Geophis tectus, Savage & Watling, 2008
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00400.x |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C487E4-3573-C155-FEF9-F940FA50FB08 |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Geophis tectus |
| status |
sp. nov. |
GEOPHIS TECTUS SP. NOV.
Geophis brachycephalus, Dunn, 1942: 4 (in part); Downs, 1967: 146 (in part); Savage, 2002: 604 (in part); Myers, 2003: 37, fig. 18 (in part); Solórzano, 2004: 276 (in part).
Geophis , species inquirenda, Myers, 2003: 39, fig 20B (in part).
Holotype: MCZ 19326, an adult male from La Loma (= Buena Vista), Distrito de Chiriquí Grande, Provincia de Bocas del Toro, Panama; c. 8°50′N, 82°13′W (300 m). Collected by E. R. Dunn and Chester B. Duryea, some time in July–August 1923. GoogleMaps
Paratypes: All are from Panama. Provincia de Bocas del Toro : BYU 19149, Río Changena, Río Changena camp (732 m) , 35 km W Almirante ; KU 110702, Río Changena (830 m) ; KU 110701, 3 km W Almirante (40 m) ; MCZ 19325, La Loma (Buena Vista), 300 m; Provincia de Chiriquí : CHP 1034–1035 Cerro Horqueta (1707 m, 1676 m, respectively) ; CAS 78979, 78983 View Materials , Boquete (c. 1200 m) ; AMNH 124015 View Materials , S slope Quebrada Arena (1120 m) , tributary to Río Chiriquí nr Prensa Fortuna impoundment; Provincia de Coclé : CHP 0355 , 0983 , N of El Copé (c. 600–800 m) .
Referred specimen: Provincia de Panamá: GML, Piedras-Pacora Ridge: Cerro Azul (= Cerro Jefe) (c. 200–800 m) .
Diagnosis: This species differs from other members of the G. brachycephalus complex by having high numbers of subcaudals in females and in lacking sexual dimorphism in ventral counts ( Table 4). It is characterized by having the following combination of features: (1) 137–138.5 ± 0.9–140 ventrals in males, 138 in the female; 44–47.0 ± 2.4–50 subcaudals in males, 43 in the female; 183–185.5 ± 1.9–188 total segmentals in males, 181 in the female; (2) uniform black dorsum and upper surface of tail or with the light blotched/banded pattern on posterior two-thirds of body and light markings on upper surface of tail (light markings probably red in life); (3) hemipenes simple, capitulum moderately long but slender, about 2.5 times as long as the short truncus on the asulcate side (Myers, 2003).
Description of holotype: A snake 253 mm in standard length with a tail length of 68 mm (21.2% of total length); dorsal scales in 15–15–15 rows, with keels on all rows except the first six; caudal scales heavily keeled; a pre- and postnasal present followed by a long loreal; preoculars 0–0; postoculars 1–1; 0 + 1 elongate temporal followed by two jubals bordering the last supralabial; supralabials 6–6, 3–4 bordering the orbit; 6–6 infralabials, four bordering the chin shields on each side; subcloacal scute single; two preventrals, 138 ventrals, 47 subcaudals and 185 total segmentals; dorsum uniform brown and upper caudal surface brown in preservative; venter cream in preservative; subcaudals banded with dark pigment.
Hemipenes: The hemipenis of the new species resembles that of G. brachycephalus but appears to be single, not slightly bilobed. It agrees with the former by having the capitulum moderately long and slender and in relative proportions, with the length of the capitulum about 2.5 times that of the truncus on the asulcate side. Other members of the G. brachycephalus complex have either a much longer and more slender capitulum ( G. nigroalbus ) or a shorter and more robust capitulum ( G. talamancae ).
Variation: The paratypes agree with the holotype in most features. The largest male is 287 mm in standard length with a tail length of 76 mm (21.5% of total length). The largest female is 310 mm in standard length with a tail length of 71 mm (18.6% of total length). The proportion of tail length to total length is 17.0% in the juvenile male, 19.6–21.6% in adult males, 16.7% in the juvenile female and 18.4– 21.6% in adult females. In one specimen the right loreal is excluded from the orbit by supralabial 3. One example ( CAS 78983) has a short second temporal and 4–4 jubals contacting the last supralabial. All specimens have 6–6 supralabials. Infralabials are usually 6–6 (N = 4) or 7–7 (N = 5) but may be 6–5 (N = 1) or 6–7 (N = 2). There are usually four or five infralabials in contact with the chin shields but rarely three. The degree of dorsal scale keeling varies in well-preserved adults from 37 to 86% in adults. Caudal scales are strongly keeled in all specimens .
Specimens from western Panama have a uniform dark dorsum and caudal surface. The patterned example ( GML) from just east of the Canal Zone area is described in detail above. The venter is usually immaculate or a few examples have a little mottling or speckling of dark pigment. Five adults have definite dark bands on the ventrals. The subcaudals vary from nearly immaculate to heavily banded with dark pigment in seven of the larger snakes. A light head band suffused with dark pigment occurs in three smaller examples (145–226 mm in standard length) and two others (142–151 mm in standard length) have the band obscured or faintly suggested.
Etymology: The specific name is from the Latin tectus meaning secret or disguised in allusion to this species being concealed under the name G. brachycephalus for over 90 years.
Distribution: From tropical lowland moist forest and premontane rainforest on the Atlantic slopes of the Cordilleras de Talamanca-Barú and Tabasará and tropical premontane and lower montane rainforest on the Pacific slope in western Panama; also in tropical premontane rainforest on the Piedras-Pacora Ridge in east central Panama, 40–1700 m ( Figs 15 View Figure 15 , 16 View Figure 16 ).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
