Ninia espinali MCCRANIE & WILSON, 1995
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Ninia espinali
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| Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Espinal's Coffee Snake |
| Synonym | Ninia espinali MCCRANIE & WILSON 1995 Ninia espinali — WALLACH et al. 2014: 486 |
| Distribution | Honduras, El Salvador (HR 33: 325), elevation 1590-2242 m. Type locality: El Portillo de Ocotepeque (14° 28’ N, 89° 04’ W), 1910 m elevation, Departamento de Ocotepeque, Honduras. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: USNM 333030, adult male, 376.5 mm total length; TL 85.0 mm. Collected by: James R. McCranie, Kenneth L. Williams, and Larry David Wilson. Collection Date: August 9, 1987. Paratypes: (n=18) LSUMZ 23825, 23827, 35307, USNM 333031-32 (all adult males), LSUMZ 23826, USNM 333033 (both juvenile males), USNM 333034-35 (both adult females), from the type locality from 1900-2090 m elevation. USNM 333036 (adult male) from El Cusuco, Cerro Cusuco, 1590 m elevation, Departamento de Cortes, Honduras. USNM 333037 (juvenile male) from Quebrada Cantiles, Cerro Cusuco, 1825 m elevation, Departamento de Cortes, Honduras. USNM 333038 (adult male) from Cerro Jilinco, 2242 m elevation, Departamento de Cortes, Honduras. USNM 333039 (adult male) from 16.4 km S Tutule, 2100 m elevation, Departamento de La Paz, Honduras. USNM 333040 (adult female) from east slope of Cerro Celaque, Departamento de Lempira, Honduras. KU 183925-27 (all adult males) and KU 183924 (adult female) from Canton Palo Blanco, 10 km NE Perquin, 1900 m elevation, Departamento de Morazan, El Salvador. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Ninia espinali can be distinguished from all other species of Ninia by the following combination of characteristics: 19 rows of dorsal scales; 139-157 (ave. = 144.9) ventrals in males, 143-153 (ave. = 147.3) in females; 56-63 (ave. = 59.0) subcaudals in males, 49-52 (ave. = 50.5) in females; 192-215 (ave. = 202.5) segmental counts; parietals not reduced in size (PS/HL 0.254-0.330, ave. = 0.295); eyes not reduced in size (EL/HL 0.143-0.178, x = 0.163); dorsal surfaces uniformly dark brown to dark gray, never any indication of a pale nuchal collar, dark crossbars, or pale spots; venter of body immaculate or with dark flecking, never checkered or variegated with dark and pale areas or with a midventral dark line or row of dark spots. Ninia espinali differs from its apparent closest relatives, N. atrata and celata, by lacking any indication of a pale nuchal collar, even in juveniles (pale nuchal collar present in atrata and celata, though becoming suffused with dark pigment and rarely obscured in large adults of atrata), by having numerous tubercles on the parietal scales (very few tubercles on the parietal scales in atrata and celata), and in having a more evident keel on the dorsal scales (due to the lack of a central groove as in celata and the possession of a lower keel in atrata). Compared to N. celata, N. espinali also has less well-defined striae. Other diagnostic characters that will distinguish N. espinali from N. atrata (prefrontals reduced in size [PFS / HL] and upper secondary temporal shape [2 x as long as high in only one of 20 specimens of espinali and > 2 x as long as high on at least one side in 65 of 77 atrata; see STL/STH]) and N. celata (TL/SVL; number of ventrals, subcaudals, and segmental counts; parietals not reduced [PS/HL]; eyes not reduced [EL/HL]). Additionally, N. espinali is restricted to hardwood cloud forest localities (known elevational range 1590-2242 m), whereas N. atrata has a broad elevational range (near sea level to 1900 m). (MCCRANIE & WILSON 1995) |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | Named after Mario R. Espinal, a Honduran biologist. |
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