Liopholidophis varius (FISCHER, 1884)
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Liopholidophis varius
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| Higher Taxa | Pseudoxyrhophiidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Leptophis varius FISCHER 1884: 36 Tropidonotus sexlineatus — BOULENGER 1893 (not of GÜNTHER) Liopholidophis pinguis PARKER 1925 Philodryas pallidus WERNER 1926 Liopholidophis pinguis — GLAW & VENCES 1994: 338 Liopholidophis pinguis — CADLE 1996: 413 Liopholidophis varius — CADLE 1998 Liopholidophis varius — WALLACH et al. 2014: 396 |
| Distribution | Madagascar Type locality: “Madagascar” (lectotype locality) |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Lectotype: ZMH R04319, (formerly 5 syntypes all other destroyed.) (designated by CADLE 1998) |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (pinguis). A species of Liopholidophis having 17-17-15 dorsal scale rows, but lacking sexual dimorphism in tail length as extreme as in other members of the sexlineatus group.The number of midbody scale rows distinguishes pinguis (17) from members of the stumpffi group (19). The short tail (<35% total length) and corresponding low numbers of subcaudals (<110) in males distinguish pinguis from males of other members of the sexlineatus group (tail >35% total length and >120 subcaudals in males). Liopholidophis pinguis is most easily confused with L. sexlineatus (see "Key to Species"), and characters reliably separating females of the two species are subtle. The relative distinctness of the lateral stripes seems to be the most reliable feature (see "Key to Species" and species account for sexlineatus). Other species of the sexlineatus group have higher numbers of subcaudals (Table 1) andareeitherstripedwithdistinctivenape spots (rhadinaea) or have distinctively patterned venters (dolicocercus and grandidieri) (see species accounts). (Cadle 1996: 413). |
| Comment | Synonymy: Boulenger (1893) relegated varius to the synonymy of sexlineatus, which Cadle 1994 “followed blindly”. Similar species: L. pinguis, L. sexlineatus. |
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