Systematics of south american snail-eating snakes (Serpentes, dipsadini), with the description of five new species from ecuador and peru

  • Alejandro Arteaga*
  • , David Salazar-Valenzuela
  • , Konrad Mebert
  • , Nicolás Peñafiel
  • , Gabriela Aguiar
  • , Juan C. Sánchez-Nivicela
  • , R. Alexander Pyron
  • , Timothy J. Colston
  • , Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia
  • , Mario H. Yánez-Muñoz
  • , Pablo J. Venegas
  • , Juan M. Guayasamin
  • , Omar Torres-Carvajal
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

42 Scopus citations

Abstract

A molecular phylogeny of the Neotropical snail-eating snakes (tribe Dipsadini) is presented including 43 (24 for the first time) of the 77 species, sampled for both nuclear and mitochondrial genes. Morphological and phylogenetic support was found for four new species of Dipsas and one of Sibon, which are described here based on their unique combination of molecular, meristic, and color pattern characteristics. Sibynomorphus is designated as a junior subjective synonym of Dipsas. Dipsas latifrontalis and D. palmeri are resurrected from the synonymy of D. peruana. Dipsas latifasciata is transferred from the synonymy of D. peruana to the synonymy of D. palmeri. A new name, D. jamespetersi, is erected for the taxon currently known as Sibynomorphus petersi. Re-descriptions of D. latifrontalis and D. peruana are presented, as well as the first photographic voucher of an adult specimen of D. latifrontalis, along with photographs of all known Ecuadorian Dipsadini species. The first country record of D. variegata in Ecuador is provided and D. oligozonata removed from the list of Peruvian herpetofauna. With these changes, the number of Dipsadini reported in Ecuador increases to 22, 18 species of Dipsas and four of Sibon.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)79-147
Number of pages69
JournalZooKeys
Volume2018
Issue number766
DOIs
StatePublished - 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, Pensoft Publishers. All rights reserved.

Funding

This article was greatly improved by comments of Robert Jadin, Sebastian Lotzkat, and one anonymous reviewer. For granting access to their protected forests, we are grateful to Martin Schaefer and David Agro of Fundación Jocotoco, Ana Cristina de la Torre of Pacoche Lodge, Andrés Chiriboga of Tundaloma Lodge, and Renzo Paladines of Naturaleza y Cultura Internacional. Special thanks to Lucas Bustamante, Jose Vieira, Gabriela Morales, Melissa Costales, Frank Pichardo, Sebastián Di Doménico, Jorge Castillo, James Muchmore, Matthijs Hollanders, Paulina Romero, Aaron Pomerantz, Phil Torres, Ernesto Arbeláez, Fausto Siavichay, Diego Piñán, Carlos Morochz, Hannah Som, Carlos Gómez, Carlos Londoño, Valentina Rubio, Darwin Núñez, and Abel Batista for their assistance and companionship in the field. For providing ecological information about Sibon bevridgelyi, we are grateful to Jose Manuel Falcón. For providing live images of Dipsas and Sibon, we are grateful to Jose Vieira, Sebastián Di Doménico, Frank Pichardo, Matthijs Hollanders, Lucas Bustamante, Daniel Quihua, Luis Vera, Alessandro Catennazi, and Juan Carlos Chaparro. For providing images of preserved specimens, we are grateful to Gustavo Pazmiño, Diego Quirola, César Barrio, Micaela Stacey, Luke Welton, Jackson Roberts, and Joseph Martinez. For granting access to specimens under their care, we are grateful to Andreas Schmitz (MHNG), Christopher Raxworthy and Frank Burbrink (AMNH), and Kevin de Queiroz, Addison Wynn, Rayna Bell, and Kenneth Tighe (USNM). Fieldwork was made possible with the support of Tropical Herping, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador and Secretaría de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENESCYT). Laboratory work was carried out at Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador in Quito. Sequencing was made possible with support of the George Washington University, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, the U.S. National Science Foundation (DBI-0905765and U.S. National Science Foundation DEB-1441719 to RAP), Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica (Principal investigators: JMG and DSV), and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador and SENESCYT under the ‘Arca de Noé’ Initiative (principal investigators: S.R. Ron and OTC). TJC would like to thank SEMANART and the Mexican National Commission of National Protected Areas for granting collection permits (SPGA/DGVS/05912/12 and Mexican National Commission of National Protected AreasSPGA/DGVS/12101/14) and Operation Wallacea and the University of Mississippi Graduate College for funding. This article was greatly improved by comments of Robert Jadin, Sebastian Lotzkat, and one anonymous reviewer. For granting access to their protected forests, we are grateful to Martin Schaefer and David Agro of Fundación Jocotoco, Ana Cristina de la Torre of Pacoche Lodge, Andrés Chiriboga of Tundaloma Lodge, and Renzo Paladines of Naturaleza y Cultura Internacional. Special thanks to Lucas Bustamante, Jose Vieira, Gabriela Morales, Melissa Costales, Frank Pichardo, Sebastián Di Doménico, Jorge Castillo, James Muchmore, Matthijs Hollanders, Paulina Romero, Aaron Pomerantz, Phil Torres, Ernesto Arbeláez, Fausto Siavichay, Diego Piñán, Carlos Morochz, Hannah Som, Carlos Gómez, Carlos Londoño, Valentina Rubio, Darwin Núñez, and Abel Batista for their assistance and companionship in the field. For providing ecological information about Sibon bevridgelyi, we are grateful to Jose Manuel Falcón. For providing live images of Dipsas and Sibon, we are grateful to Jose Vieira, Sebastián Di Doménico, Frank Pichardo, Matthijs Hollanders, Lucas Bustamante, Daniel Quihua, Luis Vera, Alessandro Catennazi, and Juan Carlos Chaparro. For providing images of preserved specimens, we are grateful to Gustavo Pazmiño, Diego Quirola, César Barrio, Micaela Stacey, Luke Welton, Jackson Roberts, and Joseph Martinez. For granting access to specimens under their care, we are grateful to Andreas Schmitz (MHNG), Christopher Raxworthy and Frank Burbrink (AMNH), and Kevin de Queiroz, Addison Wynn, Rayna Bell, and Kenneth Tighe (USNM). Fieldwork was made possible with the support of Tropical Herping, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Pontifi-cia Universidad Católica del Ecuador and Secretaría de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENESCYT). Laboratory work was carried out at Universi-dad Tecnológica Indoamérica and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador in Quito. Sequencing was made possible with support of the George Washington University, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, the U.S. National Science Foundation (DBI-0905765 and DEB-1441719 to RAP), Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica (Principal investigators: JMG and DSV), and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador and SENESCYT under the ‘Arca de Noé’ Initiative (principal investigators: S.R. Ron and OTC). TJC would like to thank SEMANART and the Mexican National Commission of National Protected Areas for granting collection permits (SPGA/DGVS/05912/12 and SPGA/DGVS/12101/14) and Operation Wallacea and the University of Mississippi Graduate College for funding.

FundersFunder number
Mexican National Commission of National Protected Areas
Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica
U.S. National Science Foundation DEB-1441719
Universidad Cat?lica del Ecuador and Secretar?a de Educaci?n Superior
Operation Wallacea and the University of Mississippi Graduate College
Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador
American Museum of Natural History
National Sleep Foundation
University of Mississippi Graduate College
Secretaría de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación
Pontifi-cia Universidad Católica del Ecuador and Secretaría de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación
George Washington University
National Science Foundation0905765, DEB-1441719, 1441719
SEMANARTSPGA/DGVS/05912/12, SPGA/DGVS/12101/14
U.S. National Science FoundationDBI-0905765and
Mexican National Commission of National ProtectedAreasSPGA/DGVS/12101/14

    Keywords

    • Dipsadini
    • Dipsas
    • Ecuador
    • New species
    • Peru
    • Phylogeny
    • Sibon
    • Sibynomorphus
    • Snail-eating snakes
    • Systematics

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