Cerberus cf. rynchops (Schneider, 1799)

Kaiser, Hinrich, Carvalho, Venancio Lopes, Ceballos, Jester, Freed, Paul, Heacox, Scott, Lester, Barbara, Richards, Stephen J., Trainor, Colin R., Sanchez, Caitlin & O'Shea, Mark, 2011, The herpetofauna of Timor-Leste: a first report, ZooKeys 109, pp. 19-86 : 46-47

Cerberus cf. rynchops (Schneider, 1799) Fig. 25

Common names.

(E) Bockadam, Dog-faced Watersnake. *(T) Samea natar (samea = snake, natar = rice paddy).

Identification.

Dog-faced watersnakes are easily distinguished based on both morphology and habits. Compared with other snakes, the head is blunt with a rounded snout and relatively small eyes in a dorsolateral position ( Fig. 25 ). Coloration is brownish gray, often with darker blotches on the back. Relative to most snakes in Timor-Leste, these snakes are heavy-bodied (body diameter is robust as opposed to slender). These snakes are most frequently encountered in habitats with standing or slow-flowing water.

Collection and natural history.

We captured a single specimen of a snake very similar to Cerberus rynchops at night from a flooded rice paddy near Baucau (Baucau District). The snake submerged when illuminated, but was extracted from the muddy water with ease.

Taxonomic comment.

In its overall morphology our specimen clearly resembles Cerberus rynchops , but a few specific characteristics of its scalation are intermediate between Cerberus rynchops and Cerberus australis . Until we are able to ascertain its precise taxonomic status, through more detailed morphological and genetic comparisons, we list this specimen as Cerberus cf. rynchops . The genus Cerberus is currently undergoing a taxonomic evaluation by John C. Murphy (in litt.).

Figures

Figure 25. Cerberus cf. rynchops. Male (USNM 573675, SVL 598 mm, TL 756 mm) from a rice paddy in the Baucau area, Baucau District. Photo by Mark O'Shea.