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Toxicocalamus goodenoughensis ROBERTS & AUSTIN, 2020

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Higher TaxaElapidae (Hydrophiinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common Names 
SynonymToxicocalamus goodenoughensis ROBERTS & AUSTIN 2020 
DistributionPapua New Guinea (Milne Bay Province)

Type locality: low-elevation camp along the banks of the Blawin River among mixture of bush and gardens (-9.2650667, 150.2238833, elevation 147 m), Goodenough Island, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea  
Reproduction 
TypesHolotype: LSUMZ 98043 (CCA 15692), an adult female (confirmed by lCT scans), collected by Christopher Austin on 10 July 2012.
Paratype: LSUMZ 98042 (CCA 15458), juvenile, Papua New Guinea, Milne Bay Province, Goodenough Island, collected by Christopher Austin crossing bush track near camp along small creek that is a tributary of Moniu River (-9.2899667, 150.21425, elevation 992 m), Goodenough Island, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea, on 20 June 2012. 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: A moderately sized species (holotype 691 total length, 14.1 maximum width) with 15–15–15 dorsal scale rows, 178–186 ventral scales, 37–49 paired subcaudals, preocular scale present and not fused with prefrontal, preocular in contact with prefrontal, internasal, and nasal; prefrontal separated from nasal by contact between preocular and internasal; frontal not fused with supraoculars; internasals not fused; three circumoculars (holotype has three on the left and four on the right side [fragmented third supralabial adds a preocular; see description below])—one supraocular, one or two preoculars, one postocular; nasals entire; one anterior temporal, one or two posterior temporals not fused with supralabials; six supralabials, the second in contact with the nasal, preventing contact between nasal and third supralabial; divided cloacal plate; uniform mottling of dark brown on yellowish ventral scales, ventrals progressively become darker brown posteriorly, with ontogenetic lightening of ventrals from dark brown to lighter brown.
Toxicocalamus goodenoughensis can be distinguished from T. holopelturus by having paired subcaudals (vs. single); from T. mintoni, T. stanleyanus, T. cratermontanus, T. misimae, T. longissimus, T. pumehanae, T. buergersi, and T. preussi by having a preocular scale unfused to the prefrontal scale (vs. fused in listed congeners); and from T. nigrescens, T. loriae, T. spilolepidotus, T. grandis, and T. ernstmayri by having internasal scales contacting preocular scales, preventing contact between nasals and prefrontals (vs. internasals and preoculars separated by contact between nasals and prefrontal scales).
Toxicocalamus goodenoughensis is most similar morphologically to T. pachysomus but differs by having undivided (or entire) nasal scales completely surrounding the nares; pale yellow on supralabials (vs. purple blotches); yellow nape band present (vs. nape unbanded); more than 175 ventral scales (vs. 171 ventral scales); dark gray-brown dorsum (vs. medium brown); and dark brown mottling on yellow ventral scales, darkening toward cloaca (vs. uniform light brown). 
CommentOnly limited data provided as authors did not provide more details upon request. 
EtymologyThe specific epithet, goodenoughensis, refers to Goodenough Island, where both specimens were found. Goodenough is the northernmost island in the D’Entrecasteaux Archipelago (Fig. 1). 
References
  • Roberts, Jackson R.; Christopher C. Austin 2020. A New Species of New Guinea Worm-Eating Snake (Elapidae: Toxicocalamus Boulenger, 1896), with Comments on Postfrontal Bone Variation Based on Micro-computed Tomography. Journal of Herpetology 54 (4): 446-459 - get paper here
 
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