Tropidophis morenoi HEDGES, GARRIDO & DÍAZ, 2001
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Tropidophis morenoi
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| Higher Taxa | Tropidophiidae, Henophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Zebra Trope |
| Synonym | Tropidophis morenoi HEDGES, GARRIDO & DÍAZ 2001: 615 Tropidophis morenoi — RODRIGUEZ-SCHETTINO et al. 2013 Tropidophis morenoi — WALLACH et al. 2014: 754 Tropidophis morenoi — ITURRIAGA et al. 2022 |
| Distribution | NC Cuba Type locality: Dolinas de Cueva de Humboldt, Caguanes, Villa Clara Province, Cuba, 22°50'04"N, 80°12'02"W, 25 m elevation. |
| Reproduction | ovovivparous |
| Types | Holotype: IBSP (= IB) 2943, adult female, collected by Jose Salas in 1969. Paratypes: IB 2942, adult female, same data as holotype. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: This species of Tropidophis is distinguished from all others by a combination of body shape, head shape, scalation, and color pattern (Table 1). With its high number of ventral scale rows (198-199), it is similar to some species in the Tropidophis maculatus, Tropidophis melanurus, and Tropidophis semicinctus groups (Schwartz and Marsh, 1960; Hedges and Garrido, 1992, 1999). Tropidophis melanurus and Tropidophis caymanensis are much larger species (SVL to 957 and 515 mm, respectively, vs. 285-295 SVL mm in T. morenoi) with higher body spot counts (47-64 vs. 38-39), and very different color patterns (Schwartz and Marsh, 1960; Thomas, 1963). From Tropidophis celiae (Hedges et al., 1999), T. morenoi differs in having fewer dorsal scale rows at midbody (23 vs. 27 in T. celiae), no contact between parietal scales, and more dorsal body spots (38-39 vs. 60). Tropidophis semicinctus has more ventrals (201-223), larger eyes relative to head width (EYE/HW 0.30-0.34 vs. 0.24-0.27 in T. morenoi), fewer body spots (18-29 vs. 38-39 in T. morenoi), and fewer spot rows (two versus six in T. morenoi). Tropidophis wrighti has a gracile body shape (robust 0339 ร. 0236-0266 in 1, morena), fever body spots (21-37 versus 38-39 in T. morenoi), fewer spot rows (four vs. six in T. morenoi), rounded spots (fused spots in T. morenoi), a whitish ground color (buff in T. morenoi), and dark brown or black spots (medium brown in T. morenoi). From a new Cuban species being described elsewhere (SBH and OHG, unpubl. data), T. morenoi has 38-39 body bands in six rows (vs. 48-52 body spots in 10 rows in the new species), 23 middorsal scale rows (vs. 25), and has a boldly spotted venter (vs. unpatterned venter in new species). Tropidophis spiritus requires closest comparison because it has a similar number of ventrals (200), middorsal scale rows (23), body spots (40), and spot rows (6). However, T. spiritus is a strikingly different looking snake with a different head shape (blunt-snouted vs. more pointed in I. morenoi), body shape (gracile versus robust in T. morenoi), and coloration (grayish-tan ground with rounded black spots versus buff with vertically fused brownish spots in T. morenoi). The head shape differences also are reflected in shapes and arrangements of head scales. For example, in T. spiritus the postnasal scale does not contact the first upper labial (contacts in T. morenoi), the preocular is rectangular (tapers ventrally in T. morenoi), and upper labials 2-4 decrease in height posteriorly (do not decrease in T. morenoi). (Hedges et al. 2001) |
| Comment | Distribution: for a map (and comparison with 3 other species) see Diaz & Cadiz 2020: 8 (Fig. 4). |
| Etymology | “named after Luis V. Moreno, a skillful herpetologist and curator in the Department of Herpetology, Institute of Ecology and Systematics, Havana, Cuba”. |
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