A New Species of Centipede Snake in the Tantilla taeniata Group (Squamata: Colubridae) from Premontane Rainforest in Refugio De Vida Silvestre Texíguat, Honduras
A new species of Tantilla is described from Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texíguat in northern Honduras. The new species is allocated to the Tantilla taeniata group, which currently contains 20 of the 63 species in the genus, but it differs from all congeners on the basis of its dorsal body pattern and scutellation. The new species has a pale mid-dorsal stripe composed of narrow spots, confined to the mid-dorsal row, and a lateral coloration of pale spots on each of rows 1, 2, and 4 with dark brown pigment on the lateral edges of the ventrals. The new species appears to have no close affinities within the T. taeniata group. Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texíguat is one of the most important cloud and premontane rain forest reserves in eastern nuclear Central America with respect to evolution, species endemism, and conservation. Nonetheless, areas of this reserve are seriously imperiled, especially on the leeward side due to continuing illegal logging and forest clearing for subsistence agriculture.Abstract
Map showing the distribution of species of the Tantilla taeniata group in eastern nuclear Central America; shaded areas >1,000 m elevation; open star = type locality of T. olympia n. sp.; inverted solid triangle = T. hendersoni; open triangle = T. impensa; solid square = T. psittaca; solid triangle = T. taeniata; striped triangle = both T. impensa and T. taeniata; inverted open triangle = T. tritaeniata.
Lateral (A), dorsal (B), and ventral (C) aspects of the head and neck of the holotype of Tantilla olympia (USNM 574000); scale bar = 5 mm.
Everted hemipenis of the holotype of Tantilla olympia (USNM 574000); sulcate (left) and asculcate (right) views.
Midbody dorsal pattern of the holotype of Tantilla olympia (USNM 574000).
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