Arcanumophis, Smaga & Ttito & Catenazzi, 2019

Smaga, Christopher R., Ttito, Alex & Catenazzi, Alessandro, 2019, Arcanumophis, a new genus and generic allocation for Erythrolamprus problematicus (Myers 1986), Xenodontinae (Colubridae) from the Cordillera de Carabaya, southern Peru, Zootaxa 4671 (1), pp. 129-138 : 132

Arcanumophis new genus

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:93B8A481-E912-4D83-B862-5339F836058D

Type species. Erythrolamprus problematicus ( Myers, 1986) , by monotypy.

Etymology. From Latin arcanum, meaning mystery and Greek ophis, meaning serpent.

Definition and diagnosis. Arcanumophis gen. nov. differs from all other Xenodontini by the presence of a crease on the rostral scale, here interpreted as an autapomorphic condition. Molecular data support A. problematicus as an independent lineage, sister taxon to all other species of Xenodontini (see Discussion).

Distribution. the type species is strictly known from two locations in the Cordillera de Carabaya, Department of Puno, Peru, in the upper drainages of the Tambopata and Inambari rivers, at elevations of 1520–1960 m a.s.l.