Emydocephalus orarius NANKIVELL, GOIRAN, HOURSTON, SHINE, RASMUSSEN, THOMSON & SANDERS, 2020
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Higher Taxa | Elapidae (Hydrophiinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | |
Synonym | Emydocephalus orarius NANKIVELL, GOIRAN, HOURSTON, SHINE, RASMUSSEN, THOMSON & SANDERS 2020 |
Distribution | Australia (Western Australia) Type locality: Shark Bay (25°15`38”S, 113°08`19”E), WA |
Reproduction | |
Types | Holotype. WAM R165708. Adult male collected on 10/02/2006 by G. Parry. Paratypes. WAM R73661 (female), Pilbara coast (20°00`00”S, 116°40`00”E); WAM R47852 (male), Barrow Island (20°48`00”S, 115°24`00”E); WAM R73651 (male), Pilbara coast (19°26`00”S, 118°49`00”E); WAM R73662 (male), Legendre Island (19°30`00”S, 116°42`00”E); WAM R174521 (female), Dampier (20°39`00”S, 116°41`00”E). |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A large (maximum recorded 116 cm TL) Emydocephalus species that usually differs from its congeners by the possession of two prefrontal scales, first supralabial in contact with preocular scale, enlarged tubercules on ventral scales of adult males, body pattern consisting of 19–21 bands. Genetically diagnosed from all other sequenced Emydocephalus by the following ND4 sites: 84(C), 111(A), 177(C), 195(C), 234(C), 261(C), 273(T), 288(C), 294(C), 342(T), 357(C), 396(T), 414(C), 486(G), 510(G), 569(C), 576(C), 609(C), 651(A), 667(G), 669(T). Additional details (1505 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
Comment | |
Etymology | The species epithet ‘orarius’ (Latin, ‘coastal’) refers to the coastal Western Australian distribution of the new species. Other species of Emydocephalus are found on coral reefs, typically on clear oceanic reefs some distance away from coastlines of major landmasses. |
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