Tobago Stream Snake

conservation

Conservation. Given the restricted distribution of this snake as well as the fact that most, if not all, of its distribution lies within the oldest protected forests in the Western Hemisphere it may be assumed that it is well protected. However, as the climate changes the microclimate found in the lowland montane rainforest may be expected to change and potentially make the local environment inhospitable for this species and the other endemic taxa found here.

A new species of Erythrolamprus from the oceanic island of Tobago (Squamata, Dipsadidae)

description

Description of the holotype. UWIZM. 2016.22.45, an adult male, 525 mm total length, 148 mm tail; tail 28 % of SVL. Rostral barely visible from above, broader than tall; internasals paired, shorter than prefrontal; frontal pentagonal; parietals longer than frontal; four post parietals; nasal divided, first lobe does contact the second labial; loreal subrectangular, higher than long, contacts upper labials 2 - 3; preocular single, T-shaped, contacts upper labials 3 - 4; postoculars 2 / 2, upper largest; temporals 1 + 2, primary temporal contacts upper labials 6 - 7 / 6 - 7; upper labials 8 / 8; 4 - 5 in orbit; lower labials 4 / 5 contact anterior chin shields, total of nine in contact with both pairs; lower labials 9 / 10; three gular scales; dorsal scales are smooth, some have a single apical pit, they are in 17 rows at mid body and reduced to 15 rows anterior to the cloaca; 146 ventrals; 77 subcaudals. In life the crown is dark moss green with black spots, the upper labials are cream, with a dark stripe on the upper edge that runs from nasal to orbit, and widens posteriorly onto the temporals. Dorsal spots on scale rows 2 - 3 about two ventrals apart, start above the 12 th ventral,

A new species of Erythrolamprus from the oceanic island of Tobago (Squamata, Dipsadidae)

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Ventrals 143 - 154; subcaudals 76 - 79; second pair of chin shields longest; some anterior dorsal scales have an apical pit; lateral stripe on scale rows 3 - 4 - 5, dark stripe (row 3) and a pale stripe (rows 4 - 5) on posterior body and tail, the black stripe continues to the forebody as a series of black spots on scale row three; and the ventral surface has scattered flecks of pigment toward mid-body. Otherwise, the belly is uniform cream with fine speckling in preserved material, and red in life, tail uniform cream in preservative, red in life.

A new species of Erythrolamprus from the oceanic island of Tobago (Squamata, Dipsadidae)

distribution

Distribution. It occurs in northeastern Tobago and appears to be restricted to the forested ravines along the crest of the Main Ridge (Fig. 4). Tobago's Main Ridge is about 16 km long and covered with lower montane rain forest on schist soil above 224 m ASL. The ridge crest reaches elevations of 487 - 576 m ASL and forms steep terrain with deep gullies and fast-moving streams. The area receives about 318 cm of rainfall per year, and no month receives less than 10 cm (Beard, 1944). Tobago's Main Ridge Forest Reserve is the oldest protected forest in the Western Hemisphere (since April 1776) and encompasses 3958 hectares. At this writing, five specimens of Erythrolamprus pseudoreginae sp. n. are known, all of which came from the northeast end of the Main Ridge. The locality and elevation data available suggest it occurs within an area of about 400 ha at elevations between 430 - 500 m ASL. Three types of rainforest occur on Tobago: lowland rainforest covers 4,844 ha, lower montane rainforest covers 4,566 ha, and xerophytic rainforest covers 937 ha (Helmer et al. 2012). All of the localities for E. pseudoreginae sp. n. fall within the lower montane rainforest, suggesting its maximum ar

A new species of Erythrolamprus from the oceanic island of Tobago (Squamata, Dipsadidae)