Cubatyphlops golyathi (DOMÍNGUEZ & MORENO, 2009)
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Higher Taxa | Typhlopidae (Typhlopinae), Typhlopoidea, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Pinar Del Rio Giant Blindsnake, Goliath Blindsnake |
Synonym | Typhlops golyathi DOMÍNGUEZ & MORENO 2009 Cubatyphlops golyathi — HEDGES et al. 2014 Typhlops golyathi — PYRON & WALLACH 2014 Cubatyphlops golyathi — NAGY et al. 2015 Typhlops golyathi — WALLACH et al. 2014: 763 |
Distribution | Cuba (Pinar del Río Province) Type locality: Valle de San Vicente, Viñales Municipality, Pinar del Río Province, Cuba, 22º41'00'' N, 83º43'00'' W, 112 m elevation. |
Reproduction | oviparous (manual imputation, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
Types | Holotype: CZACC 4.5385, Male, collected on April 2003 by Roberto Alonso. |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A large species (360 mm maximum SVL) with moderate body size (57.8 TL/MBD) of the T. biminiensis species group that presents more middorsal scales (> 625) than any other West Indian species (Table 1 in DOMINGUEZ & MORENO 2009). It also presents a posterior reduction of four longitudinal scale rows, this characteristic is unique among species of the group. The closest species is T. arator. Both species are large Cuban blind snakes, have the same number of scale rows at the anterior part of the body (26) and a greater number of middorsal scales than any other West Indian species (Table 1). Also, both species are distributed to the west of the remaining species of the T. biminiensis species group (Fig. 2). However, the new species can be distinguished from T. arator by its posterior scale row reduction (4 rows vs. 2 rows), total middorsals (> 625 vs. < 580), relative tail length (3% vs. 2%), snout and rostral patterns, ocular size (OLM/OW 0.8 vs. 0.5) and sinuosity (0.8 vs. 0.2) [from DOMINGUEZ & MORENO 2009]. |
Comment | Distribution: latitude and longitude were confused (swapped) in the original description. The coordinates shown here are the correct ones. |
Etymology | Patronymic of Golyath (Later Latin translated from Hebrew), biblical giant from book 1st Samuel, Old Testament. Name in allusion to the large size of this species. |
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