Omoadiphas cannula

description

Description of holotype. An adult male; TL 326 mm; SVL 266 mm; tail length 60 mm (18.4 % of TL); HL 10.8 mm from front face of rostral to posterior end of mandible; HW 6.0 mm at broadest point (level of angle of mouth); head barely distinct from neck; snout rounded in dorsal view; eye length 1.1 mm; snout length 3.4 mm, about 3.1 times as long as eye; pupil subcircular; rostral about 1.7 times wider than high (1.2 mm x 0.7 mm); each internasal about as long as wide (0.6 mm x 0.7 mm); each prefrontal much larger than each internasal, about 1.3 times longer than wide (1.8 mm x 1.4 mm), bordering orbit above loreal and anterior to supraocular; median prefrontal suture (1.3 mm) 0.5 times as long as frontal; frontal broadly rounded anteriorly, strongly V-shaped posteriorly, about 1.3 times longer than wide (2.8 mm x 2.1 mm), slightly longer than distance from its anterior edge to tip of snout (2.6 mm); each parietal about 1.7 times longer than wide (4.1 mm x 2.4 mm), median suture (2.9 mm) about same length as frontal; parietals contacting seven nuchal scales; each supraocular longer than wide (1.6 mm x 0.7 mm), bordering orbit, contacting postocular, separated from loreal by prefrontal

A third new species of snake of the genus Omoadiphas (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae, Dipsadinae) from Honduras

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Omoadiphas cannula can be distinguished O. aurula in having 47 subcaudal scales in the male (38 – 39 in O. aurula; the “ male ” O. aurula with 35 subcaulals reported by Townsend et al. 2006 is in my opinion a female), six supralabials (seven), seven infralabials (eight), one postocular (two), the posterior nasal contacting the prefrontal (posterior nasal separated from prefrontal by loreal), a dorsal pattern of a dark stripe covering all of scale rows two and three (dark stripe on vertebral row and adjacent halves of scale rows two and three), and dark brown to nearly black ventral surfaces in preservative (pale yellow). Omoadiphas cannula differs from the single know specimen of O. texiguatensis (a subadult female) in having 31 subcaudals in the female (47 in O. texiguatensis) and the dark dorsolateral stripe involving all of scale rows two and three on each side (confined to scale row three). The affinities of the three species of Omoadiphas appear to lie with a group of six other genera of snakes (see Köhler et al. 2001; McCranie & Castañeda 2004) that are part of a larger group referred to as “ goo-eaters. ” Omoadiphas cannula differs from the species of these six ot

A third new species of snake of the genus Omoadiphas (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae, Dipsadinae) from Honduras

distribution

Distribution and habitat. Both specimens were collected under rotten logs during the late afternoon of 13 September, 1989 in slightly disturbed broadleaf forest (the Premontane Wet Forest formation of Holdridge, 1967). The type locality lies at 1250 m elevation, which at the time the specimens were collected was above the upper limits of the coffee farms on the slopes below. No other snake species were collected the day the type specimens were found, however, the first author returned to the type locality on 6 July 2010 and only found three other snake species (Adelphicos quadrivirgattum, Ninia sebae, and Micrurus nigrocinctus).

A third new species of snake of the genus Omoadiphas (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae, Dipsadinae) from Honduras

etymology

Etymology. The specific name cannula is formed from the Latin word canna (reed, cane) and Latin suffix – ulua (diminutive). The name refers to the Sierra de Agalta where this small snake was collected. The name Agalta is likely formed from the indigenous Pech language acatla (reed grass) and Tla (abundant).

A third new species of snake of the genus Omoadiphas (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae, Dipsadinae) from Honduras