Ungaliophis continentalis MÜLLER, 1880
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Ungaliophis continentalis
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| Higher Taxa | Boidae (Charinaidae, Ungaliophiinae), Henophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Isthmian Dwarf Boa G: Mittelamerikanische Zwergboa S: Boilla del Istmo |
| Synonym | Ungaliophis continentalis MÜLLER 1880: 142 Peropodum guatemalensis BOCOURT 1882: 523 Ungaliophis continentalis — BOULENGER 1893: 114 Ungaliophis continentalis — VILLA et al. 1988 Ungaliophis continentalis — LINER 1994 Ungaliophis continentalis — MATTISON 1995: 132 Ungaliophis continentalis — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 223 Ungaliophis continentalis — WALLACH et al. 2014: 775 Ungaliophis continentalis — REYNOLDS & HENDERSON 2018: 32 |
| Distribution | Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua (JANSEN & KÖHLER 2003), elevation (Honduras): 990 m Type locality: Retalhuléu, southwestern Guatemala |
| Reproduction | ovovivparous |
| Types | Holotype: NMBA = Naturhistorisches Museum Basel no. 427. |
| Diagnosis | Definition (genus). “(Modified from Bogert, 1968a) Relatively small tropidopheids (760 mm TL.) with the head distinct from neck, relatively slender and compressed body and a short, prehensile tail (8.5-12.4% of TL). Males have well-developed anal spurs; these may be present, although not as well developed, in some females. The eye is moderate in size (its diameter is greater than its distance to the lip) with a vertically elliptical pupil. The anterior dorsal cephalic scales are relatively large, especially the frontal and the single prefrontal. The parietals are practically indistinguishable from the dorsals. There are two nasals (with nostril in anterior nasal), one loreal and one preocular, and 2-3 postoculars. Supralabials number 8-10 (two or three reaching the eye), and infralabials 9-11, the first pair of the latter in broad contact behind the moderately large mental, followed posteriorly by 2-3 pairs of chin shields. Tubercles are present on all cephalic scales. The dorsal scales are smooth (except for minute tubercles), in 19-25 rows at midbody, reducing to 17 or 15 near the vent. Ventral scales range from 204 to 258. Subcaudals are single, numbering 39-46. The anal plate is also single, and the tail ends in a blunt spine. The premaxilla is toothless and has an ascending process. The maxillae have 12-15 teeth, the first 4-5 larger and separated from the posterior ones by a short a diastema, all decreasing in size posteriorly. The palatine has 5-8, the pterygoid 11-15, and the dentary 13-15 teeth. The hemipenes are relatively long and bilobed. The sulcus spermaticus appears to bifurcate near the base, and each branch of the sulcus extends to the terminus of the lobe. The basal portion is plicate and calyces on the lobes lack crenate edges.” (Villa & Wilson 1990) Diagnosis (genus). “These small, slender-bodied boas differ from all other Tropidopheidae by having a relatively enormous, azygous prefrontal, and 19-25 rows of dorsal scales at midbody.” (Villa & Wilson 1990) Diagnosis (continentalis). A species of Ungaliophis with 25 rows of scales at midbody, reducing to 15at the vent. Color is grayish brown with dark oval vertebral and paravertebral blotches. The venter is heavily stippled with black. The rostral is in broad contact with the prefrontal, separating the small internasals. The prefrontal and frontal are subequal in size, or the prefrontal somewhat larger. Supraoculars are small, less than half the area of the frontal.There are 9-10 supralabials, two entering the orbit; 2 postoculars; and 14 maxillary teeth. (Villa & Wilson 1990) |
| Comment | Relative abundance in Honduras: rare Distribution: Not in Costa Rica fide F. Bolanos (pers. comm.). Type species: Ungaliophis continentalis MÜLLER 1880: 142 is the type species of the genus Ungaliophis MÜLLER 1880. Type genus: Ungaliophis is the type genus of the subfamily Ungaliophiinae. Ungaliopheinae McDowell, 1987 is an incorrect original spelling of Ungaliophiinae MCDowell, 1987, as decided by the ICZN (2020). Wilcox et al. (2002) extablished a new family for Exiliboa and Ungaliophis, Ungaliophiidae, based on DNA sequence analysis. Habitat: partly arboreal (Harrington et al. 2018). |
| Etymology | The name continentalis is derived from the Latin noun continens, meaning "continent" and the Latin suffix -alis, meaning "pertaining to," in reference to the continental (i.e., non-insular) distribution of this snake. The genus name Ungaliophis is derived from Ungalia, a boid genus no longer recognized as valid, and ophis, snake. The gender is neuter. |
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