Grayia obscura CHANEY, GREENBAUM & PAUWELS, 2024
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Grayia obscura
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| Higher Taxa | Colubridae, Grayiinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Grayia obscura CHANEY, GREENBAUM & PAUWELS in CHANEY et al. 2024: 14 |
| Distribution | Democratic Republic of Congo (South Kivu Province) Type locality: DRC, South Kivu Province, Mungombe (S03.044, E028.256; datum = WGS84 in all cases), 1072 m elevation. |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. UTEP 22653, adult male, collected by C. Kusamba, W.M. Muninga, and M.M. Aristote on 14 March 2011 (Fig. 14). Paratypes. UTEP 22652, adult female, DRC, South Kivu Province, Sake (S03.268, E028.120; 655 m), collected by M.M. Aristote with a net from a fish pond at the edge of lowland forest on 1 May 2018 (Figs. 15A and E, 16A, B, I, and J); RBINS 2731 (formerly RBINS 18816), adult male, DRC, Tshopo Province, Uma (N0.908, E26.505; Figs. 15C and G, 16E, F, M, and N); RBINS 2732 (formerly RBINS 18901) adult male, DRC, Tshopo Province, Yoko (N00.174, E25.172; Figs. 15B and F, 16C, D, K, and L); RBINS 2733 (formerly RBINS 18902) adult male, DRC, Tshopo Province, Yoko (N00.174, E25.172; Figs. 15D and H, 16G, H, O, and P). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A species of Grayia defined by 9–10 supralabials in females (vs. 8 in female G. (Xenurophis) caesar, 7–9 in female G. (Grayia) ornata, 7–8 [rarely 6] in female G. (Grayia) smythii, and 7–8 [rarely 9] in female G. (Xenurophis) tholloni); 22–24 body bands (vs. 21–30 in G. (Xenurophis) caesar, 17–35 [rarely 12, 14 or 16] in G. (Grayia) ornata, 20–45 [rarely ,20] in G. (Grayia) smythii, and 27–62 [rarely 8] in G. (Xenurophis) tholloni); 899 mm maximum SVL (vs. 965 mm in G. (Xenurophis) caesar, 1190 mm in G. (Grayia) ornata, 1400 mm in G. (Grayia) smythii, and 900 mm in G. (Xenurophis) tholloni); maximum tail length 262 mm (vs. 692 mm in G. (Xenurophis) caesar, 366 mm in G. (Grayia) ornata, 545 mm in G. (Grayia) smythii, and 490 mm in G. (Xenurophis) tholloni); maximum total length 988 mm (vs. 1322 mm in G. (Xenurophis) caesar, 1520 mm in G. (Grayia) ornata, 1855 mm in G. (Grayia) smythii, and 1211 mm in G. (Xenurophis) tholloni); dorsum dark brown, gray, to nearly black with relatively few black body bands (vs. G. (Xenurophis) caesar blackish or dark gray with pale cream bands outlined in black; G. (Grayia) ornata varies from tan to brown or gray with numerous black body bands; G. (Grayia) smythii dark brown with darker brown or black chevrons, and pale cream, yellow scalloped, or triangle pattern on the lower flanks; G. (Xenurophis) tholloni brown or gray with faint, thin cream bands along the entire length of the body); venter often with numerous black spots (vs. ventral side of G. (Xenurophis) caesar and G. (Xenurophis) tholloni pale cream; ventral side of G. (Grayia) ornata is primarily pale cream with occasional dark brown or black speckling—especially toward the tail; ventral side of G. (Grayia) smythii is cream with occasional black spotting along the lateral edges of the ventral scales); often dark brown head and chin usually with white or cream-colored speckling on the chin shields and circular cream-colored dots on the infralabial scales (vs. G. (Xenurophis) caesar gray head with two white or yellow black-edged bands on each side of the posterior section of the head and a pale cream or white chin; G. (Grayia) ornata dark brown or gray head, and a darker chin with cream or white speckling in juveniles but this fades into a solid pale cream in adults with occasional white spotting and labial scales ranging from gray to cream or pale brown that are edged with dark brown or black; G. (Grayia) smythii solid brown or dark brown head with a pale cream or yellow chin; G. (Xenurophis) tholloni gray or brown head with black striping on the labial scales and a cream chin); 1–2 extralabials (vs. extralabial scales never present in G. (Xenurophis) caesar, G. (Grayia) smythii, G. (Xenurophis) tholloni, and 1–3 extralabial scales present in 92% of G. (Grayia) ornata specimens. (Chaney et al. 2024) Additional details (4536 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | Named after Latin obscura, an adjective meaning dark, shadowy or indistinct, and is in reference to the dark body coloration of this species. |
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