Notes on the Reproduction of the Ecuadorian Toad-Headed Pitviper Bothrocophias Campbelli

SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 21 (1/2) Wien, 30. Juni 2008 SHORT NOTE 95

diagnoses that can change over the years 282-289. MERTENS, R. & MÜLLER, L. (1928): Liste der with the characters and techniques used at Amphibien und Reptilien Europas.- Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft, their respective times. Frankfurt a. M.; 41 (1): 1-62. MERTENS, R. & WER- Just in the year when MERTENS & MÜL- MUTH, H. (1960): Die Amphibien und Reptilien Euro- LER (1928) published the above mentioned pas (Dritte Liste nach dem Stand vom 1. Januar 1960). Frankfurt a. M. (Waldemar Kramer), XI+264 pp. restriction of the type-locality, CYRÉN KEY WORDS: Reptilia: Squamata: Lacertidae; (1928, exact date unknown, submitted 12th Iberolacerta monticola, Iberolacerta cyreni, type spec- March 1928) described “Lacerta estrellen- imen, taxonomy, Serra de Estrela, Portugal, Sistema sis from Lagoa Compridas (sic!), Sierra de Central, Spain Estrela (Portugal) and presented the view of SUBMITTED: January 24, 2008 considering Guadarrama the type locality of AUTHOR: Oscar J. ARRIBAS, Avda. Fco. Cambó I. monticola. In the following years the for- 23; 08003 – Barcelona, Spain < [email protected] > mer view (terra typica restricta ‘Serra Estrella’) prevailed probably because of its implementation into important checklists of Notes on the reproduction of the European amphibians and reptiles (MER- Ecuadorian toad-headed pitviper TENS & MÜLLER 1928; MERTENS & WER- Bothrocophias campbelli MUTH 1960) as well in the description of I. cyreni (MÜLLER & HELLMICH 1936), while (FREIRE-LASCANO, 1991) the latter view was less effectively defended (CYRÉN 1934). Curiously, when describing The toad-headed pitviper Bothroco- I. monticola cantabrica only one year after phias campbelli (FREIRE-LASCANO, 1991) is the publication of his coauthored checklist, found in the western Andean slopes of MERTENS (1929) decided to apply the name Ecuador (Choco region), where it lives in “estrellensis” to the Portuguese populations. lower montane wet forest and cloud forest Based on the restriction by MERTENS (GUTBERLET & CAMPBELL 2001; CAMPBELL & MÜLLER (1928), nothing speaks against & LAMAR 2004) and southwestern Colombia Estrela to be considered the type locality of (CASTRO-HERRERA 2005). There is little in- I. monticola, as has been done during the formation about the natural history and last decades. However, a lectotype was never especially reproduction of this rare snake. designated. For this reason the Estrela spec- The presence of enlarged follicles was re- imen (BMNH 1885.12.30.15) shall be con- ported by FREIRE & KUCH (2000). We re- sidered the unique type (Lectotype, by pres- port the first observations on litter size in ent designation) of the species, as suggested the snake B. campbelli under captive condi- in ARRIBAS (1996). Data about this very tions at the “Vivarium de Quito”. specimen is presented in BOULENGER (1905, Abbreviations used in this text: FHGO 1920) and a diagnosis of the species (sensu = Fundación Herpetológica Gustavo Orcés- stricto) in ARRIBAS (1996). Vivarium de Quito. Geographic coordinates ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: To Wolfgang BÖHME and collection dates were taken from the (Bonn) and Goran NILSSON (Göteborg) for the informa- FHGO database, morphological measure- tion about publication dates, and to Nick ARNOLD (Lon- ment were done with a metallic ruler. don) for information about the monticola type specimens. On 10 October 2005 a gravid adult REFERENCES: BOULENGER, G. A. (1905): A female moving on the forest floor (Fig. 1; contribution to our knowledge of the varieties of the FHGO 5470, snout-vent length: 856 mm, wall lizard (Lacerta muralis).- Trans. Zool. Soc., London; 17: 351-437. BOULENGER, G. A. (1920, 1921): total length: 989 mm, mass: 554 g.) was col- Monograph of the Lacertidae. Vols. 1 & 2. London lected at Monte Oret, km 73, parish of Mindo, (Trustees British Museum N. H.), pp. 352 and 451. canton of Nanegalito, province of Pichincha CYRÉN, O. (1928): Spanische und portugiesische (00º02’54”S, 78º46’21”W), 1200 m a.s.l., at Mauereidechsen.- Göteborgs Kungliga Vetenskaps- och Vitterhets-Samhälles handlingar, Göteborg (B) 1: night (21:33). This female was deposited in 1-36. CYRÉN, O. (1934): Zur Kenntnis der Lacertiden the Vivarium de Quito on 24 October 2005, der Iberischen Halbinsel und Makaronesiens.- Göte- and kept in a fiberglass cage. borgs Kungliga Vetenskaps- och Vitterhets-Samhälles Between 19 February and 24 March handlingar, Göteborg; (B) 4 (1): 1-64. MERTENS, R. (1929): Zur Kenntnis der Eidechsenfauna Nordwest- 2006, the female gave birth to five living and Spaniens. Senckenbergiana, Frankfurt a.M.; 11 (4): sixteen dead young (mean snout-vent length 96 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 21 (1/2) Wien, 30. Juni 2008 SHORT NOTE

(COPE, 1876) from which the number of 36 well-developed unborn embryos was report- ed by FREIRE & KUCH (2000). In B. hyoprora (AMARAL,1935) the maximum litter size known is much lower (13) (CAMPBELL & LAMAR 2004). Accordingly, the mean snout-vent length of newborn B. campbelli (149±8.41 mm) is small in comparison to B. hyoprora (180.7±3.9 mm) and B. microphthalmus (167.2±8.5 mm) (see CISNEROS- HEREDIA et al. 2006; CAMPBELL & LAMAR 2004). The newborn B. campbelli survived up to 59 days in captivity. For comparative data of other species of the genus Bothroco- phias see CISNEROS-HEREDIA et al. (2006). Fig. 1: Female Bothrocophias campbelli Knowledge of the reproductive biolo- (FREIRE-LASCANO, 1991) FHGO 5470 gy of the Ecuadorian pitvipers is essential (Photograph by courtesy of Eduardo TORAL). for the conservation of these threatened species and the support of their populations by means of reproductive programs under 149.8±8.4 mm, range 134-162 mm) and two captive conditions. unfertilized eggs (length 27 mm and 34 mm, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: We are indebted to mass 2 g and 6 g). The color pattern of the María Elena BARRAGÁN (FHGO) for proving access to newborns is similar to that of the mother, in the database and specimens deposited in this institu- which the dorsal spots tend to be obscure. tion, and Miguel ALCOSER, Pablo PICERNO and Alexis BARAHONA (Vivarium de Quito) for laboratory assis- On the young, the trapezoidal dorsolateral tance. This investigation was supported by Fundación pattern elements, which match well or are Herpetológica Gustavo Orcés and Vivarium de Quito. staggered along the vertebral line are grey- REFERENCES: CAMPBELL, J. A. & LAMAR, W. ish with a black blotch in the center proxi- W. (2004): The venomous reptiles of the western hemi- mal to the paravertebral and vertebral scales, sphere. Vols. 1+2. Ithaca (Comstock Books in and delimited by black or brown blotches Herpetology, Cornell Univ. Press.), pp. 870. CASTRO- HERRERA, F. (2005): Nuevo registro para Colombia de along their anterior and posterior margins Bothrocophias campbelli y notas sobre B. colombianus (Fig. 2). y B. myersi (Serpentes: Viperidae).- Novedades Co- The number of 21 young in B. camp- lombianas, Popayán; 8(1): 57-64. CISNEROS-HEREDIA, D. F. &. BORJA, M. O. & PROAÑO, D. & TOUZET, J. M. belli is exceeded in B. microphthalmus (2006): Distribution and natural history of the Ecuadorian toadhead pitvipers of the genus Bothro- cophias (Squamata: Serpentes: Crotalinae: Viperidae).- Herpetozoa, Wien; 19 (1/2): 17-26. FREIRE, A. & KUCH, U. (2000): Bothrops campbelli (Campbell’s Lancehead). Diet and reproduction.- Herpetological Review, New York; 31(1): 45. GUTBERLET, R. L., Jr. & CAMPBELL, J. A. (2001): Generic recognition for a neg- lected lineage of South American pitvipers (Squamata: Viperidae: Crotalinae), with the description of a new species from the Colombian Chocó.- American Mu- seum Novitates, New York; 3316: 1-15. KEY WORDS: Reptilia: Squamata: Serpentes: Viperidae; Bothrocophias campbelli, reproductive biol- ogy, Choco region, Ecuador SUBMITTED: September 26, 2007 AUTHORS: Jorge H. VALENCIA, Fundación Her- petológica Gustavo Orcés, Av. Amazonas 3008 y Ru- mipamba, Quito, Ecuador < [email protected] >; Katty GARZÓN, Vivarium de Quito < kgarzon@fhgo. org.ec >; Raquel BETANCOURT-YÉPEZ, Fundación Her- Fig. 2: Female Bothrocophias campbelli (FREIRE-LAS- petológica Gustavo Orcés < [email protected] > CANO, 1991) with neonates born in captivity. (Photograph by Jorge H. VALENCIA).