Thamnosophis stumpffi (BOETTGER, 1881)
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Thamnosophis stumpffi
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| Higher Taxa | Pseudoxyrhophiidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Yellow-striped Water Snake |
| Synonym | Dromicus stumpffi BOETTGER 1881: 358 Tropidonotus stumpffi — BOULENGER 1893: 247 Liophidium gracile MOCQUARD 1908: 261 Natrix stumpffi — BARBOUR 1918: 486 Tropidonotus stumpffi — MARX 1958 Liopholidophis stumpffi — GLAW & VENCES 1994: 338 Liopholidophis stumpffi — CADLE 1996: 416 Liopholidophis stumpffi — GLAW et al. 2001 Bibilava stumpffi — GLAW et al. 2007 Thamnosophis stumpffi — CADLE & INEICH 2008 Thamnosophis stumpffi — WALLACH et al. 2014: 728 |
| Distribution | Madagascar, Nossi Be = Nosy Bé Type locality: “insula Nossi-Bé” |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Lectotype: SMF 17576, designated by Cadle 1996: 416 (formerly SMF 7547a) |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Liopholidophis stumpffi differs from members of the sexlineatus group in having 19-19-17 dorsal scale rows (vs. 17-17-15). It differs from other species of the stumpffi group primarily in color pattern and a few body proportions, including the following: relatively long tail and high number of subcaudals (31-34% of total length and 91-109, respectively, sexes combined); dorsolateral light stripe on rows 4-5 on neck and anterior part of body, row 4 or 4-5 when present posteriorly; dark postocular stripe separated from dark blotches on side of neck; dorsolateral light stripe continuous with light color of throat; venter mostly immaculate except for pigment encroaching laterally from flanks (small spots may be present on extreme anterolateral edge of anterior ventral plates, but these are not inset from edge of the plates). Liopholidophis stumpffi is most easily confused with epistibes, and their distinguishing characteristics are given in the account for the latter. Liopholidophis stumpffi differs from L. lateralis in the position of the lateral stripes: in stumpffi on dorsal rows 4-5 on neck and anterior body, usually fading posteriorly (indistinct on tail); in lateralis on rows 3-5 (occasionally only row 4), very distinct the length of the body, continuing to the tail tip. The species also differ in color pattern: indiscrete dark spots on neck and anterior body, and brownish posterior body with light stripes indistinct or absent in stumpffi; continuous dark middorsal stripe and flanks, separated by vivid light stripes the length of the body in lateralis. Liopholidophis stumpffi differs from infrasignatus in the orientation of the postocular dark bar. In stumpffi the bar extends horizontally posterior to the eye, paralleling the upper border of the posterior supralabials (Figs. 8, 25); in infrasignatus the bar extends at an angle downward across the penultimate and ultimate supralabials (Figs. 23, 28). In stumpffi the dorsolateral light stripe anterior is on scale rows 4-5 (5-6 in infrasignatus). Liopholidophis stumpffi also has a longer tail than infrasignatus (31-34% of total length vs. 21-27%, sexes combined; see Table 2), is of more gracile habitus, and has more distinct spots on the neck (present or not in infrasignatus, but not conspicuous) (Cadle 1996: 417). |
| Comment | Group: Cadle 1996 included the following species in the Liopholidophis stumpffi group: L. stumpffi, L. epistibes, L. lateralis, L. infrasignatus. For a table of their characters see Cadle 1996: 417 (Table 2). |
| Etymology | Named after Anton Stumpff, a traveler and collector who accompanied Ebenau on his visit to Nossi-Be Island, Madagascar. |
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