Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A 48109
http://dx.doi.org/10.61186/JAD.5.2.8
Abstract
I describe a new species of blindsnake of the genus Ramphotyphlops Fitzinger, 1843, from Woodlark Island, off the southeastern tip of New Guinea. The new species is a member of the R. flaviventer (Peters, 1864) group and is characterized by a unique combination of number of longitudinal scale rows, details of the shape of the rostral scale, color pattern, and shape of the tail spine. The nearest related species (R. depressus Peters, 1880) in this group occurs 380 km to the northeast from the new species, and the remaining species of the group lie no closer than 2570 km distant. The new species seems most similar morphologically to relatives from far western New Guinea, but this could be due to homoplasy or plesiomorphy. The species seems common in the widespread mature secondary forest that occurs across the island, but non-traditional land tenure and repeated outside proposals to deforest much of the island pose a continuing series of threats to this and other endemic species on Woodlark.
Cover photo: Male blackbuck antelope Antilope cervicapra (Linnaeus, 1758) (Mammalia: Bovidae) with abnormal horns from the Blackbuck National Park, Velavadar, Bhavnagar District, Gujarat: the left side horn is broken and the right side horn is bent.
Photo Credit: Kartik Upadhayay (2 February 2023).
Kraus,F. (2023). A new species of Ramphotyphlops Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata: Typhlopidae) in the R. flaviventer Group from Woodlark Island, Papua New Guinea. Journal of Animal Diversity, 5(2), 63-71. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.61186/JAD.5.2.8
MLA
Kraus,F. . "A new species of Ramphotyphlops Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata: Typhlopidae) in the R. flaviventer Group from Woodlark Island, Papua New Guinea", Journal of Animal Diversity, 5, 2, 2023, 63-71. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.61186/JAD.5.2.8
HARVARD
Kraus F. (2023). 'A new species of Ramphotyphlops Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata: Typhlopidae) in the R. flaviventer Group from Woodlark Island, Papua New Guinea', Journal of Animal Diversity, 5(2), pp. 63-71. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.61186/JAD.5.2.8
CHICAGO
F. Kraus, "A new species of Ramphotyphlops Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata: Typhlopidae) in the R. flaviventer Group from Woodlark Island, Papua New Guinea," Journal of Animal Diversity, 5 2 (2023): 63-71, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.61186/JAD.5.2.8
VANCOUVER
Kraus F. A new species of Ramphotyphlops Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata: Typhlopidae) in the R. flaviventer Group from Woodlark Island, Papua New Guinea. JAD, 2023; 5(2): 63-71. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.61186/JAD.5.2.8
