Candoia superciliosa (GÜNTHER, 1863)
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Candoia superciliosa
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| Higher Taxa | Boidae (Candoiinae, Candoiidae), Henophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | Candoia superciliosa superciliosa (GÜNTHER 1863) Candoia superciliosa crombiei SMITH et al. 2001 |
| Common Names | E: Belau Bevelnosed Boa, Northem Belau Bevelnosed Boa E: Ngeaur Bevelnosed Boa [crombiei] |
| Synonym | Enygrus superciliosus GüNTHER 1863: 360 Enygrus carinatus var. superciliosus — KINGHORN 1928: 142 Enygrus carinatus (nec SCHNEIDER) — BOETTGER 1898: 111 (part;) Enygrus carinatus — STERNFELD 1920: 423 (part) Enygrus carinatus — DRYDEN & TAYLOR 1969: 271 Candoia superciliosa superciliosa — SMITH et al. 2001: 293 Candoia superciliosa — WALLACH et al. 2014: 148 Candoia superciliosa — REYNOLDS & HENDERSON 2018: 28 Candoia superciliosa crombiei SMITH et al. 2001 Candoia superciliosa crombiei SMITH CHISZAR, TEPEDELEN & BREUKELEN 2001 Enygrus carinatus (nec SCHNEIDER) — STERNFELD 1920: 425 Candoia superciliosa crombiei — REYNOLDS & HENDERSON 2018: 29 |
| Distribution | Pelew (= Palau = Belau) Islands Type locality: "Pelew Islands." crombiei: Type locality: Ngeaur Island, at the intersection ofthe west coast road and the road to Our Lady of the Rosary church (just N cemetery tumoff), S Ngaramasch village. |
| Reproduction | viviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Syntypes: BMNH 1946.1.16.47 (formerly 63.10.2.7) and 1946.1.16.50 (formerly 63.1 0.2.8). Presented by G. L. King. Date unknown. Holotype: USNM 521718, juvenile male with everted hemipenes. Taken 31 July 1996 by Ronald 1. Crombie [crombiei] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis and definition (based on 62 specimens examined and less than a dozen others in the literature). A member of the Candoia carinata complex, differing from other complexes of the genus in having a broad, flat, slanted, bevel-like, overhung snout, supralabials entering orbit, subcaudals 35 or more, and ventrals less than 203. Unique among all members of the Candoia carinata complex in the combination of presence (Fig. 2) of a distinct postanal white spot (I 00%); absence of keels on the 2nd row of dorsals (100%); presence of a greatly enlarged supraocular on each side (Fig 3), with a minimum oD or fewer scales in a row between those on the two sides (100%); anterior scale rows fewer than 29 (100%); totallength not exceeding 885 mm, seldom reaching 700 mm; temperament retiring, withdrawing, not aggressive under any circumstance; and diet consisting almost excIusively of ectotherms. (Smith et al. 1981) |
| Comment | Distribution: not on the Solomon island (McCoy 2015). Until recently the species was considered a subspecies of Candoia carinata, which is found throughout most of the Solomon Islands archipelago (Harlow and Shine 1992). It is now a full species, but due to a lack of specific data, much of the available information refers to Candoia carinata (Smith et al 2001, O. Tallowin in IUCN 2012 and pers. comm., 23 Nov 2016). |
| Etymology | The name superciliosa presumably refers to the much enlarged supraocular scales, characteristic of the species. The name crombiei honors the collector, Ronald I. Crombie,of the holotype and also ofthe bulk of the comparative material from elsewhere in Belau. As an authority on the history and biology of Belau, he has provided much background and natural history information for the authors. |
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