Lydia’s Little Snake

description

Description of holotype (Figs. 1 – 2). An adult male, with partially everted hemipenes, measuring 262 mm SVL and 82 mm TL (TOL = 344 mm; 23.9 % of TOL). The head is slightly broader than the attenuate body; HL 8.5 mm; HW 5.1 mm; ED 1.4 mm, about 16.5 % of HL; snout length 4.8 mm, about 56.4 % of HL; snout rounded in dorsal and lateral views; pupil circular; rostral in the shape of an inverted triangle (2.1 mm in length by 1.1 mm in width), 1.9 times wider than long; internasal (0.9 mm in length by 1.7 mm in width), 1.9 times wider than long, contacting anterior and posterior nasal, and relatively large nostril; short suture between pre- and postnasals, below nostril; prefrontal more or less quadrangular (1.7 mm in length by 1.9 mm in width), anterior portion wider than the posterior portion prefrontal, 1.5 times longer than intersuture length; parietal (4.0 mm in length by 2.1 mm in width), about 1.9 times longer than wide; prefrontal suture 1.2 mm in length; frontal (2.5 mm in length by 1.9 mm in width), pentagonal in shape, approximately 1.3 times longer than wide, approximately as long as the distance from its anterior edge to tip of snout; supraocular (1.9 mm in length by 0.9 m

A new species of Tantilla of the taeniata group (Squamata: Colubridae) from Refugio de Vida Silvestre Barras de Cuero y Salado in Caribbean coastal Honduras

description

Figs. 1 – 2. Suggested common name. Lydia’s Little Snake. urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: B 37 BD 98 E- 336 B- 4436 - A 37 B- 707036196 A 6 E

A new species of Tantilla of the taeniata group (Squamata: Colubridae) from Refugio de Vida Silvestre Barras de Cuero y Salado in Caribbean coastal Honduras

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Tantilla lydia sp. nov. is a member of the Tantilla taeniata species group, but distinguished from all other congeners by possessing the following combination of characteristics: (1) pale middorsal stripe dark-edged, occupying middorsal scale row and adjacent third of paravertebral rows on anterior third of body, reducing to median half of vertebral row on remainder of body, beginning approximately on tenth middorsal scale past parietals, posterior to more or less circular pale spot just posterior to dark nape band located behind pale nuchal collar; (2) pale nuchal collar incomplete dorsally, divided by dark coloration on vertebral scales and connecting to dark posterior border of dark head cap and dark nape band; (3) lateral extension of dark head cap incomplete, not completely separating postocular pale spot from pale nuchal band; (4) subocular dark spot present, not extending to lip; (5) ventrolateral region of body a much darker shade of brown than dorsolateral region; (6) pale lateral stripe well defined, dark edged, located on adjacent halves of dorsal scales 3 and 4; (7) paraventral scale completely pale on anterior portion, gradually darkening dorsally, until bec

A new species of Tantilla of the taeniata group (Squamata: Colubridae) from Refugio de Vida Silvestre Barras de Cuero y Salado in Caribbean coastal Honduras

distribution

Distribution and habitat (Figs. 3 – 4). Tantilla lydia sp. nov. is known only from a narrow strip of disturbed Coastal Scrub habitat in the Lowland Wet Forest (LWF; Holdridge 1967). In the vicinity of the holotype collection location, the predominant plant families and species are: Myrtaceae (Syzygium cumini, Indian Blackberry or Malabar Plum); Arecaceae (Elaeis guianensis and Cocos nucifera, African Oil Palm and Coconut Palm, respectively); Melastomataceae (Conostegia xalapensis, Canelito); Fabaceae (Abrus precatorius, Rosary Pea); and Marantaceae (Thalia geniculata, Fire-flag). The male holotype of this snake was found active on 21 May 2018 during a night with clear skies at 2230 h, between the rails of the old Standard Fruit Company railroad track, 566 m southwest in a straight line from the center of the Comunidad de Salado Barra, approximately 450 m from the Río Salado, 590 m from the community beach, and 5,900 m from the Comunidad de La Unión. An association of mangrove forest species predominates to the west of the type locality on the banks of the aforementioned river, and includes Rhizophora mangle (Red Mangrove), Conocarpus erectus (Buttonwood), Avicennia germinans (Black

A new species of Tantilla of the taeniata group (Squamata: Colubridae) from Refugio de Vida Silvestre Barras de Cuero y Salado in Caribbean coastal Honduras