A new species of New Guinea Worm-Eating Snake (Serpentes, Elapidae, Toxicocalamus Boulenger, 1896) from Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea

Abstract

We describe a new species of New Guinea Worm-Eating Snake (Elapidae: Toxicocalamus) from a specimen in the reptile collection of the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery. Toxicocalamus longhagensp. nov. can be easily distinguished from other species of this genus by the presence of paired subcaudals, a preocular scale unfused from the prefrontal scale, a prefrontal distinct from the internasal scale that contacts the supralabials, a single large posterior temporal and two postocular scales. The new taxon is currently known only from one specimen, which was collected from Mt. Hagen Town in Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea in 1967. The new species was originally identified as T. loriae, but the unique head scalation and postfrontal bone morphology revealed through micro-computed tomography scanning easily distinguish the new species from T. loriaesensu stricto. This is the first species of this genus described from Western Highlands Province.

Hidden diversity in semi-fossorial Melanesian forest snakes: A revision of the Toxicocalamus loriae complex (Squamata, Elapidae) from New Guinea

“…Hence, T. longhagen may or may not represent a distinct taxon -as we advised the authors of Roberts et al (2022) in earlier correspondence. Given the poor colour preservation of PNGM 22160 and the absence in Roberts et al (2022) of comparisons using data from more than three of the over 300 available specimens of T. "loriae", the description of T. longhagen provides no distinctive characteristics by which to define that species' boundaries relative to other members of the T. loriae Group. For these reasons, we consider the name longhagen a nomen dubium [doubtful name] following the definitions of this term in the Glossary of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999;see Granzow 2000) and the discussion by Mones (1989).…”

“…During the final preparations of our revision of this manuscript, the description of T. longhagen was published by Roberts et al (2022). The authors based this taxon on a single specimen (PNGM 22160) collected at Dobel, close to Mt.…”

“…Furthermore, PNGM 22160 is actually one of a series of specimens, all of which display similar characteristics, and a second specimen from the same locality (UPNG 3992) also exists. Among all these specimens, the "diagnostic" features relied upon by Roberts et al (2022) are widely variable. Hence, T. longhagen may or may not represent a distinct taxon -as we advised the authors of Roberts et al (2022) in earlier correspondence.…”

“…Among all these specimens, the "diagnostic" features relied upon by Roberts et al (2022) are widely variable. Hence, T. longhagen may or may not represent a distinct taxon -as we advised the authors of Roberts et al (2022) in earlier correspondence. Given the poor colour preservation of PNGM 22160 and the absence in Roberts et al (2022) of comparisons using data from more than three of the over 300 available specimens of T. "loriae", the description of T. longhagen provides no distinctive characteristics by which to define that species' boundaries relative to other members of the T. loriae Group.…”