Calamophis jobiensis Meyer, 1874

Murphy, John C., 2012, Synonymised And Forgotten, The Bird’S Head Stout-Tailed Snakes, Calamophis Meyer (Squamata: Serpentes: Homalopsidae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 60 (2), pp. 515-523 : 517-518

Calamophis jobiensis Meyer, 1874

Calamophis jobiensis Meyer, 1874: 135

Holotype. — MTKD (Museum für Tierkunde Dresden) 1026, destroyed in World War II

Type Locality. — Ansus , Yapen, Indonesia (about 1°43'2"S, 136°7'57"E)

Brachyorrhos jobiensis: Peters & Doria, 1878: 371

Brachyorrhos albus: Boulenger, 1893: 305

Comment. — The now lost holotype reportedly had 164 ventrals and 10 subcaudals ( Meyer, 1874) and presents the need to recover additional specimens from the type locality. Meyer’s original description (see below) has some problems. He noted a hexagonal frontal that contacts the upper labials—the frontal cannot contact the upper labials. The PLP shield does contact the upper labials in these snakes, but it is not hexagonal, and he noted that the temporals are “placed irregularly.” This may mean the secondary temporals are indistinguishable from other scales, which is the case in Calamophis . His description does not match any of the specimens examined here particularly well, although the ventral counts, subcaudal counts, and pattern are most similar to the next species discussed. Given that the three new species described here all occur within 100 km of each other and the type locality is on Yapen Island 250 km away, it seems unlikely that B. jobiensis will be found on the New Guinea mainland.

Distribution. — Known only from the type locality of Ansus, Yapen Island, located on the southwestern coast of the island. The B. albus specimen reported from Aru by Doria (1874) and Peters and Doria (1878) is considered by Iskandar and Colijn (2001) to be B. jobiensis , probably because the Aru Island fauna is considered West Papuan. However there is no evidence that Calamophis occurs in the Aru Islands. The single specimen allegedly from Aru (MSNG 56342) examined for this study clearly belongs to the genus Brachyorrhos and the specimen is discussed in Murphy et al. (2012).

Diagnosis. — The diagnosis is based upon a translation of the original description (see below). A Calamophis with 164 ventrals and 10 subcaudals. Table 2 compares the four species.

Supralabials six, third and fourth enter the orbit; eight lower labials; one preocular; one postocular. The pentagonal internasal contacts the rostral with one side and enters with a point in between the prefrontals. These broader than long, hexagonal. Frontal hexagonal, longer than wide, and the sides reaching the upper labials. Temporals placed irregularly. Body scales in 19 longitudinal rows, smooth. Subcaudals in two rows of 10; 164 ventrals.

Dorsum brown, with as many whitish, narrow longitudinal stripes extending along the entire length of the body as there are longitudinal scale rows. At each side of the likewise brown ventrals is a wide, bright yellowish-white stripe, which meets at the throat and ends as a wide side band. On the back of the head two slightly lighter brown spots, muzzle and labials light brown as well.

Etymology. — The island of Yapen has also been called Japen and Jobi. Therefore, C. jobiensis is likely named after the Indonesian island.