Tretanorhinus variabilis DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL, 1854
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Tretanorhinus variabilis
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| Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | Tretanorhinus variabilis variabilis DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854 Tretanorhinus variabilis binghami SCHWARTZ & OGREN 1956 Tretanorhinus variabilis insulaepinorum BARBOUR 1916 Tretanorhinus variabilis lewisi GRANT 1941 Tretanorhinus variabilis wagleri JAN 1863 |
| Common Names | E: Caribbean Watersnake, Caribbean Water Snake G: Karibische Wasserschlange |
| Synonym | Tretanorhinus variabilis DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 349 Tretanorhinus variabilis — BOULENGER 1893: 282 Helicops variabilis — GARMAN 1884: 33 Tretanorhinus variabilis — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1991: 628 Tretanorhinus variabilis — WALLACH et al. 2014: 736 Tretanorhinus variabilis binghami SCHWARTZ & OGREN 1956 Tretanorhinus variabilis binghami — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988 Tretanorhinus variabilis insulaepinorum BARBOUR 1916 Tretanorhinus insulae-pinorum BARBOUR 1916 Tretanorhinus variabilis insulaepinorum — WOOD 1939 Tretanorhinus variabilis insulaepinorum — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988 Tretanorhinus variabilis lewisi GRANT 1941 Tretanorhinus variabilis lewisi GRANT 1941: 46 Tretanorhinus variabilis lewisi — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988 Tretanorhinus variabilis variabilis DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854 Tretanorhinus variabilis var. adnexus BOCOURT 1891 Tretanorhinus variabilis var. cubanus BOCOURT 1895 (nom. subst. pro adnexus) Tretanorhinus variabilis variabilis — GRANT 1946: 104 Tretanorhinus gaigeae GRANT 1946: 104 Tretanorhinus variabilis variabilis — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988 Tretanorhinus variabilis wagleri JAN 1863 Helicops wagleri JAN 1863: 248 Tretanorhinus variabilis wagleri — GRANT 1946: 103 Tretanorhinus variabilis wagleri — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988 |
| Distribution | Cuba, Isla de la Juventud, Cayman I variabilis: Cuba, from La Habana Prov. in the west, east into Guantánamo Prov. (except for region about Sierra Maestra, Granma Prov.). Type locality: Unknown. binghami: Cuba, Granma Prov., lowlands and lower foothilîs of Sierra Maestra. Type locality: Finca Bucares, 22 km S Bueycito, in the Rio Yao, Granma Province, Cuba. insulaepinorum: Isla de la Juventud; Type locality: Isla de la Juventud. lewisi: Cayman Is.: Grand Cayman I.; Type locality: North Side, Grand Cayman Island, Cayman Islands. wagleri: Cuba, Pinar del Rio Province. Type locality: Brasil (in error) |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Syntypes: MNHN-RA 7161 and MNHN-RA 7346 (2 syntypes) Syntypes: MNHN 7349, 7350 [adnexus] Holotype: CAS-SUR 14440 [gaigeae] Holotype: NCSM 84101 (was: ChM 55.1.61 = Charleston Museum) [binghami] Holotype: MCZ 44890 [lewisi] Holotype: CM 311 [insulaepinorum] Holotype: unlocated [wagleri] |
| Diagnosis | Description (genus): Dorsal scales keeled, striate, pitless, reducing by dropping the para-vertebrals, 21-17; subcaudals double; anal double; head scales normal with at times two loreals and at times one or three prefrontals; internasals small; pupil circular to slightly oval; maxillary teeth about 27, subequal; hemipenis single or slightly bilobed; calyculate area capitate; sulcus forks within the calyculate area; four basal hooks; between hooks and calyculate area about four cross rows (about ten longitudinal rows) of rather uniform smaller spines; posterior hypapophyses present, low. The hemipenis is most like that of some of the forms of the Rhadinaea- Coniophanes-Trimetopon series. The dentition, the dorsal scales, and the hypapophyses are similar to those of Ninia (Tretanorhinus has more maxillary teeth). These similarities may be an indication of relationships. There is also a resemblance in hemipenis and hypapophyses to Amastridium, but Amastridium has only two basal hooks on the hemipenis, and is very different in dentition. In dentition and in hemipenis there is close similarity with the endemic central upland genus Hydromorphus (Dunn 1939). DESCRIPTION (species): ventrals 152-168; subcaudals 48-76; dorsal scales smooth; dorsal scales at midbody 19 or 21; supralabials usually 8/8; infralabials usually 10/10; preoculars 1/1, 2/2, or 3/3; postoculars 2/2; temporals 1+2/1+2; loreals usually 1/1. Dorsal ground color gray to dark brown; with or without blackish brown dorsal crossbars (complete or alternating) to tip or middle of scale row 3,4,5,6, or 7; with or without narrow, black line on scale rows 1 or 1 and 2 (scale rows 1 and 2 sometimes cream colored); with or without row of black spots on scale row 3 and/or 4; head dark brown; supralabials with or without whitish to yellowish suffusions; infralabials, mental, and chin shields mayor may not be yellow to cream with darker suffusions; venter slate to brown, speckled white to yellow (Schwartz & Henderson 1991: 628). Diagnosis (lewisi). Differs from the Cuban variabilis in pattern and color only. (Grant 1941) Detailed description (lewisi): Grant 1941 |
| Comment | Synonymy: Grant 1946 suspected that T. insulaepinorum is a synonym of T. wagleri. For illustrations see Barbour and Ramsden 1919, Neill 1965, Petzold 1967, Petzold 1969. Type species: Tretanorhinus variabilis DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 349 is the type species of the genus Tretanorhinus DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854. Comparisons: see Vásquez-Restrepo 2020 for a comparison of all species (except variabilis). Habitat: T. v. gaigae is “probably confined to brackish water” (Grant 1946: 117). |
| Etymology | Named after the Latin niger (black, dark, dusky) and luteus (yellow), in reference to the "black" dorsum and "yellow" venter of the species (and the holotype in particular, as the color is somewhat variable (Cope, 1862: 298). The genus name Tretanorhinus is derived from the Greek tretos (bored, perforated) and rhinos (nose, snout), probably in reference to the slit like nostrils of these aquatic snakes. |
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