Hemipenial Morphology in the Semifossorial Snakes of the Genus<i>Ninia</i>and a New Species from Trinidad, West Indies (Serpentes: Dipsadidae)

Angarita–Sierra, Teddy

doi:10.2994/sajh-d-12-00004.1

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…The hemipenes were partially everted in the preserved specimens and therefore we could not record characters that are only visible in the retracted organs. We followed Pesantes (1994), Myers and Cadle (2003), Zaher and Prudente (2003), and Angarita-Sierra (2014) for hemipenial preparation. We follow Zaher (1999) and Myers and McDowell (2014) for hemipenial morphological terminology.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new rare species of the Rhadinaea decorata group from the Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero, Mexico (Squamata, Colubridae)

García‐Vázquez¹,

Pavón‐Vázquez²,

Blancas-Hernández³

et al. 2018

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A new species of the Rhadinaeadecorata group is described based on two specimens from the Sierra Madre del Sur, Guerrero, Mexico. The new species differs from all other members of the genus Rhadinaea by having: eight supralabials; 149–151 (male) ventrals; 63–77 (male) subcaudals; two large pale nuchal blotches, forming an incomplete collar that occupies two scales laterally and is bissected along the dorsal midline; a postocular pale marking consisting of a well-defined, narrow line beginning behind the upper posterior margin of the eye and extending posteriorly nearly horizontally until connecting with the nuchal blotches; and the dark ground color of the flanks extending to the lateral portion of the ventrals. The large nuchal blotches distinguish the new species from the other members of the R.decorata group, except for R.cuneata and some individuals of R.hesperia (pale nuchal marking one-scale wide in R.marcellae, absent in the other species). The condition of the postocular pale marking distinguishes it from R.cuneata and R.hesperia (postocular pale marking wedge-shaped in R.cuneata, not connected with the pale post-cephalic markings in R.hesperia). Furthermore, the number of subcaudals and the coloration of the lateral portion of the ventrals distinguish it from R.omiltemana and R.taeniata, the remaining congeners found in Guerrero (85–90 in males of R.omiltemana and 91–121 in R.taeniata; dark color of the flanks not reaching ventrals in the former species, occasionally and faintly in R.taeniata). Additionally, a new combination for R.stadelmani is proposed. The new species is the first described in the genus Rhadinaea in more than 40 years.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new rare species of the Rhadinaea decorata group from the Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero, Mexico (Squamata, Colubridae)

García‐Vázquez¹,

Pavón‐Vázquez²,

Blancas-Hernández³

et al. 2018

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“…Additionally, Phyllomedusa trinitatis , Boana xerophylla and Hemidactyus mabouia occur in Cerro Campeare. Interestingly, a specimen of Ninia atrata from Campeare (MBLUZ 1426) has three labials contacting the primary temporal scale, suggesting that it may be Ninia franciscoi , a species described based on a single male specimen from northern Trinidad [ 64 ]. However, a DNA analysis of the specimen showed that this individual belongs to the species Ninia atrata from the Central Coastal Range.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeographical patterns of amphibians and reptiles in the northernmost coastal montane complex of South America

et al. 2021

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We examine, for the first time, biogeographic patterns in a series of tropical montane coastal systems in northern South America. We use amphibians and reptiles, which constitute the most critical communities based upon the prevalence of endemic taxa, to assess the region’s biodiversity. The montane coastal system spans an east-west distance of 925 km. It includes peaks ranging from 549 m to 2765 m above sea level and encompasses the montane complexes of northern Venezuela (including Isla de Margarita), an outlier at Santa Marta (Colombia), and ranges on the islands Trinidad and Tobago. The area supports 14 family level amphibian clades and 23 family level reptile clades. Fieldwork, museum specimen surveys, and a literature review suggest that biodiversity decreases at higher elevations. Here we examine the biogeographic patterns in the region to assess the role of the montane systems as possible refugia. We also look at the possible island and sky island effects using data from altitudes >200 m. At lower elevations, we tabulated 294 species, comprising 112 amphibians and 182 reptiles. About 45% of these taxa are endemic or exclusive to different sub-regions. At mid-elevation montane cloud forests, we find a much-reduced biodiversity with a total of 125 species (66 amphibians and 59 reptiles) exclusive or restricted to the region, and few species shared between systems. We find that biogeographical patterns follow a natural topographic disposition above 200 m in elevations. At the lower elevation cut off, there are 118 species (26 amphibians and 92 reptiles) shared among two or more of the studied mountain systems, suggesting a common origin and dispersal events, despite what seem to be topographic barriers. Biogeographical relationships support a topographic disposition of the region with close associations between the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, the Paria Range and the Turimiquire Massif, and close associations between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Sierra de San Luis. Overall, the biogeographic relationships between amphibians and reptiles are similar. Species diversity in the eastern Caribbean region is less rich than in the west. This study includes the first herpetological surveys at the two easternmost mountains (Cerro La Cerbatana and Campeare) belonging to the Paria Range biogeographic unit, and aims to contribute to a better understanding of the rich biodiversity of the region.

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“…Also, we follow the adjustments to the Pesante's method made by Myers and Cadle (2003), Zaher and Prudente (2003) and Smith and Ferrari-Castro (2008). The staining process follows Jadin and Smith (2010) and Angarita-Sierra (2014). Terminology for hemipenial morphology follows, Zaher (1999) and Myers and McDowell (2014).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The genus Ninia currently comprises eleven nominal species that primarily inhabit leaf litter in most of habitats from southern Mexico to northern Peru at altitudes between sea level and 1800 m above sea level [hereafter asl] (Savage, 2002;Angarita-Sierra 2014): Ninia atrata Hallowell 1845, N. celata McCraine & Wilson 1995, N. espinali McCraine & Wilson 1995, N. diademata Baird & Girard 1853, N. franciscoi Angarita-Sierra 2014, N. hudsoni Parker 1940, N. labiosa Bocourt 1883, N. maculata Peters 1861, N. pavimentata Bocourt 1883 psephota Cope 1875, and N. sebae Dumeril, Bribon & Dumeril 1854. Since Dunn's (1935 early efforts to clarify the taxonomy of Ninia in Central America, only a few herpetologists had reviewed specimens of N. atrata-like snakes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new species of Ninia (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from Chocó-Magdalena biogeographical province, western Colombia

Angarita–Sierra

2017

Zootaxa

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1,117

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We describe a new species of the genus Ninia from the Chocó-Magdalena biogeographic province, which was previously reported as a distinct population of N. maculata or as N. atrata from the western slopes of the Cordillera Occidental of Colombia. The new species is similar to N. atrata, N. celata, N. espinali, N. franciscoi, and N. maculata. It shares the following characteristics with the species mentioned above: 19 dorsal scale rows without reductions; dorsal ground color black or dark brown; white or cream occipital nuchal collar. However, it is easily distinguished from all other congeners because it has a non-regular color pattern in the ventral surfaces of the head and body, subcaudal surface homogeneously black or dark brown, two nasal scales, and one lateral projection ornamented with a large basal hook-shaped spine that is larger than any other spine on the hemipenial body. The presence of a lateral projection on the hemipenial body makes the new species the only member of the genus from South America that shares this feature with its Central American congeners. This feature suggests a closer relationship with this linage. Finally, our results indicate that proper and careful revision of the Ninia atrata species complex will help to understand and clarify the taxonomic composition of the genus.

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Hemipenial Morphology in the Semifossorial Snakes of the GenusNiniaand a New Species from Trinidad, West Indies (Serpentes: Dipsadidae)

Cited by 10 publications

References 25 publications

A new rare species of the Rhadinaea decorata group from the Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero, Mexico (Squamata, Colubridae)

A new rare species of the Rhadinaea decorata group from the Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero, Mexico (Squamata, Colubridae)

Biogeographical patterns of amphibians and reptiles in the northernmost coastal montane complex of South America

A new species of Ninia (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from Chocó-Magdalena biogeographical province, western Colombia

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