Not a Monotypic Genus! Aplopeltura Boa (Boie, 1828) Divided!
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42 Australasian Journal of Herpetology Australasian Journal of Herpetology 33:42-51. ISSN 1836-5698 (Print) Published 1 August 2016. ISSN 1836-5779 (Online) Not a monotypic genus! Aplopeltura boa (Boie, 1828) divided! RAYMOND T. HOSER 488 Park Road, Park Orchards, Victoria, 3134, Australia. Phone: +61 3 9812 3322 Fax: 9812 3355 E-mail: snakeman (at) snakeman.com.au Received 5 January 2016 Accepted 24 July 2016, Published 1 August 2016. ABSTRACT Until now the Blunt-headed Slug Eating Snake from South-east Asia (Family: Pareidae), has been treated as being of a single species, namely Aplopeltura boa (Boie, 1828). However inspection of specimens from across the known range, shows that they are sufficiently divergent from one another in geographically separated populations to warrant being named as separate species. Available distributional and molecular evidence supports this contention. Hence the previously monotypic genus Aplopeltura Duméril, 1853 is herein divided into six well-defined species, five formally named for the first time according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (Ride et al. 1999). Another species within the Pareidae, namely Pareas carinatus (Boie, 1828) is known to have divergent populations, which have been variously described as species and subspecies. Recognizing the three previously named forms (including the nominate one) herein as subspecies, two more obviously unnamed geographically separated subspecies are also formally named for the first time. Keywords: Taxonomy; Snakes; South-east Asia; Asia; Aplopeltura; boa; new species; shireenae; omarelhelou; lynnejohnstoneae; daranini; gibbonsi; new subspecies; sumatrensis; malayensis. INTRODUCTION Until now the Blunt-headed Slug Eating Snake from south-east this sooner, rather than later, so as not to jeopardize their very Asia (Family: Pareidae), has been treated as being of a single existence. widespread species, namely Aplopeltura boa (Boie, 1828). I also note the abysmal environmental record of governments However inspection of specimens by myself over some years worldwide in the past 200 years as detailed by Hoser (1989, from across the known range, shows that they are sufficiently 1991, 1993 and 1996). divergent from one another in geographically separated Noting that publicly available distributional and molecular populations to warrant being named as separate species. evidence supports the contention that there is more than one Significant data was obtained from across the range of the species under the label Aplopeltura boa, I have now made the putative species, but this was stolen in an illegal armed raid on decision to formally name the most obviously divergent groups my facility on 17 August 2011 by corrupt wildlife officers seeking in accordance with the International Code of Zoological to permenantly disable my successful wildlife education Nomenclature (Ride et al. 1999). business, “Snakebusters, Australia’s best reptiles shows” (Court Hence the previously monotypic genus Aplopeltura Duméril, of Appeal Victoria 2014, VCAT 2015). 1853 is herein divided into six well-defined species, five formally None of this material was returned. named for the first time. Shortly after this illegal armed raid, Hoser (2012a) did the I also note that relevant texts (e.g. Das 2012) speak of putative obvious step of dividing the related genus Pareas Wagler, 1830 Aplopeltura boa as being widely distributed throughout the as then known, along obvious morphological and phylogenetic South-east Asian realm. However a survey of museum holdings lines. Hoser (2012a) also erected a subgenus for another records suggests that the distribution is somewhat disjunct and divergent lineage. largely confined to hilly areas and those immediately proximate As the extensive data gathered relevant to the species-level to them. See for example the distribution data in David and taxonomy was not returned, this material was not published in Vogel (1996). 2012. Hence the concept that currently divided populations were most However with ongoing environmental distruction in the South- likely similarly divided during recent glacial maxima is the one I east Asian realm coupled with the fact that this is likely to get am subscribing to and in the absence of evidence to the worse rather than better in the foreseeable future, it is important contrary. that regional populations warranting taxonomic recognition get While putative Aplopeltura boa vary significantly in both Hoser 2016 - Australasian Journal of Herpetology 33:42-51. Available online at www.herp.net Copyright- Kotabi Publishing - All rights reserved Australasian Journal of Herpetology 43 colouration and scalation within a single locality, there are NOTES ON THE DESCRIPTIONS FOR ANY POTENTIAL differences that are consistent between locations and these are REVISERS used as the basis to diagnose each species. Unless mandated by the rules of the International Code of Another species within the family Pareidae, namely Pareas Zoological Nomenclature, none of the spellings of the newly carinatus (Boie, 1828) is known to have divergent populations, proposed names should be altered in any way. Should one or which have been variously described as species and more newly named taxa be merged by later authors to be subspecies. treated as a single species, the order of prority of retention of The best known of these is P. nuchalis (Boulenger, 1900), names should be the order as listed in the keywords part of the treated by authors in the past as either a full species, or a abstract. synonym of P. carinatus. APLOPELTURA SHIREENAE SP. NOV. While Hoser (2012a) treated P. nuchalis as a full species, in Holotype: A preserved specimen held at the Carnegie Museum accordance with the views of de Rooij (1917), Malkmus (1996), of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, specimen Malkmus et al. (2002) and evidence of Guo et al. (2011), this number: CM Herps R2427, collected from Agusan Province, was contradicted by the results of Pyron et al. (2013), that Mindanao, Philippines, Asia. The Carnegie Museum of Natural implied P. nuchalis was conspecific with P. carinatus. History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, allows access to its In light of this new evidence of Pyron et al. (2013) and that of holdings. Guo et al. (2011), I herein conservatively treat both P. nuchalis Paratypes: Two preserved specimens held at the Carnegie and the previously described subspecies of P. carinatus Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, described as Amblycephalus carinatus unicolor Bourret, 1934 as specimen numbers: CM Herps R2428 and CM Herps R2429, subspecies of P. carinatus. collected from Agusan Province, Mindanao, Philippines, Asia. Recognizing the three previously named forms, including the nominate one herein as subspecies, two more obviously Diagnosis: Aplopeltura shireenae sp. nov. from the main unnamed geographically separated subspecies are also formally Philippine Islands, including Mindanao, are readily separated named for the first time. from all other Aplopeltura species by the following suite of characters: A generally very indistinct dorsal pattern, being a As for A. boa above, I also note that relevant texts (e.g. Das light reddish-brown in colour, the lateral white blotches rising 2012) speak of putative P. carinatus as being widely distributed from the belly on the lower flanks are so heavily shaded that throughout the South-east Asian realm. However a survey of they are barely noticeable and this includes for the anterior museum records suggests that the distribution is somewhat section of the body, which is only similarly seen in Aplopeltura disjunct (but wider than for A. boa) and largely confined to hilly lynnejohnstoneae sp. nov. from the lower Malay Peninsula. A. areas and those immediately proximate to them. See for shireenae sp. nov. is separated from A. lynnejohnstoneae sp. example the distribution data in David and Vogel (1996). nov. by several characters including a lack of melanism on the I also note that the basis or material and methods underpinning dorsal surface of the head (see in A. lynnejohnstoneae sp. nov.) the taxonomy herein has been an inspection of live and dead and a lack of the profuse blackish specking seen on the dorsal specimens, photos with good locality data and the relevant surface of A. lynnejohnstoneae sp. nov.. available literature that summarizes relevant facts about the The top of the head of A. shireenae sp. nov., while also reddish relevant taxa. brown in colour has two distinct white patches somewhat Museum records were audited to ascertain the extent of known anterior to the eyes, pointing towards the middle of the head, but populations, via collection records and localities. not meeting. The iris is brownish in colour and characterised by The results are of course the formal taxonomic proposals within the presence of whitish specks. this paper as outlined both above and in the descriptions below. Aplopeltura boa (Boie, 1828) from Java is readily separated from Important references relevant to Aplopeltura and the taxonomic others in the genus (as defined herein) by significant somewhat decisions within this paper include the following: Boie (1828), irregular shaped white patches along the dorsal midline. The Boulenger (1894, 1896), Chan-ard et al. (2015), Cox et al. dark patch below the eye that commences on the jawline, does (1998), Das (2012), David and Vogel (1996), de Rooij (1917), not extend as far as the eye or if so, only just intersects it. Dowling and Jenner (1998),