Tropidophis taczanowskyi (STEINDACHNER, 1880)
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Tropidophis taczanowskyi
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| Higher Taxa | Tropidophiidae, Henophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Taczanowsky's Dwarf Boa. |
| Synonym | Ungalia Taczanowskyi STEINDACHNER 1880 Ungalia taczanowskyi — BOULENGER 1893: 111 Tropidophis taczanowskyi — STULL 1928: 21 Tropidophis taczanowskyi — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 222 Tropidophis taczanowskyi — CURCIO et al. 2012 Tropidophis taczanowskyi — WALLACH et al. 2014: 756 Tropidophis taczanowskyi — ORTEGA-ANDRADE et al. 2022 |
| Distribution | Peru, Ecuador (east of the Andes) Type locality: Tambillo, Peru. |
| Reproduction | ovovivparous |
| Types | Lectotype: NMW 14858, adult female (designated by Curcio et al. 2012). Paralectotype. A second specimen, previously considered a syntype, presumably exists but was unlocated (sensu McDiarmid et al., 1999) |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Distinguishable from other mainland congeners by the following combi- nation of characters: (1) 146–160 ventrals (vs. 164–183 in T. paucisquamis; 200 in T. battersbyi, and 196–203 in T. preciosus); (2) 23 dorsal scales at midbody (vs. dorsals at midbody usually 21 or 23, rarely 25 in T. paucisquamis); (3) vertebral scale row not distinctly enlarged in size relative to remain- ing dorsals (vs. vertebral row of dorsals usually enlarged, wider than long, at least on part of the trunk in T. paucisquamis and T. preciosus); (4) dorsals distinctively keeled except for the first five rows on anterior two-thirds of trunk and the first three rows on the posterior one-third of trunk (vs. dorsals smooth or feebly keeled in T. paucisquamis and smooth in T. battersbyi and T. preciosus); (5) inter- parietals usually present, well developed (vs. interparietals usually absent in T. paucisqua- mis; absent in T. preciosus); (6) parietals usually in slight contact or fully separated by interparietals (vs. parietals in full contact along the middorsal line of head in T. paucisquamis and T. preciosus); (7) up to 20 maxillary teeth (vs. 12 in T. battersbyi); (8) eight spot rows around body, six on dorsum and two on venter (vs. six spot rows around the body, four on dorsum and two on venter in T. battersbyi); and (9) body spotted, dorsal spots usually no larger than one or two dorsals in diameter on paravertebral rows, sometimes becoming longer on flanks resulting in interrupted lateral stripes (vs. body spotted without any tendency to form stripes in all other mainland species) [CURCIO et al. 2012]. |
| Comment | Illustration: Steindachner’s figure is shown in CURCIO et al. 2012. Dates: the year of original description is given as “1870” by CURCIO et al. 2012. Distribution: In spite of Peters’ (1960) suggestion that the species could also occur in Brazil, no records are known from this country (McDiarmid et al., 1999, Curcio et al. 2012). See map in Ortega-Andrade et al. 2022: 5 (Fig. 1). Habitat: partly arboreal (Harrington et al. 2018). |
| Etymology | Named after Dr. Wladyslaw Taczanowski (1819-1890), a zoologist and ornithologist, who was Curator, Zoological Cabinet, Royal University of Warsaw (later Branicki Museum), which he transformed into a scientific center. |
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