Typhlops notorachius, Thomas, Richard & Hedges, Blair, 2007

Thomas, Richard & Hedges, Blair, 2007, Eleven new species of snakes of the genus Typhlops (Serpentes: Typhlopidae) from Hispaniola and Cuba, Zootaxa 1400, pp. 1-26 : 21

Typhlops notorachius new species ( Figs. 8 H, 9D–E)

Holotype: MNHNCu 4551 (field tag number 191322), a male from 9.4 km W Imias, Guantánamo Province, Cuba, 5 meters, collected on 1 July 1990 by S. Blair Hedges, Richard Thomas, and Daniel McCallister.

Paratypes: USNM 564799, a male, same collection data as holotype; USNM 564797–798, Playitas de Cajobabo, Guantánamo Province, Cuba, 0 meters, collected on 1 August 1989 by Richard Thomas and S. Blair Hedges.

Diagnosis: A relatively large species of the Typhlops biminiensis group differing from T. biminiensis in having a rostral with an acuminate posterior edge, not broadly rounded. Also, the rostral has parallel sides and is not indented at apex of the snout ( Fig. 8 ). Additionally, T. notorachius has a proportionately smaller rostral than the preceding species ( T. biminiensis , T. arator , T. perimychus , and T. anousius ) ( Figs. 8 , 10 A). The difference in body size between T. notorachius and T. perimychus is striking; not considering the associated specimen of the latter species (which may be a different species), all four specimens of T. notorachius (282– 301 mm TL) are larger than all 18 specimens of T. perimychus (130–280 mm TL). Because each species was collected at multiple localities and, in the case of T. perimychus , over four decades, we surmise that the body size difference is real and not the result of collecting bias. Also, T. notorachius differs from T. perimychus in having a greater anterior nasal width (ANTNAS/RW1): 0.42–0.53 versus 0.34–0.39 in T. perimychus . From T. anousius , T. notorachius also differs in its point of scale row reduction: 15–40% TL versus 2% TL in T. anousius .

Description: Snout smoothly rounded. Rostral broad and rounded in dorsal aspect, nearly as broad as long in most specimens (RW1/RL1 0.78–0.87), nearly straight­sided, parallel or widening somewhat posteriorly; not flared on apex; no labial flare. Anterior nasal width as a proportion of RW1 0.42–0.53. Preocular angle 108–120°, apex rounded; lower portion contacting labials 2 and 3 of upper labial series. OL 1/2 height, OS 0.23–0.34. Rostronasal pattern strongly divergent. Postocular 3–4 times higher than long. First parietal standard, spanning 2 scale rows or slightly less. Second parietal present and similar in width to the first or absent. TL to 301 mm. TL/TA 48–75. TL/MBD 45–57. Middorsal scales 475–529. Scale rows 24 reducing to 22 at 15–40% TL. Coloration bicolor with dorsal pigmentation (pale brown) fading ventrad anteriorly but ending abruptly by dropping out of pigmented scales posteriorly; 9 (mode) to 11 pigmented scale rows at midbody. Distribution: Known only from the south coast of eastern (Oriente) Cuba, over an extent of about 27 km between the two known localities, east of Guantánamo Bay. The westernmost of the localities, 9.4 km W Imias, is about 30 km east of the type locality for Typhlops anousius ( Fig. 11 ).

Etymology: An adjective made from the Greek, notos, south, and rhachia, shore, meaning “of the southern shore.”

The next new species having affinities with T. biminiensis also occurs on the southern coast of eastern Cuba. It may be known as

Figures

FIGURE 8. Head scalation in the Typhlops biminiensis Group, including seven new species from Cuba. (A) T. biminiensis (ASFS V 11655), from Elbow Cay, Cay Sal Bank, Bahamas. (B) T. paradoxus (ASFS V 12067), from Great Inagua, Bahamas. (C) T. epactius (ASFS V 11673), from Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands. (D) T. caymanensis (ASFS V 17112), from Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. (E) T. perimychus (USNM 564800), holotype, from Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Cuba. (F) T. arator (MNHNCu 191), holotype, from El Narigon, La Habana, Province, Cuba). (G) T. anousius (MNHNCu 4550), holotype, from 3.5 km E Tortuguilla, Guantánamo Province, Cuba. (H) T. notorachius (MNHNCu 4551), holotype, from 9.4 km W Imias, Guantánamo Province, Cuba. (I) T. contorhinus (MNHNCu 4552), holotype, from 4.9 km S La Tinta, Guantánamo Province, Cuba. (J) T. anchaurus (MNHNCu 4553), holotype, from within 1 km of Cueva de Agua (2.5 km airline NW Maisí), Guantánamo Province, Cuba. (K) T. satelles (SMF 61303), holotype, from Rancho Luna, about 12 km airline S Cienfuegos, Cienfuegos Province, Cuba.

FIGURE 10. Variation in measurements of Typhlops biminiensis and Cuban species of the Typhlops biminiensis Group. For all graphs (A – F), the following species are indicated by symbols: T. anchaurus (open diamond), T. anousius (closed square), T. arator (closed diamond), T. biminiensis (open circle), T. contorhinus (open triangle), T. notorachius (closed triangle), T. paradoxus (open square), T. perimychus (closed circle), T. satelles (“ X ”). Trendlines are indicated on some graphs for T. biminiensis and T. perimychus. See text for definition of abbreviations.

FIGURE 11. Geographic distribution of seven species of blindsnakes (Typhlops) in Cuba. Closed triangles = T. perimychus, closed hexagons = T. arator, open circle = T. anousius, closed circle = T. notorachius, open square = T. contorhinus, open triangle = T. anchaurus, closed square = T. satelles.