William Roy Branch

William Roy Branch (1946–2018), South African herpetologist.

• Herpetology Department, Port Elizabeth Museum (Bayworld), P.O. Box 13147, Humewood, Port Elizabeth, 6013, South Africa.
• Research Associate, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Taxon names authored

(List may be incomplete)

• 49 taxon names authored by William Roy Branch

Eponyms

(List may be incomplete)

• 6 eponyms of William Roy Branch

Publications

(List may be incomplete)

2009

• Adalsteinsson, S.A., Branch, W.R., Trape, S., Vitt, L.J. & Hedges, S.B. 2009. Molecular phylogeny, classification, and biogeography of snakes of the Family Leptotyphlopidae (Reptilia, Squamata). Zootaxa 2244(1): 1–50. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2244.1.1 Reference page. 

2011

• Kelly, C.M.R., Branch, W.R., Broadley, D.G., Barker, N.P. & Villet, M.H. 2011. Molecular systematics of the African snake family Lamprophiidae Fitzinger, 1843 (Serpentes: Elapoidea), with particular focus on the genera Lamprophis Fitzinger 1843 and Mehelya Csiki 1903. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 58(3): 415–426. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.11.010 Reference page. 
• Stanley, E.L., Bauer, A.M., Jackman, T.R., Branch, W.R. & Mouton, P. Le F.N. 2011. Between a rock and a hard polytomy: Rapid radiation in the rupicolous girdled lizards (Squamata: Cordylidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 58(1): 53–70. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.08.024 Reference page. 

2012

• Conradie, W., Measey, G.J., Branch, W.R. & Tolley, K.A. 2012. Revised phylogeny of African sand lizards (Pedioplanis), with the description of two new species from south-western Angola. African Journal of Herpetology 61(2): 91–112. DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2012.676079 Reference page. 

2013

• Bates, M.F., Tolley, K.A., Edwards, S., Davids, Z., Silva, J.M. & Branch, W.R. 2013. A molecular phylogeny of the African plated lizards, genus Gerrhosaurus Wiegmann, 1828 (Squamata: Gerrhosauridae), with the description of two new genera. Zootaxa 3750(5): 465–493. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3750.5.3 Reference page. 
• Edwards, S., Branch, W.R., Vanhooydonck, B., Herrel, A., Measey, G.J. & Tolley, K.A. 2013. Taxonomic adjustments in the systematics of the southern African lacertid lizards (Sauria: Lacertidae). Zootaxa 3669(2): 101–114. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3669.2.1 Reference page. 
• Portik, D.M., Travers, S.L., Bauer, A.M. & Branch, W.R. 2013. A new species of Lygodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) endemic to Mount Namuli, an isolated ‘sky island’ of northern Mozambique. Zootaxa 3710(5): 415–435. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3710.5.2 Reference page. 

2015

• Conradie, W., Branch, W.R. & Watson, G. 2015. Type specimens in the Port Elizabeth Museum, South Africa, including the historically important Albany Museum collection. Part 1: Amphibians. Zootaxa 3936(1): 42–70. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3936.1.2 Reference page. 
• Whiting, M.J., Branch, W.R., Pepper, M. & Keogh, J.S. 2015. A new species of spectacularly coloured flat lizard Platysaurus (Squamata: Cordylidae: Platysaurinae) from southern Africa. Zootaxa 3986(2): 173–192. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3986.2.2. Preview (PDF) Reference page. 

2016

• Medina, M.F., Bauer, A.M., Branch, W.R., Schmitz, A., Conradie, W., Nagy, Z.T., Hibbitts, T.J., Ernst, R., Portik, D.M., Nielsen, S.V., Colston, T.J., Kusamba, C., Behangana, M., Rödel, M.-O. & Greenbaum, E. 2016. Molecular phylogeny of Panaspis and Afroablepharus skinks (Squamata: Scincidae) in the savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 100: 409–423. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.04.026 Reference page. 
• Stanley, E.L., Ceríaco, L.M.P., Bandeira, S., Valério, H., Bates, M.F. & Branch, W.R. 2016. A review of Cordylus machadoi (Squamata: Cordylidae) in southwestern Angola, with the description of a new species from the Pro-Namib desert. Zootaxa 4061(3): 201–226. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4061.3.1. Full article (PDF).  Reference page. 

2017

• Branch, W.R., Guyton, J.A., Schmitz, A., Barej, M.F., Naskrecki, P., Farooq, H., Verburgt, L. & Rödel, M.-O. 2017. Description of A New Flat Gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Afroedura) from Mount Gorongosa, Mozambique. Zootaxa 4324(1): 142–160. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4324.1.8. Reference page. 
• Branch, W.R., Haacke, W., Pinto, P.V., Conradie, W., Baptista, N., Verburgt, L. & Verisimmo, L. 2017. Loveridge’s Angolan geckos, Afroedura karroica bogerti and Pachydactylus scutatus angolensis (Sauria, Gekkonidae): new distribution records, comments on type localities and taxonomic status. Zoosystematics and Evolution 93(1): 157–166. DOI: 10.3897/zse.93.10915 Reference page. 

2018

• Ceríaco, L.M.P., Branch, W.R. & Bauer, A.M. 2018. A new species of African snake-eyed skink (Scincidae: Panaspis) from central and northern Namibia. Zootaxa 4527(1): 140–150. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4527.1.12 Reference page. 

2019

• Barlow, A., Wüster, W., Kelly, C.M.R., Branch, W.R., Phelps, T. & Tolley, K.A. 2019. Ancient habitat shifts and organismal diversification are decoupled in the African viper genus Bitis (Serpentes: Viperidae). Journal of Biogeography 46(6): 1234–1248. DOI: 10.1111/jbi.13578 Reference page. 
• Branch, W.R., Bayliss, B.L., 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): 541–563. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4646.3.6. Reference page. 
• Branch, W.R., Conradie, W., Pinto, P.V. & Tolley, K.A. 2019. Another Angolan Namib endemic species: a new Nucras Gray, 1838 (Squamata: Lacertidae) from south-western Angola. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 13(2)[Special Section]: 82–95 (e199). Reference page. 
• Branch, W.R., Keates, C., Baptista, N. & Edwards, S. 2019. Rediscovery, taxonomic status, and phylogenetic relationships of two rare and endemic snakes (Serpentes: Psammophiinae) from the southwestern Angolan plateau. Zootaxa 4590(3): 342–366. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4590.3.2 Reference page. 
• Engelbrecht, H.M., Branch, W.R., Greenbaum, E., Alexander, G.J., Jackson, K., Burger, M., Conradie, W., Kasumba, C., Zassi-Boulou, A.-G. & Tolley, K.A. 2019. Diversifying into the branches: Species boundaries in African green and bush snakes, Philothamnus (Serpentes: Colubridae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 130: 357–365. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2018.10.023 Reference page. 
• Portillo, F., Branch, W.R., Tilbury, C.R., Nagy, Z.T., Hughes, D.F., Kusamba, C., Muninga, W.M., Aristote, M.M., Behangana, M. & Greenbaum, E. 2019. A Cryptic New Species of Polemon (Squamata: Lamprophiidae, Aparallactinae) from the Miombo Woodlands of Central and East Africa. Copeia 107(1): 22–36. DOI: 10.1643/CH-18-098 Reference page. 
• Conradie, W., Branch, W.R. & Watson, G. 2019. Type specimens in the Port Elizabeth Museum, South Africa, including the historically important Albany Museum collection. Part 2: Reptiles (Squamata). Zootaxa 4576(1): 1–45. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4576.1.1 Reference page. 
• Vaz Pinto, P., Veríssimo, L. & Branch, W.R. 2019. Hiding in the bushes for 110 years: rediscovery of an iconic Angolan gecko (Afrogecko ansorgii Boulenger, 1907, Sauria: Gekkonidae). Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 13(2) [Special Section]: 29–41 (e182). Reference page. 

2020

• Engelbrecht, H.M., Branch, W.R., Greenbaum, E., Burger, M., Conradie, W. & Tolley, K.A. 2020. African Herald snakes, Crotaphopeltis, show population structure for a widespread generalist but deep genetic divergence for forest specialists. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 58(4): 1220–1233. DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12361 Reference page. 

2021

• Branch, W.R., Schmitz, A., Lobón-Rovira, J., Baptista, N.L., António, T. & Conradie, W. 2021. Rock island melody: A revision of the Afroedura bogerti Loveridge, 1944 group, with the description of four new endemic species from Angola. Zoosystematics and Evolution 97(1): 55–82. DOI: 10.3897/zse.97.57202 Reference page. 

2022

• Lobón-Rovira, J., Conradie, W., Vaz Pinto, P., Keates, C., Edwards, S., Plessis, A. & Branch, W.R. 2022. Systematic revision of Afrogecko ansorgii (Boulenger, 1907) (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from western Angola. Zootaxa 5124(4): 401–430. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5124.4.1 Reference page.