Typhlops rajeryi, Renoult, Julien P. & Raselimanana, Achille P., 2009

Renoult, Julien P. & Raselimanana, Achille P., 2009, A new species of Malagasy blind snake of the genus Typhlops Oppel (Serpentes: Typhlopidae), Zootaxa 2290, pp. 65-68 : 65-67

Typhlops rajeryi sp. nov.

Fig. 1

Holotype. ZSM 1589/2008, an adult collected by J.P. Renoult on 27 December 2007 in Madagascar: Vatovavy Fitovinany Region, near the entrance to the Ranomafana National Park, 21°15.388’S, 47°25.308’E, alt.: 918 m. The specimen was deposited in the Zoologische Staatssammlung München (ZST), Munich, Germany in April 2008 and bears the field number FGZC 3165 (F. Glaw’s field series). The specimen is in very good condition without external injury, except one piece of epidermis and muscle removed for tissue collection. Radiography revealed a fractured pelvis.

Diagnosis. Typhlops rajeryi sp. nov. differs from all other typhlopids by the combination of a T-V imbrication pattern of supralabial scales, 24 mid-body scale rows, between 400 and 420 paravertebral scales, 12 subcaudals, a solidly-built body with a total length/mid-body diameter ratio being less than 37, a rounded snout in dorsal and lateral view, an inferior nasal suture contacting second supralabial, an incomplete superior nasal suture, visible eyes and pupils, and a uniform pink coloration.

Among Malagasy typhlopids, a T-V imbrication pattern of supralabial scales distinguishes Typhlops rajeryi from Xenotyphlops grandidieri (Mocquard, 1905) (T-0), Ramphotyphlops braminus (T-III), T. decorsei Mocquard, 1901 (T- III), T. ocularis (T-III) and the Comorian species T. comorensis Boulenger, 1889 (T-III). Compared to T. rajeryi , T. microcephalus (Werner, 1909) has fewer mid-dorsal scales (77–235 versus 412), a low number of scale rows (anterior: 20; mid-body: 20; posterior: 19–20 versus 22; 24; 22, respectively) and the pupil is not visible (distinct in T. rajeryi ). Typhlops domerguei Roux-Estève, 1980 has fewer mid-dorsal scales (252–262), fewer subcaudals (6–7 versus 12) and has a short body (SVL: 150–176 versus 265). Typhlops reuteri Boettger, 1881 has also fewer mid-dorsal scales (345– 359) and subcaudals (8–9), has a short (198–222) and thin body (mid-body width: 4.5–5.0 versus 7.4). The type of T. madagascariensis Boettger, 1877 is longer (SVL: 410), has more mid-dorsal scales (580) and has a striped pattern (uniform in T. rajeryi ). Typhlops arenarius (Grandidier, 1872) is shorter (SVL: 80–211), thinner (mid-body width: 4.5– 5.0) and has an ogival head shape in dorsal view and wedge shape in lateral view (rounded head shape in dorsal and lateral views in T. rajeryi ). Typhlops mucronatus Boettger, 1880 has more scale rows (25–28; 24–28; 24–26), more middorsal scales (488–577), a truncated dorsal head shape and a brown coloration (pink coloration in living specimen, yellow to beige in alcohol for T. rajeryi ).

Description. SVL 265 mm, TL 6.8 mm, total length 272 mm, head width (at eye level) 4.9 mm, anterior body width 5.4 mm, mid-body width 7.4 mm, mid-tail width 5.4 mm, posterior body width 7.2 mm, length/width ratio 36.7, tail as percentage of total length 2.5, tail length/width ratio 1.3, subcaudals 12, dorsocaudals 14, paravertebrals 412, anterior body scale rows 22, mid-body scale rows 24, posterior body scale rows 22, mid-body costal twice as broad as deep.

Snout rounded in dorsal and lateral view ( Figs. 1 B, C); rostral narrow (0.36 head width), oval and elongate, 1.3 times as long as broad, truncated posteriorly and not reaching interocular level, nasals nearly meeting at the median line behind rostral; frontal slightly larger than interparietal; supraoculars oblique, twice as wide as deep, as wide as frontal, contact with postnasal 0.3 supraocular width; parietals transversally oriented, 3.1 times as wide as deep, and as wide as frontal; first occipital noticeably enlarged, 4.8 times as wide as deep; nostril directed laterally, its long axis at a 30° angle from horizontal, equally distant to rostral and preocular; nasal semi-divided with shallow posterior concavity, inferior nasal suture contacting second supralabial, superior nasal suture extending nostril at a 30° angle from horizontal across 0.75 of naso–rostral distance; four supralabials with T-V imbrication pattern (second and third supralabial overlap shields posterodorsally to them), first supralabial 0.7 the size of the second, second supralabial approximately as long as the third, third supralabial taller than second, fourth supralabial the longest and the tallest being as high as long, slightly more than twice the height and the length of the third. 210 vertebrae. Specimen pink in life, yellow to beige in alcohol.

Etymology. The species is named for Emile Rajeryiarison, an experimental naturalist working at Ranomafana, in honor of his outstanding effort and contribution to the improvement of the knowledge on the herpetofauna of the National Park. He has collaborated with many scientific expeditions in the area and across Madagascar.

Ecology. The single known specimen was found close to Ranomafana National Park and within an estimated 100 m of the entrance into the Talatakely forest. The animal was found about two hours after sunset, and had not been on the road long given that it was not seen at the same spot 15 minutes before collection. The weather was cool (approximately 20°C) and it had been raining heavily for three hours. Secondary forest with dense understory borders the tarmac road which is on a raised and very steep, almost vertical embankment. The local submontane tropical moist forest (900–1200 m) is characterized by a dense understory and a canopy of 18–35 m in height. The local terrain in general is steep. The soil is notably unfertile and acidic with high concentrations of iron and aluminum and low in phosphorus ( Johnson 1994). Annual precipitation ranges from 2300–4000 mm, with the rainy season occurring from December to March ( Overdorff 1993). Temperatures range from 4–12°C in June–September to 36–40°C in December–February ( Wright & Andriamihaja 2003).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Typhlops rajeryi sp. nov., holotype (ZSM 1589 / 2008). (A) Photograph of the freshly dead specimen. Alive, the individual had a pink head gradually paling toward a whitish caudal end. After several months in alcohol, it turned beige-yellow. Red punctures on the rostral part correspond to petechia, probably of accidental origin. (B) Lateral view of the head. (C) Dorsal view of the head. F: frontal, IP: interparietal, N (N 1 + N 2): nasals, P: parietal, PO: preocular, R: rostral, SL 1 and SL 4: first and fourth supralabial, SO: supraocular. Bar = 1 mm.