Tropidophis celiae HEDGES, ESTRADA & DÍAZ, 1999
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Higher Taxa | Tropidophiidae, Henophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Canasi Trope |
Synonym | Tropidophis celiae HEDGES, ESTRADA & DÍAZ 1999: 376 Tropidophis celiae — RODRIGUEZ-SCHETTINO et al. 2013 Tropidophis celiae — WALLACH et al. 2014: 752 |
Distribution | W Cuba Type locality: northern (coastal) side of Loma Canasi, at the mouthof Rio Canasi, Santa Cruz del norte Municipality, La Habana Province, Cuba, 3 m elevation, 23° 08' 37" N, 81° 46' 40" W. |
Reproduction | ovovivparous |
Types | Holotype: MNHNCU 4474 |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A species of Tropidophis distinguished from all others by a combination of scalation and color pattern (Table 1). It has a high number (203) of ventrals, a high number of midbody scale rows (27), two rows of prominent dark brown spots on a pale tan ground color, a pale neck band, and an unpatterned venter. The high ventral count distinguishes it from all species in the genus except T. maculatus, T. caymanensis, T. melanurus, and the semicinctus group (T. feicki, T. semicinctus, and T. wrighti). The combination of high ventral count and midbody scale row count in T. celiae further distinguishes it from all species in the genus except T. melanurus (Cuba) and T. caymanensis (Cayman Is lands). However, T. melanurus (Fig. 3), which is sympatric with T. celiae, is a much larger species (the gravid female T. celiae is smaller than the smallest gravid female T. melanurus) with a laterally compressed body (body not laterally compressed in T. celiae). Tropidophis melanurus also has four dorsolateral stripes (absent in T. celiae), no occipital spots or band (present in T. celiae), and a pigmented (stippled) rather than unpatterned venter (Table 1). Tropidophis caymanensis, once considered to be a subspecies of T. melanurus, differs from T. celiae in most of those same characters (Table 1). (Hedges et al. 1999) Additional details (4124 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
Comment | Conservation: Endangered, possibly Critically Endangered; this species is only known from about 6 specimens (Rodríguez-Cabrera & Teruel 2022). Sympatry: Tropidophis melanurus, T. semicinctus, Arrhyton taeniatum, Epicrates angulifer, Antillophis andreai, and Alsophis cantherigerus. |
Etymology | Named after Señora Celia Puerta de Estrada, wife of Alberto R. Estrada. |
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