AMERICAN MUSEUM Novitates PUBLISHED by the AMERICAN MUSEUM of NATURAL HISTORY CENTRAL PARK WEST at 79TH STREET, NEW YORK, N.Y
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AMERICAN MUSEUM Novitates PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY CENTRAL PARK WEST AT 79TH STREET, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10024 Number 2853, pp. 1-12, figs. 1-8 September 15, 1986 An Enigmatic New Snake from the Peruvian Andes, with Notes on the Xenodontini (Colubridae: Xenodontinae) CHARLES W. MYERS' ABSTRACT Liophis problematicus, new species, is based on in some populations but which are accepted as a a specimen from 1520 m elevation on the Ama- defining synapomorphy pending further study. zonian side of the Andes in the Department of Defensive neck flattening or hood display is Puno, extreme southeastern Peru. It is a very small widespread in the Xenodontini, having been re- snake (adult male 275 mm total length), with a corded for at least five of the six genera currently bilobed hemipenis having nude apical discs, a con- assigned, and seems to provide a behavioral syn- dition that defines a probably monophyletic group apomorphy that corroborates the validity of the (tribe Xenodontini) of at least six genera of Neo- group. North American snakes of the genus Het- tropical xenodontine colubrids. Beyond this, the erodon also flatten their necks and have been com- relationships ofthe new species are uncertain, but pared morphologically with some Xenodontini; a a pragmatic assignment to Liophis (s.l.) scarcely relationship between Xenodon and South Amer- violates the definition ofthis highly variable, pos- ican Hydrodynastes, another genus ofneck spread- ers, also has been suggested. Heterodon and Hy- sibly nonmonophyletic genus. Incidental notes are drodynastes have relatively primitive hemipenes provided on the hemipenis, coloration, and be- and cannot be included in the Xenodontini. The havior ofLiophis williamsi, a small snake ofVen- hypothesis that one genus or the other is a sister ezuelan cloud forest. group ofthe Xenodontini deserves to be tested by It is pointed out in discussion that hemipenial morphological criteria-although this seems to be variation among the Xenodontini is much greater strongly contraindicated by immunological dis- than has been indicated in the literature, and that tance data. Neck spreading therefore may have the tribe is based essentially on a single character- evolved several times within the subfamily Xe- the paired apical discs, which may have been lost nodontinae. 1 Chairman and Curator, Department of Herpetology, American Museum of Natural History. Copyright © American Museum of Natural History 1986 ISSN 0003-0082 / Price $1.50 2 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES NO. 2853 INTRODUCTION The main purpose of this paper is to de- nude apical discs (Xenodontini), Liophis scribe a new xenodontine colubrid snake from problematicus can be distinguished by the the Andes of southern Peru, and secondarily combination of small size (<300 mm total to call attention to a behavioral trait that length), low number of ventrals and subcau- seems to offer additional support for the tribe dals (133 + 36 in one male), and color pat- Xenodontini. The new species is quite small tern-including pale labial markings, pale (fig. 1 is life size), and I know it only from a nuchal spots, and a striped body (figs. 1-3). single specimen in the Field Museum ofNat- DISTRIBUTION: Liophis problematicus is ural History. known only from its type locality at 1520 m At first examination, the color pattern and elevation on the Amazonian side of the An- small adult size of the new snake reminded des (drainage of Rio Madre de Dios)-about me ofa few species ofRhadinaea. Hemipeni- 150 km north of Lake Titicaca in the border al morphology, however, indicates that it is region between Peru and Bolivia. allied with some member of a group or tribe of Neotropical genera that includes Eryth- DESCRIPTION rolamprus, Liophis, Lystrophis, Umbrivaga, Waglerophis, and Xenodon. But the new The holotype (fig. 1) is an adult male as species does not readily fit in any of these determined by enlarged and convoluted vasa genera, which for the most part appear to deferentia, enlarged segments of the kidney represent well-defined monophyletic units of tubules, and hardening of the hemipenial ecologically diverse snakes. spines. The specimen is in fair condition ex- Liophis, however, is not defined by syn- cept for a slightly misshapen mouth border apomorphy and accommodates snakes that in the rostral region and front of the lower are quite divergent in color pattern and mor- jaw, owing to desiccation. phology. Therefore, inasmuch as this genus PROPORTIONS AND SCUTELLATION: A small, is of questionable monophyly and in order slender, short-tailed snake 275 mm total to avoid creating or resurrecting a new ge- length, 51 mm tail length (tail 18.5% oftotal). neric name at this time, a provisional assign- Body higher than wide (roughly 6.5 mm x ment to Liophis is warranted. The specific 5.5 mm), rounded ventrolaterally. Head name derives from the Greek problematikos slightly wider than body; greatest head width (problematical), an adjective here used in ref- (parietal region) 6.5 mm, head length 11.3 erence to uncertain kinship. mm from tip of snout to level ofend of man- dibles. Diameter ofeye greater than distance Liophis problematicus, new species Figures 1-6 HOLOTYPE: FMNH 64733, an adult male obtained by Hilda H. Heller in the period November 22-December 20, 1950, at 1520 m above sea level at San Juan, Tambopata [Rio], Sandia [Province of ], Department of Puno, Peru. I assume that "San Juan" is the same as San Juan del Oro, a settlement sit- uated about 30 km ENE of the town of San- dia, on the west bank of the Rio Tambopa- ta-at 14°13'S, 69°10'W.2 DIAGNOSIS: Among those snakes charac- terized by a bilobed spiny hemipenis with 2From Mapa Fisico Politico del Peru (1:1,000,000). Ministerio de Guerra del Perui, Instituto Geografico Na- Fig. 1. Liophisproblematicus, new species. The cional, 1982 (2nd ed.). holotype (FMNH 64733), shown at natural size. 1986 MYERS: NEW SNAKE FROM ANDES 3 Fig. 3. Midbody color pattern ofLiophisprob- lematicus, drawn from holotype on generalized scale pattern. Fig. 2. Dorsolateral view of snout of Liophis problematicus, showing transverse keel or crease on rostrum of holotype, x 40. Uppermost arrow supraocular, preocular, loreal, nasal, and in- is at midpoint ofanterior edge ofrostral plate. The ternasal (left prefrontal in contact with both keel may be an artifact (see fn. 3). left and right internasals). Frontal hexagonal (with small anterior apex), 2.0 times longer from its anterior edge to anterior edge of na- than its greatest width, 1.5 times longer than ris, extending 1.5 times into length of snout. distance from its anterior edge to tip ofsnout. Dorsal scales smooth, lacking apical pits and Supraoculars posteriorly more than one-half anal ridges, in 19-17-17 rows; scale-row re- of frontal width, narrowed anteriorly. Pari- duction from 19 to 17 rows by fusion of lat- etals about 1.7 times longer than broad; in- eral rows 3 + 4, on both sides, at level of terparietal suture shorter than length ofsnout, 62nd ventral. Two preventrals (undivided about 60 percent length offrontal plate. Large gulars), 133 ventrals, divided anal plate, 36 nasal plate, in contact with first two supra- pairs of subcaudals. labials, grooved apparently above and below Rostral plate visible from above, about 2.5 naris; small loreal plate ovoid, separated from times wider than high, showing a blunt hor- eye by the single high preocular (no subpreoc- izontal keel (fig. 2) that may be an artifact.3 ular); two postoculars, the upper twice the Paired intemasals, each wider than long, size oflower. One large anterior temporal and about three-fourths as long as prefrontals. upper and lower posterior temporals, be- Paired prefrontals, each wider than long, each tween labials 5-7. Supralabials 7, second in contact with its mate and with frontal, touching loreal, third and fourth bordering orbit. Infralabials 8, first pair in contact be- hind mental, 1-4 touching an anterior genial, 3 It seems likely that the blunt rostral keel is an arti- 4-5 touching a posterior genial. Genials well ficial fold or crease, owing to the front ofthe snout being developed; anterior pair slightly shorter than somewhat dried and misshapen and the rostral plate posterior pair but with longer intergenial su- being partially separated from the premaxillary bone. ture. Inconspicuous tubercles (presumed sen- Rostral modification in very small snakes most often is on an adaptation for semifossorial habits, but usually there sory organs) sparsely present head plates. are correlated specializations, including modified head COLOR PATTERN: Body light brown, with shields, reduced eyes, and a pointed head that is small darker middorsal brown (gray) streak and lat- relative to the neck. Liophisproblematicus, however, has eral and ventrolateral blackish brown lines a normally proportioned head and normal head plates (fig. 3), as follows: (1) The middorsal streak expected of an aboveground forager. is medium brown (gray after loss of stratum 4 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES NO. 2853 Fig. 5. Left maxilla of Liophis problematicus (holotype), x 1O. Fig. 4. Head of Liophis problematicus (holo- There is no dark stripe through the eye. type), approximately x 3.9. The supralabials bear three conspicuous white markings that are broadly edged in dark brown, as follows: There is a short horizontal corneum) and extends from the nape to the white line across labials 1-3; a small subocu- end of the tail; this dark streak is five scales lar white area on labial 4; and a bold post- wide on the neck, three scales wide on the ocular white stripe that originates on the low- greater length ofthe body, and narrows grad- er postocular and extends obliquely across ually on the tail. (2) The dark lateral line labials 5, 6, and lower corner of 7 to the edge extends from the rear of the head to the tip ofthe mouth, where the line matches up with ofthe tail, becoming darker (brown to black- a white line on the anterior part of the last ish brown), more nearly continuous (broken (8th) infralabial.