Stegonotus

Kaiser, Hinrich, Kaiser, Christine M., Mecke, Sven & O’Shea, Mark, 2021, A new species of Stegonotus (Serpentes: Colubridae) from the remnant coastal forests of southern Timor-Leste, Zootaxa 5027 (4), pp. 489-514 : 508-509

Key to the species of Stegonotus currently recognized from south-central Wallacea

In the following dichotomous key, abbreviations are used as defined in the text. Only locations confirmed by specimen examination are listed for each species. One species, S. modestus , can be reached through two different combinations of couplets on account of its morphological variability. For the purposes of this key, we have exclusively used color and pattern characteristics visible in preserved specimens since observations of these in living snakes are not available for all species.

1a Dorsal scales in 21 rows at midbody...................................................................... 2

1b Dorsal scales in 17 rows at midbody...................................................................... 3

2a Head pale with dark brown blotches and speckling that contrast the dark body. Known only from Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia....................................................................... S. florensis

2b Head with a dark lateral line that extends from the nostril across the upper parts of the supralabial scale row to the eighth supralabial scale and expands in the area behind the eye. Known only from Sumba Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia............................................................................................. S. sutteri

3a Two supralabials touching the eye........................................................................ 4

3b Three supralabials touching the eye; head dorsally with a lighter color than body; body with a series of transverse light bands. Known from Bacan, Halmahera, Morotai, and Ternate, islands in North Maluku Province, Indonesia......... S. batjanensis

4a Supralabial scales 3 and 4 in contact with the orbit........................................................... 5

4b Supralabial scales 4 and 5 in contact with the orbit........................................................... 8

5a Neck with a light-colored band. Known from Ambon, Buru, and Seram, islands in northern Maluku Province, Indonesia............................................................................................... S. modestus

5b Neck without a light-colored band........................................................................ 6

6a Subcaudal count in females <70 and in males <90.......................................................... 7

6b Subcaudal count in females> 70 and in males> 90. Known from Tanahbesar and Trangan, two of the Aru Islands, Maluku Province, Indonesia........................................................................... S. aruensis

7a Subcaudal count in females> 65; snout-scale ratio ≥ ½; dorsal color lead-gray with yellowish venter. Known only from Semau Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia....................................................... S. lividus

7b Snout-scale ratio <½; dorsal color brown with cream venter. Currently known only from Manatuto Municipality, Timor- Leste........................................................................................ S. nancuro

8a Snout-scale ratio ≤ ⅓. Known from Kei Besar, Kei Dulah, and Kei Taam, three of the Kei Islands , Maluku Province, Indone- sia......................................................................................... S. keyensis

8b Snout-scale ratio> ⅓. Known from Ambon, Buru, and Seram, islands in northern Maluku Province, Indonesia... S. modestus