Tropidolaemus philippensis ( Gray, 1842 )

Vogel, Gernot, David, Patrick, Lutz, Mario, Rooijen, Johan Van & Vidal, Nicolas, 2007, Revision of the Tropidolaemus wagleri-complex (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae). I. Definition of included taxa and redescription of Tropidolaemus wagleri (Boie, 1827), Zootaxa 1644 (1), pp. 1-40 : 31-33

Tropidolaemus philippensis ( Gray, 1842)

( Figs. 25 –32)

Diagnosis. — A species of the genus Tropidolaemus , characterized by (1) the internasals separated by 1 or 2 scales; (2) only 6–7 cephalic scales between the middle of the supraoculars at both sexes; (3) 18–19 MSR in both sexes, smooth or weakly keeled; (4) 7–8 SL on each side, or a total number of 15–16 supralabials in both sexes; (5) 0, rarely 1 scale, between 3rd SL and subocular in both sexes; (6) 4–5 scales on the snout in both sexes; (7) a total number of 16–17 infralabials in both sexes; (8) a greenish-turquoise body background coloration in males, seemingly more green in females; (9) dorsal blotches on the body, black with unfilled dorsals so some kind of net is visible; (10) a black or rarely white postocular stripe in both sexes; (11) belly uniform in both sexes; (12) VEN: 131–135 in males and 129 in the sole available preserved female specimen, SC: 45–46 in males and 44 in a female; (13) tail moderate in males and females, with a ratio TaL/TL between 0.143 and 0.155, without sexual dimorphism; (14) occipital scales weekly keeled in males and strongly keeled, like partly raised in females.

Description and variation. —The maximal known TL is 455 mm (SVL 390 mm, TaL 65 mm) for a male (BMNH 1946.1.17.67; holotype). Our sole available female is not adult.

Body relatively slender in both sexes, laterally compressed. Head strongly triangular, wide at its base, clearly distinct from the neck (about 1.5 times as broad as the neck), amounting for 6.0–7.5 % of SVL (x = 6.5 %) in males, 6.3 % of SVL in a female, wide at its base, thick and rounded when seen from the side. Snout abruptly truncated, rounded when seen from the side, with a distinct canthus rostralis, rather massive, rounded when seen from above, amounting (in adults) for 26–29 % (x = 28 %) of HL in males and 27 % in a female, or 1.5–1.8 (x = 1.7) times as long as diameter of eye in males and 1.6 times as long as diameter of eye in females, rounded when seen from above. Nostrils small, piercing in the middle of the nasal. Eye average, amounting the distance eye–lip for 1.0–1.4 (x = 1.2) times in males and 0.9 time in a female. Tail tapering progressively and prehensile. Ratio TaL/TL: 0.143 –0.151, without any sexual dimorphism. We did not note any ontogenetic variation of this ratio in our small sample.

DSR: 19-21 – 18-19 – 14-15, not or weekly keeled.

VEN: 129–135 (plus 1–2 preventrals); SC: 44–46, all paired. Anal shield entire.

Rostral visible from above, about 1.1–1.2 times broader than high, triangular; nasals subrectangular, entire; 1 internasal on each side, rather squat, narrow, about 1.5 times as long as wide; internasals separated by 1 (1/ 5 specimens) or 2 (4/5) small scales; 2–3 canthal scales, not or barely larger than adjacent snout scales, bordering the canthus rostralis; 1 elongate triangular loreal scale between upper preocular and the nasal; 2 elongate upper preoculars above the loreal pit; lower preocular forming the lower margin of loreal pit; 2 postoculars on each side; 1 small, relatively wide, flat supraocular on each side, 1.8–2.0 (x = 1.9) times as long as wide, 0.8–1.0 (x = 0.9) times as wide as the internasals, irregularly bordered on their inner margins by the upper head scales; 4–5 (x = 4.4, s = 0.5) distinctly enlarged scales on upper snout surface on a line between the scales separating the internasals and a line connecting the anterior margins of eyes, rhomboid, strongly keeled and imbricate; 6–8 (x = 7.0; s = 0.6) cephalic scales between the middle of the supraoculars, enlarged, strongly keeled, flat and imbricate; occipital scales larger than cephalic scales, weakly keeled in males but strongly keeled, somewhat raised in some females; temporal scales small, irregular in size, in 3 rows, more or less strongly keeled in both sexes; 1 small, thin, elongated, subocular on each side; 7–8 SL (x = 7.9; s = 0.4) on each side (7 SL in only 1/10 occurrences), total number 15–16 (x = 15.8; s = 0.4); 1 st SL short, entirely separated from nasal; 2 nd SL short, subrectangular, not bordering the anterior margin of the loreal pit, topped by a prefoveal scale which borders the pit and is either in contact with the nasal in all examined specimens; 3 rd SL longest but rather short, elongate, 1.5–2.0 (x = 1.8; s = 0.2) times as long as high, in contact (9 / 10 occurrences) with the subocular or separated by 1 small scale (1 / 10 occurrences) 4 th SL 0.7–0.8 time as high as long, 1.0–1.2 (x = 1.1; s = 0.1) times as high as 3 rd SL, either in contact (5 / 10 occurrences) with the subocular or separated by 1 (5 / 10 occurrences) small scale; 8 – 9 IL (x = 8.3; s = 0.3) on each side, total number 16–17 (x = 16.2; s = 0.5), strongly keeled; scales of the 1 st pair longitudinally in contact at the exception of 1 specimen, first two pairs only in contact with anterior chin shields; 5 rows of strongly keeled gular scales on each side in all specimens.

This species does not show clear sexual dimorphism in coloration and pattern. There is no ontogenetic variation in males.

In life and in preservative, in males, the body and tail are bluish-green or turquoise, whereas they are more green or yellowish-green in females, with 27 to 36 irregular black vertical crossbars. These are 1 scale wide at the base and 2 or 3 scales wide on the vertebral row. The scales in the stripes are centered with the ground colour of the body. Sometimes there are rhombic markings instead of the stripes. The scales in these markings are centered green or yellowish green. The scales between these markings or bands may have dark margins. These are getting darker on the vertebral line. The dorsal and lateral head surface is in the colour of the body with all scales having dark margins. This is also true, although to a lesser extent, for most of the upper labials and the venter of the head, which is yellow in ground colour. Some of the scales of the venter surface of the head have a turquoise speckling. The belly is a bit lighter than the ground colour with several ventrals having dark margins. These may be present only on one lateral half of the scales or may be totally absent.

On the tail there are about 8 to 10 ill defined dark bands, also centered in the ground colour. All the scales on the tail have more or less dark margins, except on the tip which may be uniform light or uniform black. The subcaudals are turquoise to yellow and may or may not have dark margins.

Sexual dimorphism.—This species does not show any clear sexual dimorphism, in contrast to the two other taxa discussed above. There is not even clear difference in the ratio TaL/TL.

Males do not show ontogenetic shift in coloration. The two available females, including a living specimen, suggest a rather green or yellowish-green coloration in females vs. turquoise in males. For details, see Table 5.

Range.— Philippines. Known only from southern and western parts of the island of Mindanao.

Materials (5 specimens).— Philippines. Mindanao Island . BMNH 1946.1 .17.67, “ The Philippines ” (holotype) . - CAS SU-7265, Davao , Province of Davao del Sur . - FMNH 68902 , “ Zamboanga Province ” ; FMNH 124297 , “ Cotabato ” . - MNHN 4064 , “Samboangan, île Mindanao (archipel des Philippines )”, now Zamboanga Peninsula. To this material, we add a living specimen, a female, depicted in Vogel (2006: 131) .

Figures

FIGURE 25. Holotype of Tropidolaemus philippensis (BMNH 1946.1.17.7). Adult male from Philippines. General view. Photograph by Gernot Vogel.