Wallaceophis gujaratensis MIRZA, VYAS, PATEL, MAHETA & SANAP, 2016
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Higher Taxa | Colubridae, Colubrinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Wallace’s striped snake/ Wallace’s racer |
Synonym | Wallaceophis gujaratensis MIRZA, VYAS, PATEL, MAHETA & SANAP 2016: 4 Wallaceophis gujaratenesis — MIRZA et al. 2016: 1 (in error) Wallaceophis gujarateneis — MIRZA et al. 2016: 4 (in error) Wallacoephis gujaratenesis — MIRZA et al. 2016: Figure 8 (in error) Wallacophis gujaratensis — MIRZA et al. 2016: Figure 9 (in error) Wallaceophis gujaratensis — MIRZA & PATEL 2017 |
Distribution | India (Gujarat) Type locality: Khengariya village, Viramgam taluka, Ahmedabad district, Gujarat state, India (23.0217946° N, 72.0217584° E), elevation 21m |
Reproduction | |
Types | Holotype: NCBS HA-105, male, collected by Jaydeep Maheta on 24th July 2014. Paratypes. female BNHS 3503, collected form near Amreli, Amreli district, Gujarat state, India by Viral Joshi on 20th March 2013. |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus). A medium sized snake in relation to members of the family measuring SVL 250–930 mm differing from most colubrid genera in lacking hypapophyses on posterior dorsal vertebrae (Fig 2) and in bearing nine maxillary teeth and the posterior-most teeth are subequal, nine palatine teeth. Dorsal scale reduction characterized by vertebral reductions, increase of scale rows posterior to neck, a single lateral reduction at midbody and regular vertebral reduc- tions in posterior half of the body. Rostral not visible from above, a small presubocular present. Eight supralabials, fourth and fifth in contact with orbit, anal undivided, 215–216 ventrals, 51– 54 subcaudals, hemipenis subcylindrical, spinose throughout and 3–4 dorsal scale row wide black longitudinal stripe running from the post nasal to the tail tip on each side on a wheat colored dorsum. Additional details (1146 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
Comment | Synonymy: The species name was misspelled multiple times in Mirza et al. 2016, with the arguably correct name “gujaratensis” appearing only on page 4, with incorrect variations on previous and later pages. Type species: Wallaceophis gujaratensis MIRZA et al. 2016: 4 is the type species of the genus Wallaceophis MIRZA et al. 2016. |
Etymology | The specific epithet refers to Gujarat state in western India where the new species was discovered. The genus name is a compound of two words, the first being a patronym honoring Alfred Russel Wallace for his pioneering work on biogeography and for co-discovering the theory of natural selection with a suffix ‘ophis’ (όφιB) meaning snake in Greek. Gender of the proposed generic name is masculine. |
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