Cerberus Groundsnake

description

Description of holotype. Adult male, SVL 212 mm, tail length 23 mm (10.8 % SVL); body diameter 6.5 mm; head length 7.9 mm (3.7 % SVL); head width 4.8 mm (2.3 % SVL); interocular distance 3.1 mm; head slightly distinct from body; snout-or bit distance 2.8 mm; rostral 1.6 mm wide, about one time broader than high; internasals 1.0 mm wide; internasal suture sinistral relative to prefrontal suture; prefrontals 1.7 mm wide; frontal 2.3 mm wide, with a curvilinear triangle shape in dorsal view; parietals 2.1 mm wide, about twice as long as wide; nasal divided; loreal 1.5 mm long, about 2 times longer than high; eye diameter 1.4 mm; pupil round; supraoculars 1.4 mm wide; two postoculars; temporals 1 + 2, upper posterior temporal elongate, about four times longer than high, and three times as long as first temporal; seven supralabials, 3 rd- 4 th contacting orbit; symphisial 1.0 mm wide, about twice as broad as long, separated from chin shields by first pair of infralabials; seven infralabials, 1 st- 4 th contacting chin shields; anterior chin shields about three times as long as broad, posterior chin shields absent; three series of gular scales; dorsal scales 17 / 17 / 17 rows, smooth wit

Molecular phylogeny of Atractus (Serpentes, Dipsadidae), with emphasis on Ecuadorian species and the description of three new taxa

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Atractus cerberus is placed in the genus Atractus as diagnosed by Savage (1960), based on phylogenetic evidence (Fig. 1). It is included in the Atractus iridescens group due to its brown dorsal ground color (Fig. 5) and its phylogenetic position (Fig. 1). The species is diagnosed based on the following combination of characters: (1) 17 / 17 / 17 smooth dorsals; (2) two postoculars; (3) loreal moderate; (4) temporals 1 + 2; (5) seven supralabials, third and fourth contacting orbit; (6) seven infralabials, first four contacting chinshields (7) seven maxillary teeth; (8) three gular scale rows; (9) three preventrals; (10) 152 - 157 ventrals; (11) 25 - 26 subcaudals; (12) dorsal ground color brown with faint black longitudinal bands (Fig. 5); (13) venter light yellow faintly speckled with brownish pigment; (14) 212 - 309 mm SVL; (15) 23 - 36 mm TL.

Molecular phylogeny of Atractus (Serpentes, Dipsadidae), with emphasis on Ecuadorian species and the description of three new taxa

distribution

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, Pacoche, in the Ecuadorian province of Manabi at 280 - 324 m (Fig. 3). This locality is 3 km airline distance from the shoreline.

Molecular phylogeny of Atractus (Serpentes, Dipsadidae), with emphasis on Ecuadorian species and the description of three new taxa

etymology

Etymology. The specific epithet " cerberus " is derived from the name of the Greek monster Kerberos. In Greek mythology, Kerberos is a monstrous multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the underworld, preventing the dead from leaving. Here, we use this word in allusion to the type locality, at the gates of the newly formed " Refineria del Pacifico ", a massive industrial oil-processing plant that can easily be likened to the underworld.

Molecular phylogeny of Atractus (Serpentes, Dipsadidae), with emphasis on Ecuadorian species and the description of three new taxa