Revalidation and resurrection of Panaspis massaiensis (Angel, 1924) and the description of a new species of Panaspis Cope (Squamata: Scincidae) from south-eastern Kenya.

Historically Panaspis wahlbergi (Smith, 1849) has been the only assignable species present in Kenya. Recent studies have shown that it comprises multiple cryptic species and the nominal species is now restricted to southern Africa. Newly collected mitochondrial data (16S rRNA) helped to resolve the status of the Kenyan populations, which revealed the presence of two distant related species. Pairwise distances show average 5.87% differences between the two Kenyan species, and 3.58-5.27% and 8.62-9.15% to nominal P. wahlbergi and P. maculicollis Jacobsen Broadley, 2000 respectively. Ablepharus massaiensis Angel, 1924 was described from the Maasai plains near Nairobi, but has long been considered a junior synonym of P. wahlbergi. We herein resurrect Panaspis massaiensis comb. nov. as a valid species and describe a new species, Panaspis tsavoensis sp. nov. from the Tsavo Conservation Area in south-eastern Kenya. Morphological examinations of specimens reveal minor differences from each other as well as nominal forms of P. wahlbergi and P. maculicollis. Panaspis massaiensis comb. nov. shares with the P. wahlbergi group a white ventrolateral stripe but can be distinguished by the presence of 26 midbody scale rows versus 24. Panaspis tsavoensis sp. nov. on the other hand, lacks the white ventrolateral stripe, most similar to the P. maculicollis group but differs in that P. maculicollis breeding males have a black patch on the neck with diagonal rows of white spots. Panaspis massaiensis comb. nov. is widespread in the Kenyan and northern Tanzanian highlands, isolated dryland montane forests and rocky hills, while P. tsavoensis sp. nov. occur in the expansive arid lowlands of Tsavo Conservation Area and should be present in similar arid lowlands in northern Kenya as well as in adjacent Tanzania.

Patterns of reptile and amphibian species richness along elevational gradients in Mt. Kenya.

Faunal species richness is traditionally assumed to decrease with increasing elevation and decreasing primary productivity. Species richness is reported to peak at mid-elevation. This survey examines the herpetofaunal diversity and distribution in Mt. Kenya (central Kenya) by testing the hypothesis that changes in species richness with elevation relate to elevation-dependent changes in climate. Sampling along transects from an elevation of approximately 1 700 m in Chogoria forest block (wind-ward side) and approximately 2 600 m in Sirimon block (rain shadow zone) upwards in March 2009. This starts from the forest to montane alpine zones. Sampling of reptiles and amphibians uses pitfall traps associated with drift fences, time-limited searches and visual encounter surveys. The results show that herpetofaunal richness differs among three vegetation zones along the elevation gradient. Chogoria has higher biodiversity than Sirimon. More species occur at low and middle elevations and few exist at high elevations. The trends are consistent with expected optimum water and energy variables. The lower alpine montane zone has high species richness but low diversity due to dominance of some high elevations species. Unambiguous data do not support a mid-domain effect (mid-elevation peak) because the observed trend better fits a model in which climatic variables (rainfall and temperature) control species richness, which indirectly measures productivity. It is important to continue protection of all indigenous forests, especially at low to mid elevations. These areas are vulnerable to human destruction yet are home to some endemic species. Firebreaks can limit the spread of the perennial wildfires, especially on the moorlands.