Toxicocalamus loriae (BOULENGER, 1898)
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Higher Taxa | Elapidae (Hydrophiinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Loria forest snake |
Synonym | Apistocalamus loriae BOULENGER 1898: 705 Pseudapistocalamus nymani LÖNNBERG 1900 Apistocalamus pratti BOULENGER 1904: 451 Apisthocalamus loennbergii BOULENGER 1908 Apisthocalamus loriae — BOULENGER 1908 Apisthocalamus pratti — BOULENGER 1908 Apisthocalamus nymani — BOULENGER 1908 Apisthocalamus lamingtoni KINGHORN 1928 (fide WALLACH et al. 2014) Apistocalamus pratti — PARKER 1936: 92 Toxicocalamus (Apistocalamus) loriae — MCDOWELL 1969: 455 Toxicocalamus loriae — WELCH 1994: 113 Apisthocalamus loennbergi — KOERBER 2009 Toxicocalamus loriae — KRAUS 2009 Toxicocalamus loriae — WALLACH et al. 2014: 732 Toxicocalamus loriae — O’SHEA et al. 2015 |
Distribution | Indonesia (Irian Jaya), Papua New Guinea; elevation ~4000 feet (from A. pratti). Type locality: Haveri, Central Province |
Reproduction | oviparous; a specimen of Apistocalamus loennbergi, a synonym of T. loriae (MCZ R-119027) contained seven eggs (O’Shea et al. 2018: 422). |
Types | Holotype: MSNG 29141 Holotype: AMS R9351, Oro Province: Mt. Lamington [lamingtoni] Lectotype: BMNH 1946.1.18.24, paralectotypes: BMNH 1946.1.18.25– 1946.1.18.26, both Indonesia: West Papua: north of Fakfak [Apisthocalamus loennbergii] Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.17.53, Papua New Guinea: Dinawa [Apistocalamus pratti] Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.14.54, Morobe Province: Sattleberg [Pseudapistocalamus nymani] |
Diagnosis | Description (genus Apistocalamus): Near Ogmodon, Ptrs. , and Toxicocalamus , Blgr. Maxillary extending forwards as far as the palatine, with 5 long grooved teeth gradually decreasing in length; mandibular teeth gradually decreasing in length. Head small, not distinct from neck; eye very small, with vertically subelliptic pupil; nostril pierced between the first upper labial, two nasals, and the internasal; a large praeocular, in contact with the posterior nasal. Body cylindrical; scales smooth, without pits, in 15 rows; ventrals rounded. Tail moderate; subcaudals in two rows (Boulenger 1898: 704). Description (species, based on 1 specimen): Snout short, broadly rounded. Rostral a little broader than deep, the portion visible from above measuring one third its distance from the frontal ; internasals small, about one third the length of the praefrontals ; frontal a little longer than broad , as long as its distance from the end of the snout, much shorter than the parietals; praeocular single, twice as long as deep, forming a suture with the posterior nasal; two postoculars, upper much larger than lower ; temporals 1 + 2 ; six upper labials, third and fourth entering the eye, sixth largest; three lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields ; posterior chin-shields smaller , separated by a large scale. Scales in 15 rows. Ventrals 196; anal divided; subcaudals 48 + ?. (Boulenger 1898: 705). Coloration: Dark greyish olive above ; upper lip and lower parts yellowish, with three series of small dark spots along the ventrals ; subcaudals dark , with light edges (Boulenger 1898: 705). Size: Total length 580 mm; tail (injured) 90. |
Comment | Habitat: fossorial (digging) Behavior: diurnal Venomous! Type species: Apistocalamus loriae BOULENGER 1898 is the type species of the (sub-) genus Apistocalamus BOULENGER 1898: 705. Conservation status: least concern; this is the most common Toxicocalamus species with 66% of all museum specimens belonging to this species. However, O’Shea et al. 2015 believes that this variable species represents a species complex. Taxonomy: Strickland et al. (2016) document at least five undescribed species that all key morphologically to Toxicocalamus loriae. |
Etymology | Named after Dr. Lamberto Loria (1855-1913), an Italian ethnologist who collected in New Guinea (1889-1890) and who founded the first Italian Museum of Ethnography, Florence (1906). |
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