snake Eater
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Venus-Schlangenfresser
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Venus-slangeæder
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1911 | |
Elapocalamus gracilis Boulenger |
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Polemon gracilis Resetar & Marx 1981 |
Remarks:
Records from Congo-Brazzaville (Chirio & LeBreton 2007) needs confirmation.
Presence in Gabon was confirmed by Pauwels, Oger & Meirte (2018).
Distribution:
Cameroon,
Gabon,
Nigeria.
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Polemon graueri
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Central Lakes Snake Eater, Central Lake Region Snake Eater, (Pale-collared Snake Eater)
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Uganda-Schlangenfresser
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Uganda-slangeæder
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1908 | |
Miodon graueri Sternfeld |
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Miodon fulvicollis graueri Witte & Laurent 1947 |
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Miodon collaris graueri Loveridge 1957 |
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Polemon fulvicollis graueri Welch 1982 |
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Polemon graueri Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002 |
Distribution:
Burundi,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Rwanda,
Uganda.
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Polemon griseiceps
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Grey-headed Snake Eater, (Cameroon Snake Eater)
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Grauköpfige Schlangenfresser
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Gråhovedet Slangeæder
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1947 | |
Miodon griseiceps Laurent |
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Polemon griseiceps Welch 1982 |
Distribution:
Cameroon,
Congo-Brazzaville.
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Polemon longior
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Uele Snake Eater
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Uele-Schlangenfresser
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Uele-slangeæder
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1947 | |
Miodon collaris longior Witte & Laurent |
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Polemon collaris longior Welch 1982 |
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Polemon longior Trape 2023 |
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a subspecies of collaris (e.g., Witte & Laurent 1947).
Treated as a separate species herein, following Trape (2023).
Distribution:
Congo-Kinshasa.
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Polemon neuwiedi
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West African Snake Eater, (Neuwied's Snake Eater)
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Westafrikanische Schlangenfresser
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Vestafrikansk Slangeæder
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1858 | |
Microsoma neuwiedi Jan |
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Elapomorphus neuwiedi Jan 1866 |
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Miodon neuwiedi Boulenger 1896 |
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Polemon neuwiedi Welch 1982 |
Remarks:
Chippaux & Jackson (2019) included Nigeria in the distribution, however, these authors did not show any Nigerian localities in their distribution map.
No other references have been found to support the presence of the species in the country.
Distribution:
Benin,
Burkina Faso,
Ghana,
Ivory Coast,
Mali,
Togo.
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Polemon notatus
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African Spotted Snake Eater, (Cameroon Snake Eater, Peters' Snake Eater)
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Afrikanische Gefleckte Schlangenfresser
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Afrikansk Plettet Slangeæder
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1882 | |
Microsoma notatum Peters |
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Cynodontophis notatus Witte & Laurent 1947 |
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Polemon notatus Welch 1982 |
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1902 | |
Cynodontophis aemulans Werner |
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Cynodontophis notatus aemulans Witte & Laurent 1947 |
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Polemon notatus aemulans Welch 1982 |
Distribution:
Cameroon,
Central African Republic,
Congo-Brazzaville,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Equatorial Guinea
(Rio Muni),
Gabon.
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Polemon robustus
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Robust Snake Eater, Zaire Snake Eater
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Kongolesische Schlangenfresser
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Congolesisk Slangeæder
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1943 | |
Miodon robustus Witte & Laurent |
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Polemon robustus Welch 1982 |
Distribution:
Central African Republic,
Congo-Kinshasa.
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