Amphisbaena elbakyanae, Torres-Ramírez & Angarita-Sierra & Vargas-Ramírez, 2021

Torres-Ramirez, Juan Jose, Angarita-Sierra, Teddy & Vargas-Ramirez, Mario, 2021, A new species of Amphisbaena (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae) from the Orinoquian region of Colombia, Vertebrate Zoology 71, pp. 55-74 : 55

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.71.e59461
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EC812295-41EF-4D78-8FCD-CFB2A45DC359
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/8DCC067A-815A-5FEB-915F-7CBB04B9D304
treatment provided by	Vertebrate Zoology by Pensoft
scientific name	Amphisbaena elbakyanae
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Amphisbaena elbakyanae sp. nov.

Figs 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 4. View Figure 4

Amphisbaena Chresonymy: Amphisbaena sp. (ICN-TAS 700): Pedroza-Banda et al. (2014).

Holotype

(Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ). Specimen MLS 1901, a male from El Porvenir farm, Vereda La Colombina, municipality of Paz de Ariporo, department of Casanare, Colombia. Coordinates: N 6.043472222, W -71.09283333; elevation 140 m. a.s.l. The specimen was collected by Teddy Angarita-Sierra, Marvin Anganoy-Criollo and John Jairo Ospina-Sarria, on 20th August 2012, in a riparian forest near the Ariporo River, under leaf litter of the moriche palm ( Mauritia flexuosa ). This specimen was found in sympatry with A. alba .

Paratypes.

Two specimens: MUJ 806, a female from Bojonawi Natural Reserve, Fundación Omacha, municipality of Puerto Carreño, department of Vichada, Colombia. Coordinates: N 6.097997222, W -67.48321667; elevation 54 m a.s.l., collected by Melissa Cuevas in July 2005. MLS 1902, a female from Caño El Socorro, between veredas Aguaverde and La Virgen, municipality of Orocué, department of Casanare, Colombia. Coordinates: N 5.02901, W -71.18037; elevation 128 m. a.s.l., collected by Marvin Anganoy-Criollo in December 2012, under a pile of palm leaves of moriche palm.

Generic placement.

Amphisbaena elbakyanae sp. nov. belong to the genus Amphisbaena Linnaeus, 1758 (sensu Mertens 1925; Vanzolini 1951; Gans and Alexander 1962) by having the following characters: (1) Snout rounded, flattened or slightly convexed above; (2) upper head scales paired; (3) rostral scale short, subtriangular, ventrally expanded and posteriorly without contact with prefrontal scales; (4) nasal scales in broad contact; (5) six premaxillary teeth; (6) ten maxillary teeth.

Diagnosis.

Amphisbaena elbakyanae sp. nov., can be distinguished from all its congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) three supralabial scales; (2) three infralabial scales; (3) second supralabial scale longer than first and third supralabial scales, contacting first and third supralabial, temporal, ocular and prefrontal scales; (4) angulus oris lies in transverse plane passing through the posterior edges of the ocular scales and the center of the frontal scales; (5) second infralabial scale in contact with postmental scales; (6) six premaxillar teeth; (7) ten maxillar teeth; (8) one temporal scale; (9) absence of malar scale; (10) a single postgenial scale row with four segments; (11) postmalar scale rows with six to seven segments; (12) first body annulus includes one large segment on each side lying immediately posterior to inner parietal scales, abutting onto posterolateral edge of the outer parietal scales; (13) middorsal segments of second and third body annulus non-enlarged; (14) 245-257 body annuli; (15) 13-15 dorsal segments per annulus at midbody; (16) 16-18 ventral segments per annulus at midbody; (17) four precloacal pores; (18) autotomy sites located on sixth to eighth caudal annuli, (19) 20-24 caudal annuli, (20) rostral scale visible from above, (21) dorsal and ventral surfaces homogeneusly dark brown or dark brown-reddish, (22), and small body size 211-237 mm (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ).

Comparisons

(Table 2 View Table 2 ). Among all four-pored Amphisbaena species from South American, Amphisbaena cunhai , A. frontalis , A. gracilis , A. medemi , A. talisiae and A. slateri are the most similar species. Nonetheless, A. elbakyanae sp. nov. can be distinguished by having 245-257 body annuli (versus 226-239 in A. cunhai , 252-272 in A. frontalis , 224-248 in A. gracilis , 230-235 in A. medemi , 205-234 in A. talisiae , and 176-213 in A. slateri ); 20-24 caudal annuli (versus 25-26 A. cunhai , 17-18 in A. medemi ); a single postgenial scale row composed by four segments (versus two postgenial scale rows in A. medemi and A. slateri ); absence of malar scales (versus a single malar scale in A. cunhai , A. slateri and A. talisiae ); postmalar scale row composed by six to seven segments (versus nine segments in A. medemi ); rostral scale visible from above (versus rostral scale non-visible from above in A. gracilis . Fig. 3A-B View Figure 3 ), first body annulus includes one large segment on each side lying immediately posterior to inner parietal scales, abutting onto posterolateral edge of the outer-parietal scales (versus first body annulus including two or three, large segments on each side lying immediately posterior to inner parietal scales, abutting onto posterolateral edge of the outer parietal scales in A. gracilis , Fig. 3A-B View Figure 3 ); middorsal segments of second and third body annuli non-enlarged (versus three or four middorsal segments of second and third body annuli enlarged in A. gracilis , Fig. 3A-B View Figure 3 ) and angulus oris lies in transverse plane that passes through posterior edges of the ocular scales and center of frontal scales [versus angulus oris lies in transverse plane that passes through posterior edges of the postocular scales and center of parietal scales in A. gracilis , Fig. 3E-F View Figure 3 ( Gonzalez-Sponga and Gans 1971)]. Additionally, Amphisbaena elbakyanae sp. nov. can be distinguished from A. mertensii (one of phylogenetically closely related species, Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ) by having four pre-cloacal pores and 245-257 body annuli (versus 6-8 and 210-250 in A. mertensii , respectively). Comparisons with the remaining four-pored Amphisbaena species are summarized in Table 2 View Table 2 .

Description of holotype

(Figs 2 View Figure 2 - 4 View Figure 4 ; Table 4 View Table 4 ). Male, small body size (SVL = 211 mm; TL = Incomplete tail); slender body (BD = 5.3 mm); head and body slightly differentiated by a small nuchal constriction; head longer than wide (HW/HL 77.7%); snout rounded; six premaxillary teeth beginning with two large, anteromedian teeth that are flanked on either side by a posteriorly directed row of two slightly recurved teeth that gradually diminish in size; ten maxillary slightly recurved teeth that gradually diminish in size arrayed in an oblique row; rostral scale visible from above, subtriangular, ventrally expanded, wider and concave posteriorly, narrowly contacting first supralabial and broadly contacting with nasal scales; nasal, prefrontal, frontal and parietal scales from both sides contacting along the midline of the head forming a longitudinal suture (Figs 2A View Figure 2 , 3A View Figure 3 ); nasal scale quadrangular, contacting the first supralabial, prefrontal and rostral scales; nostrils lateral in the anteroventral part of nasal scale; prefrontal scales roughly pentagonal, wider than long (PFW/PFL 92.9%), broadly contacting nasal, frontal, ocular, first and second supralabial scales, having a narrow contact with first supralabial scale and a broad contact with second supralabial scale (Figs 2A View Figure 2 , 3A View Figure 3 ); frontal scales trapezoidal, longer than wide (FW/FL 63.0%), in broad contact with prefrontal, postocular and inner parietal scales and in narrow contact with ocular scale. Four parietal scales roughly pentagonal; inner parietal scales longer than wide (IPW/IPL 91.4%), in broad contact with frontal, postocular, and outer-parietal scales, as well as with the middorsal enlarged segments of the first body annulus; outer parietal scales wider than long (OPL/OPW 91.8%) , in broad contact with inner-parietal and postocular scales; first body annular non-enlarged scales, but in narrow contact with middorsal enlarged segments of the first body annulus; angulus oris lies in transverse plane that passes through posterior edges of the ocular scales and center of frontal scales (Figs 2B View Figure 2 , 3E View Figure 3 ); three supralabial scales, first subtriangular, longer than wide in broad contact with nasal and second supralabial scales, in narrow contact with prefrontal and rostral scales; the second supralabial larger than the first one and third supralabial scales, contacting first and third supralabial, temporal, ocular and prefrontal scales; third supralabial scale smaller than first and second supralabial scales, contacting second supralabial, temporal and in posterior contact with first body annulus; ocular scales rhomboidal, longer than high (OH/OL 62.4%), in broad contact with prefrontal, postocular, temporal and second supralabial scales, in narrow contact with frontal scales; eye slightly visible in the anterior corner of the ocular scale; postocular scales roughly hexagonal, longer than wide (POW/POL 84.8%), broadly contacting frontal, parietal, ocular, temporal and in posterior contact with first body annulus; one temporal scale roughly pentagonal longer than wide (THE/TEL 68.1%) broadly contacting second and third supralabial and ocular scales, as well as the first body annular scales.

Mental scales quadrate, smaller and narrower than rostral scale, longer than wide (MW/ML 94.8%), in broad contact with postmental and first infralabial scales; postmental scale oblong, longer than wide (PMW/PML 70.3%), visible longer than and in broad contact with mental scale, first and second infralabials and postgenial scale row; three infralabial scales, first trapezoidal, longer than wide and in broad contact with mental, postmental and second supralabial scales; second infralabial scale larger than first and third infralabial scales, broadly contacting first and third infralabial and postmalar scale rows; third infralabial scale smaller than first and second infralabial scales, in contact with second infralabial scale, postmalar scale row and in posterior contact with first body annulus; malar scales absent; postgenial scale row composed by four segments, in contact with second infralabial, postmental, and in posterior contact with postmalar row of scales; postmalar row of scales composed by seven segments (Figs 2C View Figure 2 , 3C View Figure 3 ).

Body annuli demarcated; lateral and middorsal sulci present, beginning from 16th (left) or 18th (right) body annulus; 245 body annuli, 13 dorsal segments per annulus at midbody, 16 ventral segments per annulus at midbody; first body annulus with one enlarged middorsal segment on each side contacting with posterior edge of the inner parietals, abutting onto posterolateral edge of the outer parietal scales; middorsal segments of second and third body annulus non-enlarged (Figs 2A View Figure 2 , 3A View Figure 3 ); four precloacal pores rounded; anal flap semicircular; four cloacal annuli, six caudal annuli (incomplete tail), caudal autotomy site between sixth to seventh caudal annuli (Figs 2D View Figure 2 , 3G View Figure 3 ).

Color of the holotype in life (Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ). Dorsal and ventral surfaces from dark brown to dark brown-reddish; occipital, parietal, frontal, temporal, third supralabial, third infralabial, postmental scales, as well as postgenial and postmalar scale rows dark brown highly pigmented; rostral, prefrontal, ocular, nasal, first and second supralabial, mental and first infralabial scales dark brown faded.

Color of the holotype in preservative

(Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ). After seven years in preservative, dorsal and ventral surfaces, as well as head scales maintained dark brown coloration having slight differences with color in life, such as a faint grey coloration on dorsal and ventral surfaces, and a few unpigmented scales.

Etymology.

We dedicate this species to the Kazakhstani scientist Alexandra Asanovna Elbakyan (Russian: Алекса́ндра Аса́новна Элбакя́н), creator of the web site Sci-Hub, for her colossal contributions for reducing the barriers in the way of science, as well as her reclamation that "everyone has the right to participate and share in scientific advancement and its benefits, freely and without economic constraints".

Distribution and natural history.

The known localities of Amphisbaena elbakyanae sp. nov., are distributed in the flooded savanna ecosystem of the Orocué and Ariporo River basin, as well as in the drained savanna ecosystem of the Bita River basin in the department of Vichada (Fig. 5 View Figure 5 ). Amphisbaena elbakyanae sp. nov. seems to be highly associated with the leaf litter of the savanna flood forest dominated by moriche palm ( Mauritia flexuosa ), which are commonly known as “morichales” or “cananguchales” in Colombia (Fig. 6 View Figure 6 ). The new species was found in sympatry with A. alba and A. fuliginosa .