Tropidophis spiritus HEDGES & GARRIDO, 1999
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Tropidophis spiritus
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| Higher Taxa | Tropidophiidae, Henophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: SANCTI SPIRITUS TROPE |
| Synonym | Tropidophis spiritus HEDGES & GARRIDO 1999: 436 Tropidophis spiritus — RODRIGUEZ-SCHETTINO et al. 2013 Tropidophis spiritus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 755 |
| Distribution | C Cuba Type locality: Canal Zaza, Cacerio Chorrera Brava, Sancti Spíritus Province, Cuba, 21° 47’ 07” N, 79° 21’ 38” W. |
| Reproduction | ovovivparous |
| Types | Holotype: MNHNCU 4085, adult male |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: This species of Tropidophis is distinguished from all others by a combination of scalation, head shape, and color pattern. With its high number of ventral scale rows (200), it is similar to some species in the maculatus, melanurus, and semicinctus groups (Schwartz and Marsh, 1960; Hedges and Garrido, 1992). Of those, T. melanurus and T. caymanensis are larger species (SVL to 957 and 515 mm, respectively, versus 307 mm in T. spiritus) with a more robust body shape (not gracile), more body spots (47-64 versus 40), and very different color patterns (Schwartz and Marsh, 1960; Thomas, 1963). From T. celiae (Hedges et al., 1999), T. spiritus differs in having a gracile body shape (not robust), fewer dorsal scale rows at midbody (23 versus 27 in T. celiae), no contact between parietal scales, no occipital spots (or band), fewer dorsal body spots (40 versus 60), fewer tails spots (4 versus 12), more rows of body spots (six versus two), and in having ventral spots (absent in T. celiae). From T. maculatus, it differs in having a gracile body shape (not robust), fewer dorsal scale rows at midbody (23 versus 25), fewer rows of body spots (six versus 8-10), and a different color pattern (Table 1; Schwartz and Marsh, 1960; Tolson and Henderson, 1993: Fig. 65). With its gracile, laterally-compressed body shape, high number of ventral scales, and color pattern of bold spots, T. spiritus most closely resembles the three species in the semicinctus group (Table 1). It can be distinguished from all three by its higher number of body spots (40 versus 17-37), higher number of body spot rows (6 versus 2-4), less distinctive head (HW/NW = 1.35 versus 1.70-2.24; Hedges and Garrido, 1992), and relatively smaller and less protrusive eyes (EYE/HW = 0.243 versus 0.279-0.339). In addition, T. feicki (N = 25) has a higher number of ventrals (217-235 versus 200), an unpatterned venter (versus boldly spotted in T. spiritus), and large saddles (versus smaller spots in T. spiritus). Tropidophis semicinctus (Fig. 2A; N = 26) has a higher number of ventrals (201-223), an unpatterned venter, and an orange or yellow ground color (versus grayish-tan in T. spiritus). The third species, T. wrighti (Fig. 2B; N = 18), is most similar to T. spiritus in having ventral spots and an overlapping number of ventral scales (192-222). However, in addition to the other diagnostic differences noted above (higher number of body spots, higher number of spot rows, lower HW / NW ratio, lower EYE/HW ratio), the two species have very different head shapes and head scale proportions (Fig. 3). For example, the frontal scale is narrower in T. spiritus (width of anterior frontal scale / width of supraocular scale = 1.35 versus 2.05-2.50 in T. wrighti) and the internasals and prefrontals slope gradually to the supralabials (they slope abruptly in T. wrighti). Two small, spotted taxa that occur in south-central Cuba and that might be confused with T. spiritus are T. nigriventris hardyi and T. pilsbryi galacelidus (Schwartz and Garrido, 1975). However, the more gracile body shape and higher number of ventrals (200 versus 153-172 in T. n. hardyi, 177-183 in T. p. galacelidus) and caudals (39 versus 27-34 in T. n. hardyi and 29-35 in T. p. galacelidus) in T. spiritus will distinguish it from those two subspecies. In addition, T. n. hardyi has an unpatterned venter (spotted in T. spiritus) and a medium to dark brown dorsal ground color (grayish-tan in T. spiritus); T. p. galacelidus has occipital spots (absent in T. spiritus), a higher number of dorsal body spots (44-50 versus 40 in T. spiritus) and 10 rows of body spots (versus six in T. spiritus). (Hedges & Garrido 1999) |
| Comment | Distribution: for a map (and comparison with 3 other species) see Diaz & Cadiz 2020: 8 (Fig. 4). |
| Etymology | The name “spiritus” is the Latin name for ghost. It is used in reference to the province of Central Cuba in which the type specimen was collected. |
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