Tropidophis cacuangoae ORTEGA-ANDRADE, BENTLEY, CLAUDIA KOCH, YÁNEZ-MUÑOZ & ENTIAUSPE-NETO, 2022
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Tropidophis cacuangoae
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| Higher Taxa | Tropidophiidae, Henophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Tropidophis cacuangoae ORTEGA-ANDRADE, BENTLEY, CLAUDIA KOCH, YÁNEZ-MUÑOZ & ENTIAUSPE-NETO 2022: 9 |
| Distribution | ECUADOR Type locality: Napo Province, San Juan de Muyuna Municipality, Reserva Biológica Colonso Chalupas, Campamento 2; 0.93370 N, 77.92239 W; alt. 1613 m |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: DHMECN 16725 adult ♂; H.M. Ortega-Andrade leg.; (Figs 4, 7A–C, 8A, 16 in Ortega-Andrade et al. 2022). Paratype: ECUADOR • adult ♀; Pastaza Province, Mera County, Sumak Kawsay In Situ reserve; 1.3930470 N, 78.0686059 W; alt. 1481 m; A. Bentley leg.; sequence: HMOA1935_RBCC; DHMECN 15893. (Figs 5–7, 7D–F, 8B, 9–13). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Tropidophis cacuangoae sp. nov. can be distinguished from all its congeners based on the following combination of characters: (1) slightly keeled dorsal scales with no apical pits, 23/22/17 or 22/23/17 rows; (2) postoculars three; (3) loreal absent, possibly fused with nasal plate; (4) temporal formula 3 + 4 + 3 or 2 + 3 + 3; (5) supralabials 8–10, with 4th and 5th in contact with eye orbit; (6) infralabials 10–11, with first two pairs in contact with anterior chinshields; (7) ventrals 162 in single male, 156 in single female; (8) subcaudals single, 33 in single male, 30 in single female, male with cloacal spines; (9) in life, dorsal background coloration light brown, with diffuse dorsolateral black blotches, gray vertebral coloration, dark brown postocular stripe and diffuse dark brown pigmentation on labials; (10) in life, ventral background coloration light orange, with large ocellar black blotches, ranging from 16–20, covering up to four ventrals each; (11) maximum SVL 271 mm in single male, and 255 mm in single female; (12) maximum tail length 49 mm in single male, 40 mm in single female; (13) vertebral scale rows 161–162 on body, 32–35 on tail; (14) nasal contacting rostral, first and second supralabials, preocular, anterior prefrontal, and internasal; (15) two pairs of prefrontals; (16) maxillary teeth 18‒21; (17) prefrontal and maxilla bones in contact; (18) dentary and angular bones in contact; (19) medial contact of exoccipitals loose; (20) small ventral ethmoidal foramen in premaxilla body; (21) cervical vertebrae two or less; (22) vomer further expanded laterally to completely encapsulate vomeronasal organ posteriorly; (23) postorbital, dorsomedial head divided in two heads. (Ortega-Andrade et al. 2022) |
| Comment | Distribution: see map in Ortega-Andrade et al. 2022: 5 (Fig. 1). |
| Etymology | The specific epithet ʻcacuangoaeʼ, is a noun in genitive case, a Latinization honoring Dolores Cacuango, an Ecuadorian benchmark of feminism and human rights of the early twentieth century. She claimed the identity and rights of the Ecuadorian indigenous people, leading them to defend themselves from abuse and discrimination. Also, she demanded the teaching of Quechua and founded the first bilingual schools in Ecuador and the Ecuadorian Indigenous Federation. |
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