A new species of tree snake (Dipsadoboa, Serpentes: Colubridae) from ‘sky island’ forests in northern Mozambique, with notes on other members of the Dipsadoboa werneri group

Researchers have identified a new species of tree snake, Dipsadoboa montisilva, from the 'sky island' forests of Mount Mabu and Mount Ribáuè in northern Mozambique. This discovery is supported by phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial DNA, distinguishing it from other Dipsadoboa species found in Mozambique. The new species exhibits unique scalation, coloration, and body form, placing it within the D. werneri-shrevei complex but differing significantly in subcaudal counts, temporal patterns, and supralabial features. Additionally, the study reassesses the status of D. shrevei in East Africa, raising a poorly-known subspecies to full species status based on morphological and habitat differences. The Rondo Plateau population in Tanzania is treated as an uncertain species due to its isolation and scalation discrepancies. The findings underscore the high conservation importance of Mozambique's forest 'sky islands,' which harbor numerous endemic species threatened by habitat destruction.

BRANCH, W. R., BAYLISS, J., BITTENCOURT-SILVA, G. B., CONRADIE, W., ENGELBRECHT, H. M., LOADER, S. P., MENEGON, M., NANVONAMUQUITXO, C., & TOLLEY, K. A. (2019). A new species of tree snake (Dipsadoboa, Serpentes: Colubridae) from ‘sky island’ forests in northern Mozambique, with notes on other members of the Dipsadoboa werneri group. Zootaxa, 4646(3). https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4646.3.6