Ventral Counts Research Articles

A new species of fossorial natricid snakes of the genus Trachischium Günther, 1858 (Serpentes: Natricidae) from the Himalayas of northeastern India

A new species of natricid snakes, Trachischium apteii sp. nov. is described from the northeastern Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh. The new species differs from its congeners in the following suite of characters: dorsal scales in 15:15:15 rows, SVL 293–299mm, higher ventral count 143–150, very faint dorsal longitudinal lines, absence of yellow patch on the neck and the belly being pale yellow. Preliminary discussion on the phylogenetic position of the members of the genus Trachischium is presented. This discovery of a new snake species advocates the need for dedicated surveys to document biodiversity across Arunachal Pradesh and the neighbouring States of northeastern India.

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

A new species of tree snake Dipsadoboa montisilva Branch, Conradie Tolley sp. nov. (Serpentes: Colubridae) is described from the 'sky islands' of Mount Mabu and Mount Ribáuè in northern Mozambique. Features of scalation, colour, body form and habitat distinguish the new species from other Dipsadoboa. This is supported by a phylogenetic analysis using one mitochondrial marker (cytochrome b) that shows the new Mozambican species is divergent from other sampled Dipsadoboa, including D. flavida and D. aulica, the only congeners known to occur in Mozambique. Morphologically, the new Dipsadoboa forms part of the D. werneri-shrevei complex from east and southeast Africa, but differs in having higher subcaudal counts, a different temporal pattern and only two supralabials entering the orbit. Phylogenetically, it occurs in a clade with D. shrevei and D. werneri. The status of D. shrevei in East Africa is reassessed, particularly in terms of the poorly-known Dipsadoboa shrevei kageleri from northern Tanzania. It is morphologically well defined from D. shrevei shrevei and utilises a different habitat. Although based on limited genetic data, it appears to be well-defined from typical D. shrevei and is accordingly raised to specific status. The only Tanzanian record for typical D. shrevei from Mtene, Rondo Plateau in southeast Tanzania is well isolated from the species' range to the west (e.g. Zambia, Angola) and the published scalation features, particularly ventral counts, do not fully accord with D. shrevei. The Rondo Plateau population is treated as Dipsadoboa incerta sedis, and because we return D. shrevei to its binomial status, we can no longer consider D. shrevei as occurring in Tanzania. Biogeographically, the Rondo Plateau population may have a stronger affinity to the new Mozambican species. The discovery of isolated populations of the new species in mid-altitude forest remnants on Mt Mabu and Mt Ribáuè emphasizes the high conservation importance of the Mozambique forest 'sky islands' from which numerous other endemic new species have been recently discovered. These species are impacted by ongoing habitat destruction through slash and burn clearing for subsistence agriculture.

A new stiletto snake (Lamprophiidae, Atractaspidinae, Atractaspis) from Liberia and Guinea, West Africa

We describe a new stiletto snake,Atractaspis, from western Liberia and southeastern Guinea. The new species shares with morphologically similar western AfricanAtractaspisspecies,A.reticulataandA.corpulenta, the fusion of the 2ndinfralabial with the inframaxillary. FromA.corpulentathe new species differs by a more slender body (276–288 ventrals and 19 or 20 dorsal scale rows versus 178–208 ventrals with 23–29 dorsal scale rows), a divided anal plate and divided subcaudal scales (both non-divided inA.corpulenta). The new species differs from mostA.reticulataby having 19 or 20 dorsal scale rows at midbody (versus 21–23, rarely 19), and a lower ventral count (276–288 versus 304–370). The new species thus has a relatively longer tail: snout-vent-length / tail-length in the female holotype (15.7) and paratype (21.5) versus a mean of 23.6 in seven femaleA.reticulata. The newAtractaspislikely is endemic to the western part of the Upper Guinea forest zone and thus adds to the uniqueness of this diverse and threatened biogeographic region.

Hydrophis donaldi (Elapidae, Hydrophiinae), a highly distinctive new species of sea snake from northern Australia

A new species of viviparous sea snake, Hydrophis donaldi sp. nov. (Hydrophiinae), is described from the Gulf of Carpen-taria, northern Australia. Molecular analyses reveal this species as a deeply divergent lineage within the Hydrophis sub-group, and separate it from all other sampled taxa by fixed nucleotide substitutions at three independent mitochondrial andnuclear loci. The new species is assigned to Hydrophis based on the current morphological diagnosis of this large but pa-raphyletic genus, and is distinguished from all other Hydrophis species and closely allied genera by a combination of mor-phological characters relating to scalation, colour pattern and osteology. Using current keys for sea snakes, H. donaldi sp.nov. might be mistaken for H. coggeri, H. sibauensis or H. torquatus diadema but it is readily distinguished from thesespecies by a higher number of bands on the body and tail, lower ventral count, strongly spinous body scales, and a wider,more rounded head. Sea snakes have been sampled intensively in the Gulf of Carpentaria due to their vulnerability to by-catch in the region’s commercial prawn-trawl fisheries. That this highly distinctive new species has evaded discovery inthe region until now is surprising, but might be explained by its habitat preferences. All known specimens of H. donaldi sp. nov. were found in estuarine habitats that are relatively poorly surveyed and are not targeted by commercial fisheries.

Review of Bolivian Dipsas (Serpentes: Colubridae), with Comments on Other South American Species

Seven species of Dipsas occur within Bolivia. On the basis of new material, we revise D. chaparensis, D. peruana, and D. variegata. We review D. i. cisticeps and consider it to be a subspecies of D. bucephala. We transfer D. boettgeri, D. latifrontalis, and D. polylepis to the synonymy of D. peruana. We consider D. neivai and populations of D. variegata from Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru to be conspecific with Guianan and Venezuelan D. variegata. On the other hand, we recognize D. trinitatis Parker as a morphologically distinct, full species rather than a subspecies of D. variegata. We refer Leptognathus robusta Müller to the synonymy of D. oreas rather than D. variegata. Alizarin red staining reveals calcification patterns of snake hemipenes and is recommended as a modification of techniques used to prepare these organs. Characters of visceral morphology improve our understanding of dipsadine relationships. As in most snakes, male Dipsas usually have higher subcaudal counts than females. On the other hand, species of Dipsas either have reverse ventral count dimorphism or their ventral counts are not dimorphic.

Geographic variation in Echis coloratus (Viperidae, Ophidia) in the Levant with the description of a new subspecies

Geographic variation of morphological characters was studied in the Levantine populations of the Echis coloratus complex. Multivariate analyses of morphological characters showed that within the Levant the northern and southern populations differ in overall morphology. The exact nature of the contact zone between the two groups is unclear. The difference between the two populations may be the result of separate phylogenetic history or of different selective regimes of two ecologically different biogeographic regions. The samples from the southern Levant and from continental Egypt resemble that from the type locality of E. coloratus s.l., therefore these populations are assigned to the typical subspecies Echis coloratus coloratus. The northern Levantine population is recognized at the subspecies level on the basis of its phenetic difference from the southern Levantine population. The new subspecies Echis coloratus terraesanctae n. ssp. differs from the parapatric E. coloratus coloratus in its lower ventral count and higher number of dorsal scale rows on all sections of the body, in its relatively larger eyes and in colour pattern. It occurs in the central and northern Dead Sea basin, the Jordan Valley and their western slopes East of the watershead. From the southern Dead Sea basin it penetrates the Negev, where it probably composes a hybrid swarm with E. c. coloratus. The study of its distribution in Jordan needs further effort.

Heavily exploited but poorly known: systematics and biogeography of commercially harvested pythons (Python curtus group) in Southeast Asia

More than 100 000 blood pythons (brongersmai) and short-tailed pythons (curtus andbreitensteini ) are taken from Borneo and Sumatra each year for the commercial leather trade. Traditionally, all have been treated as a single polytypic species (Python curtus), with three subspecies differing in colour, size and geographic distribution. Analyses of DNA sequences and morphological data clarify the phylogenetic relationships, taxonomy and biogeography of this group. The lineage is monophyletic, and each of the three subspecies differs from the other two both morphologically and genetically. Given the morphological and genetic distinctiveness of each taxon, we here elevate the three subspecies to full species status. Python brongersmai is the most distinctive in terms of colour (of the three, only brongersmai has colour-morphs that are red or orange), size (it grows to 2.6 m, vs. approx. 2.0 m for the other taxa), and scalation (e.g.brongersmai has >166 ventral scales, vs. <166 in the other taxa and has two supralabials over each orbit, vs. one supralabial for the other two taxa). In terms of cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA sequence data, brongersmai is almost as distant genetically from the short-tailed pythons (8.9% divergence) as is the reticulated python (P. reticulatus: 10.3% divergence). The other two taxa (P. breitensteini from Kalimantan and P. curtus from western and southern Sumatra) are closely related (3% divergence), despite their disjunct distribution (separated byP. brongersmai ). Sea-level fluctuations provide a plausible biogeographic scenario to explain phylogenetic divergence within this lineage. Given the distinctiveness of the component taxa, and the ease with which even dried skins can be identified to species level (based on ventral counts), the managers of this important commercial resource should no longer treat the P. curtus group as a single biological taxon.

Systematic Review of the Elapid Snakes Allied to Hemibungarus japonicus (Gunther, 1868) in the East Asian Islands, with Description of a New Subspecies from the Central Ryukyus

Hemibungarus japonicus (sensu lato) is a highly polymorphic member of the Oriental coral snakes distributed in the central part of the Ryukyu Archipelago of Japan and on Taiwan. We analyzed morphological variation of this taxonomically confusing species for the first time on the basis of samples from almost the whole range of its distribution. Results revealed a distinct divergence between populations of the central Ryukyus and Taiwan. For the Ryukyu populations, three subspecies were recognized on the basis of prominent geographic variation in coloration-H. j. japonicus (Giinther, 1868) from Amamioshima and adjacent islets, H. j. boettgeri (Fritze, 1894) from Tokunoshima, Okinawajima and a few islets adjacent to the latter, and H. j. takarai subsp nov. from Kumejima and several other islets north and west of Oki- nawajima. In Taiwan, two distinct species, H. hatori (Takahashi, 1930) and H. sauteri (Steindachner, 1913), are recognized on the basis of their distinct coloration, nearly distinct ventral counts, and parapatric distri- bution.

A review of the African Elapsoidea semiannulata complex (Serpentes: Elapidae)

The status of the three subspecies of Elapsoidea semiannulata is reviewed on the basis of additional material. Typical E. s. semiannulata is extensively parapatric with both E. S. boulengeri and E. sundevallii fitzsimonsi in northeastern Namibia, with no sign of intergradation, so E. boulengeri is reinstated as a full species. Elapsoidea semiannulata moebiusi is retained as a west African subspecies with ventral counts usually above 150. whereas the typical form has counts below 150.

Rediscovery of the Central American Colubrid Snake, Sibon argus, with Comments on Related Species from the Region

Sibon argus Cope, 1875, long known only from the holotype, is redescribed based on material from Costa Rica and Panama. It differs from the only other member of the genus having an ocellate dorsal pattern (S. longifrenis) in its attenuate habitus, enlarged blunt head, protuberant eyes, and high segmental counts (ventrals 181-201, subcaudals 112-121, total segmental counts 294-312). Sibon longifrenis of Atlantic slope Costa Rica and western Panama (ventrals 151173, subcaudals 82-103, total segmental counts 231-275) is also redescribed. These species differ from all other Sibon in having an ocellate pattern and an enlarged penultimate supralabial bordering the orbit. The allied species, S. annulatus (Costa Rica and Panama) and S. dimidiatus (Mexico to southwestern Costa Rica), are shown to be distinct from S. argus and S. longifrenis in scalation and coloration. Although allopatric, S. annulatus and S. dimidiatus differ from one another most strikingly in adult coloration, postmental character states, and ventral counts (F = 175.8 in annulatus and 193.6 in dimidiatus), and are regarded as valid species. Sibon annulatus occurs sympatrically with S. argus in Panama and with S. longifrenis in Costa Rica. Although S. argus and S. longifrenis occur in the same general area on the Atlantic slope of Costa Rica, they have not yet been taken at the same locality.

Eine neue Art des Vipera berus-Komplexes aus der Türkei

AbstractVipera baranin. sp. from northwestern Turkey is a member of the euro-siberian group within the genus Vipera. It is characterized by the following peculiarities: 1) Higher ventral count than V. ursinii and V. kaznakovi (145). 2) ♀ with a higher subcaudal count than V. ursinii, V. kaznakovi and V. berus (37). 3) Loreal scales and head plates divided to an extent as in the western European V. aspis (5 "loreals", 34 "intercanthals and intersupraoculars", parietals fully divided into small scales). 4) Different from V. aspis in having only one row of subocular scales between eye and supralabials. 5) The three specimens known up to now are totally melanistic, with white supralabials and a bright yellow underside of tail. The possibility ofy hybrid nature of the only preserved specimen is discussed and dimissed. As long as no further material is known, the relationships of V. barani to the other species can not be clarified.

Biochemistry for Secondary Students

Sirois, 1976 605 (n = 18) 671 (n = 19) 94 (n = 5) 64 (n = 7) Levine, 1975 250 68 Lindsley, 1967 740 780 90 70 Demerec, 1965 680-700 dorsal and ventral counts from each eye were added to obtain a complete facet count for one Drosophila compound eye. Table 1 shows a list of mean facet counts by various authors of the wild type and Bar-eyed mutant. The discrepency shown between Levine, Lindsley and Demerec was the impetus for the Drosophila research. Figures 4 and 5 are graphs of distributions of facet numbers for the wild type established by PMC. Female counts show a smaller variance and a slightly higher mean value. With a little imagination, both the biology teacher and student can further expand the application of the plastic micro-casting method.

The Wolf Snakes Lycophidion capense and Lycophidion variegatum (Reptilia, Serpentes, Colubridae) in South Africa

A total of 10 specimens of Lycophidion variegatum Broadley is described from South Africa, extending the known range of this species 680 km south. All known specimens of L. variegatum have been compared with L. capense capense material housed in the Transvaal and Natal museums. The usefulness of ventral counts and coloration as diagnostic characters for L. variegatum and L. c. capense is qualified, and ithe more consistent characters of (a) contact of the first upper labial and postnasal, and (b) hemipenal structure, are stressed. South West Africa and Botswana L. capense that were previously thought to belong to the race L. c. multimaculatum are shown to be indistinguishable from, and referable to the typical race. Data suggesting a possible ecological separation of the two sympatric species is given.

Toxicocalamus, a New Guinea genus of snakes of the family Elapidae

Toxicocalamus is expanded to include Apistocalamus and Ultrocalamus as subgenera. Pseudapistocalamus nymani, Apistocalamus pratti, A. loennbergi, and A. lamingtoni are considered geographic variations of Toxicocalamus (Apistocalamus) loriae. Toxicocalamus (Ultrocalamus) buergersi, synonymized with T. (U.) preussi by previous workers, is recognized as a distinct species because of many structural peculiarities (most notably, extension of the venom gland back within the body cavity nearly to the heart, as in Maticora). Three species are described as new: T. (Apistocalamus) spiblepidotus, characterized by large size and peculiar colouration; T. (A.) holopelturus, characterized by entire subcaudals and hemi‐penial structure; and T. (Toxicocalamus) misimae, differing from the related T. longissimus in much lower ventral count and in having only 15 scale rows. A population from Garaina (Morobe Division) is believed to be of recent origin from hybridization between T. (A.) loriae and T. (T.) stanleyanus. Toxicocalamus is most closely related to the Australian genera called Brachyurophis, Melwardia, Narophis, Rhinelaps, and Rhynchoelaps by Worrell, but here all grouped in the genus Rhynchoelaps. This Australian genus and Toxicocalamus make up the Rhynchoelaps group, which does not include the genera Vermicella (for V. annulata only), Ogmodon, or Parapistocalamus. The lack of a diastema behind the fang in the elapid genera Kerilia, Ogmodon, and Toxicocalamus is not a primitive, but a specialized, feature, probably developed independently in each of these genera as a mechanism for coordinating the replacement rhythm of the fangs with that of solid teeth behind. It is suggested that the solid maxillary teeth of Toxicocalamus are neomorphs, formed by backward extension of the fang‐forming portion of the dental lamina.

Aspidomorphus, a genus of New Guinea snakes of the Family Elapidae, with notes on related genera

The Australian snakes that have been included in Aspidomorphus differ markedly from that genus, particularly in hemipenial morphology and in the absence of a muscular slip from the quadrate bone to the venom gland; the genus Aspidomorphus is therefore restricted to the New Guniea species. Aspidomorphus (as here restricted) is closely related to Demansia (in the restricted sense of Worrell, essentially D. psammophis, D. torquata, and D. olivacea), but the Australian species generally referred to Aspidomorphus seem to be related to Glyphodon. The genera Aspidomorphus, Demansia, Rhinhoplocephalus and Drepanodontis form a natural group. Aspidomorphus contains three species, each identifiable by hemipenial features as well as by details of colouration: A. muelleri (=A. mülleri mülleri and A. m. interruptus of Brongersma's revision); A. lineaticollis (=A. mülleri lineaticollis and A. m. lineatus of Brongersma); and A. schlegeli. The last species differs from the others in the form of the maxillary bone and the anterior mandibular dentition; it seems to be confined to northwestern New Guinea and adjacent islands, since specimens from the eastern end of New Guinea that had been referred to schlegeli are actually A. lineaticollis. In all three species some geographical variation can be demonstrated, at least in ventral count, but it is not considered necessary to use trinomials to indicate that geographical variation exists. Pseudonaja textilis is recorded from New Guinea for the first time. (McDowell.)Examination reveals Demansia ornaticeps is properly referred to Demansia. (Cogger.)

The Identity of the Ophidian Name Coluber eques Reuss

HE first attempt to allocate the name Coluber eques Reuss (1834: 152155, pl. 8, fig. 2) was that of Boulenger (1893: 209), who attached it to a series of specimens (actually several closely related species and subspecies were included) from various localities over a considerable area in southwestern United States and Mexico. In his admirable monograph of the genus Thamnophis, Ruthven (1908: 158-164) followed, with refinement, Boulenger's allocation. Smith later did the same (1942: 106-108), with, however, an expression of doubt based upon Reuss' illustration, which did not depict characters of the species to which the name had been allocated in the past. This doubt ultimately has proved well founded, thanks to the foresight and considerateness of Mr. K. P. Schmidt, who obtained a photograph (P1. I) of Reuss' type of Coluber eques (Senckenberg Mus. No. 7209a) and took certain critical data, all of which he generously turned over to me. The type of Coluber eques is a female with 155 ventrals, 25 + caudals, 23-21-19-17 scale rows, and a sharply defined lateral light stripe on scale rows 3 and 4. These data unquestionably demonstrate that the name has been misapplied in the past and actually belongs to the species currently known as Thamnophis subcarinata (Gray, 1839), which name T. eques antedates and replaces. The oldest name referable to the species previously known as T. eques is Eutaenia cyrtopsis Kennicott, 1860. Three lines of evidence provide conclusive information regarding the subspecific identity of Coluber eques. The two subspecies of T. subcarinata currently recognized (T. s. subcarinata and T. s. megalops) differ as a whole solely in ventral and caudal counts. Since the type of C. eques has an incomplete tail, the ventral count is the only significant character remaining. In females of T. s. subcarinata, 39 percent (28) of 72 counts are 155 or less; in T. s. megalops, only 10 percent (4) of 40 counts are as low as 155. Accordingly, on this basis, the type of C. eques is more likely referable to the subspecies T. s. subcarinata than to T. s. megalops. The lower figures in ventral counts occur in about the same frequency in all parts of the range of T. s. subcarinata, however, and thus give no clue to the general area the type may represent. Of greater significance, although not useful as a key character because of its limited geographic occurrence, is the pattern represented by the type found in this species only in the subspecies T. s. subcarinata. Ruthven (loc. cit.) and Brumwell (1939: 426-427) have described pattern groups in this species. The type of C. eques corresponds perfectly with Ruthven's third group (from Chalco, Mexico), and with Brumwell's second group (from La Quemada, Jalisco). Both groups represent the southern subspecies (T. s. subcarinata). The pattern apparently does not occur in the northern subspecies. Again this character yields no dependable clue to the geographic provenance of the type of C. eques. Furthermore, on the basis of probability of access in the early 1800's, the southern subspecies is much more to be expected.

A Proposed Method of Expressing Scale Reductions in Snakes

THE USE of scale reduction formulae, introduced by Ruthven (1908) and revised and expanded by Schmidt and Davis (1941) and Clark and Inger (1942), has aided greatly in the study of variation in snakes and has been used by numerous subsequent workers. Many workers, however, have made changes in the original form, and some of the changes are of such magnitude that the results are not strictly comparable. For this reason I believe that the time is right for proposing a standard system of notation which combines the advantages of the various forms and does away with most of their disadvantages. The significance of using detailed dorsal counts, with particular attention to the scale rows which are added and dropped, was first pointed out by Ruthven (1908: 16-21) in gartersnakes. Thompson (1914: 384) indicated, in the form of a table, the point of loss of dorsal rows by reference to the ventral count opposite the drop. Later, Blanchard (1921: 9-13) initiated an abbreviated form of notation

Notes on a Central American Snake, Conophis lineatus dunni Smith, with a Record from Honduras

Smith, With A Record From Honduras JAY M. SAVAGE Stanford University, Stanford, Calif. Among the Central American snakes in the collection of the Natural History Museum of Stanford University is an example of Conophis lineatus dunni (No. 8422) a female taken at Cofridia, Honduras, a small native village in the mountains near San Pedro Sula, May 11, 1937 by E. Ross Allen and William Piper. This record appears to be the first for the subspecies from Honduras and extends the range of the race approximately 250 miles northward from Managua, Nicaragua. In the most recent review of the genus, Smith (1941) mentions only those specimens available to him at the time he described C. lineatus similis (now C. 1. dunni see Smith 1942:395). A number of records not included by him but referred to the species C. lineatus by other authors have been uncovered while attempting to locate those pretainiNg to C. 1. dunni, and it seems worthwhile to review them. Dumeril, Bibron, and Dumeril (1854:938) give no further locality data for the types of C. lineatus than du Mexique. It has been suggested by Smith (1941:122) that the type series may have contained one or more examples of C. 1. dunni. Giinther (1895:165) designated the specimen figured by Dumeril, Bibron, and Dumeril as the type of the species. An examination of their figure (pl. 73) indicates that the type is definitely a representative of the form now recognized as C. 1. lineatus. The illustrated example is assigned to C. 1. lineatus on the basis of (1) the dark stripe which passes through the eye on only one scale row anteriorly (on two rows in C. 1. dunni), (2) the second scale row pigmented throughout the length of the body (unpigmented anteriorly in C. 1. dunni), and (3) secondary stripes on third and eighth scale rows posteriorly (no secondary stripes in C. 1. dunni). Giinther (1858:135) lists a specimen of C. lineatus in the British Museum (Natural History) from Mexico which might be either C. 1. lineatus or C. pulcher similis. If this is the specimen listed by Boulenger (1896:123), which seems likely, it would appear from the high ventral count (171) to favor the latter species. Salvin (1860:455) reports a specimen from Duefias, Guatemala, which is apparently C. p. pulcher, the only member of the genus known from Guatemala.