Atractus flammigerus (BOIE, 1827)
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Atractus flammigerus
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| Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Flaming Ground Snake |
| Synonym | Brachyorrhos flammigerus BOIE 1827 Calamaria badia — SCHLEGEL 1837: 35 (part.) Rabdosoma badium var. B — DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854 Rhabdosoma badium (a,b) — GÜNTHER 1858 Atractus badius var. E — BOULENGER 1894: 308 Atractus major — REED & BOROWSKY 1970 Atractus badius — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 27 Geophis alasukai GASC & RODRIGUES 1980 (fide HOOGMOED 1980) Atractus flammigerus — STARACE 1998: 131 Atractus flammigerus — LEHR 2002: 204 Geophis alasukai — CLAESSEN 2003 Atractus flammigerus — PASSOS et al. 2007 Atractus flammigerus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 72 Atractus flammigerus — NOGUEIRA et al. 2019 |
| Distribution | Brazil, French Guiana (alasukai), Suriname, Peru Type locality: see comment; Guyane (fide STARACE 1998), restricted to Paramaribo, Surinam, by HOOGMOED 1980. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Lectotype: RMNH 118a, a 313 mm female (Cabinet Brugmans), designated by Hoogmoed, 1980: 20. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Atractus flammigerus is distinguished from all currently recognized congeners by having conspicuous keels on dorsal scale rows of body in immature and mature male and female specimens (Fig. 2). Although this represents an apparent autapomorphy of the species, such a feature might be inconspicuous in immature female individuals and only barely evident in poorly preserved individuals. For that reason, we also provide the following unique combination of morphological characters that can be observed in specimens of any age category or reproductive condition: (1) dorsal scale rows 17/17/17; scales lacking apical pits but having keels on vertebral and paravertebral series; (2) postoculars two; (3) loreal long, three times height; (4) temporals one plus two; (5) supralabials usually eight, fourth, and fifth contacting eye; (6) infralabials seven or eight, first four contacting chin shields; (7) maxillary teeth usually eight; (8) gular scales comprising three scales (between seventh infralabial and preventrals); (9) preventrals usually three; (10) ventrals 145–156 in females, in males 138–151; (11) subcaudals 19–26 in females, 26–36 in males; (12) in preservative, dorsum uniformly black to brown with a series of 30–43 regular or slightly irregular transverse (never completing a ring) alternate cream or beige bands/blotches along body; (13) venter cream with square or rhomboidal blotches generally forming irregular stripes on the middle or lateral portion of belly; (14) moderately long body size, with females reaching 500 mm and males 380 mm; (15) small to moderately long tail in females (8.6–11.3% SVL) and moderate to long in males (13.1–17.1% SVL); (16) hemipenis strongly bilobed, semicapitate, and semicalyculate (Passos 2007: 351) Additional details (2385 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Abundance: rare. Only ~20 individuals of A. flammigerus (sensu stricto) are reported in the literature on the basis of vouchered specimens (but see synonymy). Subspecies: Atractus flammigerus snethlageae DA CUNHA & DO NASCIMENTO 1983 has been erected to full species status by Vanzolini (1986) which was confirmed by Martins & Oliveira (1993). Synonymy after HOOGMOED 1980 who resurrected A. flammigerus, which at the time was considered a synonym of A. badius. See also Atractus badius. Similar species: A. flammigerus has been confused with A. snethlageae and A. torquatus. Distribution: See map in Passos et al. 2017: Fig. 9. The type locality was given as “Java” by BOIE (apparently in error fide PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970). Hoogmoed’s definition of A. flammigerus included specimens from the Guiana Shield (A. flammigerus sensu stricto) as well as from Peru (now A. snethlageae). See map in Nogueira et al. 2019. |
| Etymology | Named after Latin flammiger, flammigera, flammigerum, flame-bearing. (BOIE 1827, Esteban Lavilla, pers. comm., April 2024) |
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