Aceh Wolf Snake

description

Expanded description of the species, including all known specimens (n = 9): Morphology. Body elongate, somewhat laterally compressed; longest known specimen 830 mm long (SVL 650 mm, TaL 180 mm, male; NHMW 23149: 1); longest known female 718 mm long (SVL 555 mm, TaL 163 mm; NHMW 23146: 1)]; tail comparatively long, thin and tapering (Ratio TaL / TL 0.213 – 0.239 in males (n = 3) and 0.193 – 0.227 in females (n = 5 )). Head subrectangular, elongate, flattened, well-distinct from the neck; snout elongate, strongly flattened, oblique in profile, projecting over the lower jaw; nostril oval, large; eye moderate in size, pupil vertically elliptic. Body scalation. DSR 17 – 17 – 15, the 5 – 7 upper rows feebly keeled; VEN 195 – 210 in males (n = 4), 207 – 212 in females (n = 5); SC 80 – 91 in males (n = 4), 77 – 84 in females (n = 5); paired; single cloacal plate. Head scalation. Rostral triangular, hardly visible from above; nasal vertically divided by a furrow below and above the nostril; two small internasals, widely in contact with each other behind the rostral and with prefrontals; two large prefrontals, longer and wider than internasals; rather small, more or less triangular frontal;

Expanded description & range extension of Lycodon sidiki Wostl, Hamidy, Kurniawan & Smith, 2017 (Squamata: Colubridae)

diagnosis

Revised diagnosis. Medium-sized species, maximum total length 830 mm; loreal present (sometimes fused with the prefrontal), usually in contact with eye; dorsal scale rows 17 – 17 – 15; 5 – 7 upper dorsal scale rows feebly keeled at midbody; 195 – 212 ventrals; 77 – 91 subcaudals, paired; cloacal plate undivided; 8 supralabials with 3 rd – 5 th SL touching the eye; 1 preocular (rarely fused with prefrontal), 2 postoculars; temporals 2 + 2; dorsal crossbands narrow, cream colored, 25 – 33 crossbands on dorsum, 10 – 16 crossbands on tail; venter with discreet bands throughout (based on Wostl et al. 2017 and this study).

Expanded description & range extension of Lycodon sidiki Wostl, Hamidy, Kurniawan & Smith, 2017 (Squamata: Colubridae)

distribution

Distribution (Fig. 6). Lycodon sidiki was previously known only from Aceh Province, Sumatra, Indonesia (Wostl et al. 2017). We here add a second locality from Padang, West Sumatra Province. The new location in Padang is ca. 710 airline kilometers southeast of the type locality. It also represents the southernmost locality of the Lycodon fasciatus species group. Given its geographic proximity, it likely occurs in several forests of Sumatra; in particular, records in the highlands of the provinces of North Sumatra, Riau, and Jambi are anticipated.

Expanded description & range extension of Lycodon sidiki Wostl, Hamidy, Kurniawan & Smith, 2017 (Squamata: Colubridae)

materials_examined

Holotype: MZB. Ophi. 598, adult male. Type locality: Between Takengon and Isaq, Aceh Province, Sumatra, Indonesia (04.50611 ° N, 96.86061 ° E; altitude 1,614 m asl). Additional specimens examined (n = 8), all from West Sumatra Province, Indonesia: NHMW 23146: 1 (adult female) and NHMW 23146: 2 (subadult female) from Padang, collected by F. Schild in 1900; NHMW 23146: 7 (adult males), NHMW 23146: 4 (subadult male), NHMW 23146: 5 & 6 (two adult females), NHMW 23146: 8 (subadult female), from Padang, collected by F. Schild in 1899; NHMW 23149: 1 (one adult male) no specific location, donated by Steindachner in 1900.

Expanded description & range extension of Lycodon sidiki Wostl, Hamidy, Kurniawan & Smith, 2017 (Squamata: Colubridae)