Eutrachelophis papilio ZAHER & PRUDENTE, 2019
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Eutrachelophis papilio
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| Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Eutrachelophis papilio ZAHER & PRUDENTE 2019: 9 Taeniophallus occipitalis – AVILA-PIRES et al. 2009 Eutrachelophis undescribed species – MYERS & MCDOWELL 2014 Eutrachelophis papilio — NOGUEIRA et al. 2019 |
| Distribution | Brazil (Amazonas) Type locality: Fazenda Scheffer (8°20′S, 65°43′W), Ituxi River, Municipality of Labrea, state of Amazonas, Brazil |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. MPEG 25471, collected by Teresa Cristina Sauer de Avila-Pires on February 14, 1997 (fig. 6 in ZAHER & PRUDENTE 2019). Paratypes. MPEG 18250, from Km 2 of BR 3041 (9°45′S, 67°39′W), Municipality of Rio Branco, state of Acre, Brazil, collected by Marinus Hoogmoed and Teresa Cristina Sauer Avila-Pires on January 1, 1990. MPEG 19950, Municipality of Careiro da Varzea (3°13′ S, 59°49′ W), state of Amazonas, Brazil, collected by Shawn S. Sartorius on December 22, 1998. MPEG 23862, Municipality of Coari (4°53′ S, 65°21′ W), state of Amazonas, Brazil, collected by Gleomar Maschio and Alessandra Travasso on November 19, 2009. MZUSP 10530, Urucu River (Locality roughly at 05°S, 65°W), state of Amazonas, Brazil, collector and date unknown. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis. Eutrachelophis papilio is distinguished from all other species by the following combination of characters: 15-15-15 number of dorsal scale rows; three gular scale rows, wider than long; 8 supralabials, 2-3 contacting loreal and 3-5 in orbit; 9 infralabials, 1–5 contacting anterior chinshields and 5-6 posterior chinshields; 139-145 ventrals; 68-76 subcaudals; conspicuous white butterfly-shaped ocellus on the nape; hemipenis slightly bilobed with apical disks; and 22-25 maxillary teeth subequal in size and recurved, followed by diastema and two ungrooved fangs. Comparisons. Eutrachelophis papilio differs from Eu. bassleri by having a single laterally expanded, butterfly-shaped and black-rimmed white ocellus on the nape (vs. a pair of distinct round-shaped, black-rimmed white ocelli on the neck in Eu. bassleri), a higher number of ventrals (139-145 vs. 128-139 in Eu. bassleri), and a longer hemipenial lobe that tapers distally (rounded distally in Eu. bassleri). The female described by Citeli et al. 2020 differed from the type series only in the number of ventral scales, which was higher than that recorded for other females [145 vs 139 (MPEG 18250) and 141 (MPEG 10530). Diagnosis: This species presents: (1) 15/15/15 dorsal scales, with apical pits on anterior region of body; (2) rostral acuminate, with a distinct crease; (3) preocular present, single; (4) postoculars present, 1 + 1; (5) loreal present; (6) temporals 1 + 2; (7) supralabials eight, 2nd or 2nd-3rd in contact with loreal, 3rd-5th contacting the orbit; (8) infralabials 8-10, 1st-4th or 1st-5th in contact with anterior chinshields, 4th-5th or 5th-6th in contact with posterior chin-shields; (9) ventrals 136-145 (136-145 in males, 139-145 in females); (10) subcaudals 56-76 (64-76 in males, 56-72 in females); (11) head and neck dark brown, first body third greyish-brown to greenish-grey, second body third light brown, last third light gray, two inconspicuous dorsolateral white stripes margined with black, supralabials white followed by a white neck blotch, dorsally black-rimmed; (12) ventral pattern varying from uniformly white to yellowish; (13) black-rimmed ocellar nape markings white in preservative and light orange in life, either butterfly-shaped ocellus fused on the dorsum or paired rounded ocelli; (14) maxillary teeth 22-25, curved, equal in size; (15) SVL 235-337 mm, TL 92-124 mm (Moraes et al. 2021). Comparisons. See Moraes et al. 2021. |
| Comment | Abundance: Known from only 6 individuals (Moraes et al.2021). Habitat: forest floor, moving near tree roots, in a terra firme forest, with large trees and streams nearby (Citeli et al. 2020). Distribution: see map in Moraes et al. 2021 for localities. |
| Etymology | The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word “papilio”, gender masculine, and noun in apposition, in reference to the butterfly-shaped white ocellus on the nape. |
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