Zweifel's Ground Snake

description

Erythrolamprus reginae zweifeli — Grazziotin et al. 2012; Cladistics. 1: 21. Liophis zweifeli — Rivas et al. 2012; Zootaxa: 46. Liophis zweifeli — Wallach et al. 2014; Snakes of the World: 395.

Taxonomic revision of the Erythrolamprus reginae species group, with description of a new species from Guiana Shield (Serpentes: Xenodontinae)

description

Redescription of the holotype. Body cylindrical; SVL 447 mm, CL 190 mm (42.5 % SVL); head length 22.8 mm, height 7.8 mm, and width 11.6 mm; diameter of ocular orbit 4.3 mm; distance between orbit and rostral shield 5.7 mm; rostral triangular, 4.5 mm wide and 3.2 mm high, visible in dorsal view; internasals two, 1.9 mm length, and 2.1 mm wide; prefrontals two, 3.0 mm length, and 3.1 mm wide, in contact with supraoculars, preocular, loreal, and postnasal; frontal pentagonal, 5.9 mm length, and 4.2 mm wide; parietals two, 6.3 mm length and 4.2 mm wide; supralabials eight, second and third contacting loreal, fourth to fifth contacting eye, and sixth and seventh higher than remaining supralabials; supraoculars longer than wide; nasal divided above nostril and contacting first two supralabials, internasals, prefrontals, loreal, and rostral; loreal tetragonal, 1.3 mm length and 1.9 mm high, contacting second and third supralabials, postnasal, prefrontals, and preocular; preocular contacting supraocular, prefrontal, nasal, third and fourth supralabials; postoculars two, upper postocular higher than lower. Temporals 1 + 3 / 1 + 2, anterior longer than upper posterior temporal; symphysial tr

Taxonomic revision of the Erythrolamprus reginae species group, with description of a new species from Guiana Shield (Serpentes: Xenodontinae)

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Erythrolamprus zweifeli is distinguished from all congeners by unique combination of the following characters: (1) dorsal scale rows 17, reducing to 15 rows after midbody; (2) apical pit single (3) ventrals 138 – 149 in females and 135 – 149 in males; (4) subcaudals 73 – 95 in females and 73 – 96 in males; (5) dorsum of head black with cream marks on proximal region of the shields; dorsal scales yellowish-cream with apical half black; (6) upper edges of supralabials black, like the head; (7) belly creamish-white with black spots; (8) lateral black spots and lateral-posterior stripe absent or indistinct; (9) ventral surface of tail creamish-white with points or spots near cloacal shield; (10) intrasulcal region of hemipenial body homogeneously ornamented with spines; (11) medial region of asulcate face of hemipenial body ornamented with slightly elongated spines organized in one to three rows, extending to the level of lobe separation; (12) sulcus spermaticus bifurcates at proximal region of hemipenial body; and (13) moderate body size (SVL 129 – 553 mm). Comparisons. Erythrolamprus zweifeli shares usually cream belly with black spots of square or rhomboid shape with E. r

Taxonomic revision of the Erythrolamprus reginae species group, with description of a new species from Guiana Shield (Serpentes: Xenodontinae)

materials_examined

Holotype: Adult female, MBUCV 95, collected by J. Racenis in Setember 0 6, 1949, at the municipality of Rancho Grande, state of Aragua, Venezuela (Fig. 4 B). Paratypes: Fourteen specimens, all from Venezuela: AMNH 59430, Curupao Hydroelectric Power Plant, state of Miranda; CM 7355, El Limon, Caracas DF; CM 2278, Los Canales, Parque Nacional Natural Naiguatá, state of Miranda; MBUCV 96, MBUCV 621, MBUCV 659, MBUCV 3076 – 81, Rancho Grande Biological Reservation, state of Aragua; MBUCV 505, Caracas Botanical Garden, Caracas DF; MBUCV 3082, El Estanque, Borburata, state of Carabobo; and MBUCV 3083, El Junquito, Cararacas DF.

Taxonomic revision of the Erythrolamprus reginae species group, with description of a new species from Guiana Shield (Serpentes: Xenodontinae)