Tropidophis hendersoni HEDGES & GARRIDO, 2002
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Tropidophis hendersoni
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| Higher Taxa | Tropidophiidae, Henophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Cuban Khaki Trope |
| Synonym | Tropidophis hendersoni HEDGES & GARRIDO 2002: 158 Tropidophis hendersoni — RODRIGUEZ-SCHETTINO et al. 2013 Wellsboa (Tonysilvaboa) hendersoni — HOSER 2013 Tropidophis hendersoni — WALLACH et al. 2014: 754 |
| Distribution | E Cuba Type locality: Guarda la Vaca, Holguín Province, Cuba (21°07’35’’ N, 77° 49’ 55’’ W) |
| Reproduction | ovovivparous |
| Types | Holotype: MCZ 47896, adult female, collected by “Clench and Alayo” on 14 August 1945. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: This species of Tropidophis is distinguished from all others by a combination of scalation and coloration. With its relatively high number of ventral scales (190), midbody scale rows (25), and pattern of dorsal spots, it requires comparison with the following West Indian taxa: Tropidophis bucculentus, Tropidophis caymanensis, Tropidophis h. haetianus, Tropidophis haetianus stejnegeri, Tropidophis maculatus, Tropidophis melanurus, Tropidophis morenoi, and Tropidophis pilsbryi galacelidus. The species of the melanurus group (T. bucculentus, T. caymanensis, and T. melanurus) with those characters can be separated from T. hendersoni by their relatively large and robust bodies (maximum SVL 512-957 mm vs 280 mm in adult holotype of T. hendersoni), predominantly striped patterns, and two rows of spots (vs 10 in T. hendersoni) if spotting is present. From T. maculatus, it is distinguished by having a blunt snout (tapered in T. maculatus) dorsal spots in contact at middorsum (not in contact in I. maculatus), lacking a dark stripe on side of head (present and bold in T. maculatus), and almost completely lacking ventral pigmentation (spotted venter in T. maculatus). From Tropidophis pillsbryi galacelidus, it has a higher number of ventrals (190 vs 177-186 in T. p galacelidus) and lower number of anterior scale rows (23 vs 25-27 in T. p. galacelidus). From T. morenoi (Hedges et al., 2001), T. hendersoni has 48-52 body spots in 10 rows (versus 38-39 body bands and six rows in T. morenoi), has 25 middorsal scale rows (vs 23), and nearly completely lacks ventral pigmentation (boldly spotted in T. morenoi). None of the above mentioned taxa bear any resemblance to T. hendersoni, but they are mentioned and compared for reasons of objectivity. As noted previously (Schwartz and Marsh, 1960; Schwartz, 1975), the species that requires closest comparison is T. haetianus. Except for one specimen of T. h. stejnegeri with 190 ventrals, the Jamaican subspecies of T. haetianus have fewer ventrals (163-189). Also, they rarely (4/46 specimens) have as few as 23 anterior scale rows and usually (32/45 specimens) have fewer than 19 posterior scale rows. The Jamaican subspecies most similar to T. hendersoni, T. h. stejnegeri, has a pointed snout (blunt in T. hendersoni), a dark head (pale in T. hendersoni), a reddish-brown middorsal zone (apparently absent in T. hendersoni, although some minor fading of specimen may have occurred) and ventral blotches (absent in T. hendersoni). The subspecies requiring the closest comparison are those occurring on Hispaniola (problems in the taxonomy of T. haetianus are discussed below but do not have a direct affect on this diagnosis). Tropidophis hendersoni can be distinguished from Hispaniolan T. haetianus by its separation of the parietal scales, which are in contact in nearly all (189/193) Hispaniolan T. haetianus, its small body size (280 mm SVL in the adult female T. hendersoni versus 552 maximum SVL in females of T. haetianus), its larger eyes (EYE/ HW 0.279 vs 0.217-0.270 in Hispaniolan T. haetianus; N = 14, including individuals smaller and larger than T. hendersoni holotype), its pale head (dark in Hispaniolan T. haetianus), and the absence of a lateral head stripe (present in Hispaniolan T. haetianus). The dorsal scale row count of T. hendersoni, 23-25-19, also stands in contrast with most Hispaniolan T. haétianus, which have 25 anterior rows and 27 midbody scale rows. (Hedges & Garrido 2002) |
| Comment | Synonymy: Initially, the type specimen of Tropidophis hendersoni was assigned to Tropidophis haetianus (then thought to include snakes from Hispanola, Jamaica, and Cuba). Abundance: Rare. This is one of the species called 'lost' and 'rediscovered' by Lindken et al. 2024. |
| Etymology | Named after Robert W. Henderson, curator of amphibans and reptiles, Milwaukee Public Museum. |
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