Taxonomic revision of the Boaedon lineatus-fuliginosus species complex in Africa

Revision of the domestic snakes of the genus Boaedon

House snakes of the genus Boaedon in Africa are harmless snakes that often live near farms and buildings. The reason for this is their diet of rodents. Their external diversity in colouring seems to be very variable, which has led to the assumption that there are only 2 or 3 species in the whole of Africa. In reality, however, it is a complex of many separate species. Through genetic analyses (16S RNA) and morphological diagnoses, new species have already been described in Angola and Namibia. (Hallermann et. al 2020).

Cooperation of the project with Dr Oliver Hawlitschek (originally LIB, now University of Zurich)

In the new study, the species complexes from north-eastern Africa will be analysed with the aim of investigating the biodiversity that exists there but is still poorly studied; in addition to presenting the relationships, the separate species will also be recognised as separate species in the field by means of diagnoses.

Dissolution of species complexes as a contribution to the biodiversity of the African continent

By combining genetic and morphological methods, the best results can be achieved with regard to the phylogenetic analysis of a genus, the so-called integrative approach