Liopholidophis grandidieri MOCQUARD, 1904
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Liopholidophis grandidieri
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| Higher Taxa | Pseudoxyrhophiidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Grandidier's Water Snake |
| Synonym | Liopholidophis grandidieri MOCQUARD 1904: 304 Liopholidophis grandidieri — GLAW & VENCES 1994: 338 Liopholidophis grandidieri — WALLACH et al. 2014: 395 |
| Distribution | Madagascar (RNP , Ambohimitombo Forest, Tsinjoarivo) Type locality: "l'embouchure du Saint-Augustin, Madagascar." Emended to "embouchure du fleuve Saint Augustin (S.O. Madagascar)," fide MNHN catalogue and Guibé, 1958: 218 [=Saint Augustin bay or mouth of Onilahy River, 25 km south of Toliara, southwestern Toliara Province, southwestern Madagascar]. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: MNHN-RA 1902.0103, a 912 (SVL) and 1636 (total length) mm male (G. Grandidier) |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A species of Liopholidophis characterized by more than 200 subcaudals in males, more than 100 subcaudals in females; tail >50% of total length in males (35% in females); venter (except for anterior ventral plates) entirely black, including the anal plate, and not bordered by a marginal white stripe; lateral black stripe on dorsal rows 2-4 anteriorly and 2-3 posteriorly, but dark dorsal stripes otherwise lacking. These features distinguish Liopholidophis grandidieri from all species of Liopholidophis, none of which have such proportionally long tails; all species but dolicocercus have dorsal stripes (light or dark) on scale rows other than 2 + 3. Liopholidophis grandidieri is most easily confused with L. dolicocercus; distinguishing features are given in the account for that species (Cadle 1996: 403). |
| Comment | Type species: Liopholidophis grandidieri MOCQUARD 1904 is the type species of the genus Liopholidophis MOCQUARD 1904 (WILLIAMS & WALLACH 1989). All described species of Liopholidophis generally share 17 dorsal scale rows at midbody, and all but L. varius are characterised by an extreme sexual dimorphism in tail length. Males have much longer tails, a higher number of subcaudal scales and usually a longer snout-vent length than females; consequently, their total length is also longer. Cadle (1996a) noted that L. rhadinaea shows remarkable similarities to species of the genus Liophidium in morphology and colouration, making a clear definition and delimitation of these two genera difficult. Distribution: reports of “Liopholidophis grandidieri” from the Andringitra Massif (Raxworthy and Nussbaum 1996) are apparently based on UMMZ 209474, which has been subsequently reidentified as L. sexlineatus (Gregory E. Schneider, pers. comm., cited in Cadle 2014). |
| Etymology | Probably named either after Guillaume Grandidier (1873 – 1957), French geographer, ethnologist, and zoologist who studied the island of Madagascar and who collected the types. However, it could have been also named after his father, Alfred Grandidier (1836-1921), French explorer, geographer, and ornithologist who also collected in Madagascar (1865). |
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