Liopholidophis dolicocercus (PERACCA, 1892)
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Liopholidophis dolicocercus
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| Higher Taxa | Pseudoxyrhophiidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Dromicus dolicocercus PERACCA 1892 Tropidonotus dolichocercus — BOULENGER 1893: 246 Liopholidophis dolicocercus — CADLE 1996: 395 Liopholidophis dolicocercus — GLAW et al. 2007 Liopholidophis dolicocercus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 395 |
| Distribution | Madagascar Type locality: Valle dell’Umbi (Androngoloka) |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: MRSN (= MSNTO = MZUT) R857 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A species of Liopholidophis having 17-17-15 dorsal scale rows; tail 39- 44% total length and 140-164 subcaudals in males; and a black venter with a marginal white stripe, a black stripe at the suture between the ventral plates and dorsal row 1, but no lateral stripe involving rows 2-3. Liopholidophis dolicocercus differs from sexlineatus, where it has been synonymized (Guibe, 1958), in lacking a black stripe on dorsal rows 2-3 (present in sexlineatus, subject to some variation; see species account) and in the distinctive uniformly black venter with white ventrolateral stripes (never uniformly black or with white ventrolateral stripes in sexlineatus) Species of the stumpffi group have 19 scale rows at midbody. Liopholidophis dolicocercus is most easily confused with L. grandidieri but differs from grandidieri in having fewer subcaudal scales (140-164 vs. 215-221, respectively, in males; 81-88 vs. more than 100 [98-113], respectively, in females) and correspondingly shorter tail (Table 1).The two species also differ in ventral and dorsal patterns. In Liopholidophis dolicocercus (Figs. 13-14), the central 2/3 of each ventral scale is solid black, bordered on either side by a large squarish white dot near the lateral edges of the ventral scales. The white dots of successive scales align to form a regular white stripe on either side of the venter from the anterior portion of the body to the tail tip, thus giving dolicocercus a highly distinctive, unusual ventral pattern (Fig. 14). Lateral to the ventral white stripes, a bold black line with regular edges occupies the extreme lateral edges of the ventral scales and the lower half of dorsal row 1; these stripes begin just behind the jaw angle, are briefly interrupted at the vent, and continue to the tail tip at the junction of the subcaudals and first dorsal caudal scale row. Thus, the venter in L. dolicocercus appears black but bordered on either side by paired white and black stripes (Fig. 14). Liopholidophis dolicocercus lacks a lateral black stripe on dorsal rows 2 + 3. In L. grandidieri (Figs. 18, 20), the entire venter is black except where broken anteriorly and posteriorly by light pigment (no white stripe at lateral edges ofventrals);there is no discrete black stripe on lateral edges of ventrals and lower Vi of dorsal row 1; and grandidieri has a black stripe on rows 2 + 3 (discrete on at least the posterior 1/3 of the body [usually more] and anteriorly as well) (Cadle 1996: 395). |
| Comment | Not listed in GLAW & VENCES 1994. |
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