A new species of endemic snake from the Lost World
The Pantepui is a remote, biodiverse region of ~400 000 km2 in northern South America it contains at least five endemic reptile genera and several ancient vertebrate lineages. Kok and Means (2024) describe a new endemic snake genus and species, Paikwaophis kruki (Dipsadidae: Xenodontinae), recently collected in the Pantepui cloud forest that sits at the base of the cliffs of the Roraima-tepui and Wei-Assipu-tepui (table mountains of the Eastern Tepui Chain) in Guyana. Multilocus molecular data strongly support Paikwaophis to be most closely related to Xenopholis Peters, 1869, although both genera are strikingly different morphologically. Osteological and other phenotypic data suggest that Paikwaophis is semi-fossorial; its diet includes tiny lizards. Paikwaophis is currently the only known Pantepui endemic snake genus. The immature female holotype is the only known specimen.
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Another new Achalinus from China
A new species of xenodermid snake, Achalinus nanshanensis was described by H. Li et al. (2024). The new species is based on three specimens collected from Nanshan National Park and Tongdao County of southwest Hunan Province, China. This new species is genetically distinct from other members of the genus with the mitochondrial COI uncorrected p-distance ranging from 4.4% (in A. yangdatongi) to 17.7% (in A. meiguensis). In addition, this new species can be distinguished from its congeners by morphological traits. The recognition of the new species increases the number of described Achalinus species to 28, of which 21 are found in China.
Achalinus nanshanensis is currently known from Hunan Province, China, and specifically from Nashan National Park, Shaoyang City, and Tongdao County in Huaihua City. It has a known elevational range of 300–1665 m above sea level. All three specimens were found at night, with the holotype and one paratype located near a mountain stream where the air temperature was 18 °C and the relative humidity was 80%. These individuals were close to shrubs in a subtropical broadleaved evergreen forest. They were found making their way from leaf litter to the stream. The other specimen was discovered in a bamboo forest near a stream.
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One species becomes eight – the Eyelash Palm-Pitvipers
Arteaga et al. (2024) present a taxonomic review and systematic revision of the Eyelash Palm-Pitviper Bothriechis schlegelii (Berthold, 1846) based on examination of 400 museum specimens, a phylogeographic analysis of 818 locality records, and 80 individuals sampled for molecular characters. They found morphological and phylogenetic support for five new species of Bothriechis Peters, 1859, which are described based on their unique combination of molecular, meristic, hemipenial, and color pattern characteristics. They are: B. klebbai sp. nov., B. rasikusumorum sp. nov., B. khwargi sp. nov., B. rahimi sp. nov., and B. hussaini sp. nov. They also revalidate the names B. nigroadspersus (Steindachner, 1870), B. nitidus (Günther, 1859), and B. torvus (Posada Arango, 1889a), and provide a redescription of B. schlegelii.
The Eyelash Palm-Pitviper Trigonocephalus schlegelii Berthold, 1846 was described based on a juvenile specimen (ZFMK 32554) collected in Popayán, Colombia (Böhme 2010). The species was diagnosed primarily based on its enlarged supraciliary scales that resemble “eyelashes” and is now placed in the genus Bothriechis Peters, 1859. The authors do not review the history of generic reassignments in depth but refer to the synonyms in their original genus on the first mention below. Other eyelash viper species distinct from Berthold’s Trigonocephalus schlegelii were described for Latin America between 1859 and 1954. This group is called the Bothriechis schlegelii species complex or the “eyelash clade” of the genus Bothriechis. The first of these was Lachesis nitidus Günther, 1859, described by Albert Günther based on a specimen (BMNH 1946.1.17.73) from the “western Andes of Ecuador,” and differing from B. schlegelii primarily based on its green coloration with reddish dorsal stripes. The second was Bothrops nigroadspersus Steindachner, 1870, described by Franz Steindachner based on a specimen (NMW 18811) from “Central America,” and differing from B. schlegelii primarily based on its bright yellow coloration and higher number of ventral scales and dorsal scale rows. The third was Thanatophis torvus Posada-Arango, 1889a, described by Andrés Posada Arango based on individuals (types not designated but reported as lost by Campbell and Lamar 2004) from the warm regions of Antioquia, and differing from B. schlegelii primarily based on the immaculate yellowish white ventral coloration. The fourth was Thanatophis colgadora García, 1896, described by Evaristo García based on individuals (specimens not designated) from the mountains of Cauca department, Colombia, and differing from B. schlegelii primarily based on its bluish-green dorsal coloration and larger body size. The fifth was Teleuraspis birri, Posada Arango, 1909, a different name given to the reprinted description of Thanatophis torvus. The latter is therefore an objective junior synonym.
Distribution of species of Bothriechis previously subsumed under B. schlegelii sensu lato. Each colored area is a geographic representation of the suitable environmental conditions for one of the clades recovered in the phylogeny. Lime green shade in southeastern Panama represents the overlap between B. nigroadspersus and B. corvus.
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