Ninia franciscoi ANGARITA-SIERRA, 2014
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Ninia franciscoi?
Ninia franciscoi
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| Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Simla Coffeesnake |
| Synonym | Ninia franciscoi ANGARITA-SIERRA 2014 Ninia francisco — HEDGES et al. 2019 (in error) |
| Distribution | Trinidad Type locality: ca. 7.2 km Arima, Simla Research Station, Province of St. George, Trinidad (10°41’1”N, 61°17’W) |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: UTA 22316, male |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Ninia franciscoi can be distinguished from all other congeners by the combination of the following characters: (1) an extremely long anterior temporal scale in contact with upper labials 5, 6, and 7; (2) temporal scale formula 1 + 2, with primary temporal scale 3x longer than lower posterior temporal (Fig. 4); (3) forked hemipenis (50−74%); (4) sulcus spermaticus centrolineal; (5) slender and acuminate-shaped lobes, strongly differentiated from the hemipenis body and homogenously ornamented with large calyces; (6) Basally the hemipenis possesses a small pocket-shaped structure covered with small hook-shaped spines. |
| Comment | This species is known only from the (preserved) holotype. In addition, the primary external diagnostic character is a single scale. Similar species: the only other Ninia species on Trinidad is N. atrata. |
| Etymology | named after Francisco Sierra Corredor (1900−2005), the grandfather of the author, who taught him “how to find the secrets of the ‘nature goddess’”. |
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