Title
A rhapsody of colours from Madagascar. discovery of a remarkable new snake of the genus Liophidium and its phylogenetic relationships
Author(s)
David R. Vieites, Fanomezana M. Ratsoavina, Roger-Daniel Randrianiaina, Zoltán T. Nagy, Frank Glaw and Miguel Vences
Published
2010
Publisher
SALAMANDRA
Abstract
We describe an extraordinarily bright-coloured new species of lamprophiid snake from Makira reserve in the North East of Madagascar, assigned to the subfamily Pseudoxyrhophiinae. Liophidium pattoni sp. n. is characterised by four pink-red longitudinal lines on a black dorsum, a yellow venter and a pink-red ventral side of tail. It had previously been photographed at Masoala National Park in northeastern Madagascar and possibly elsewhere, but its generic assignment was uncertain because no specimens were available for study. Molecular phylogenetic analyses on the basis of DNA sequences of the cytochrome b, 6S rRNA and nuclear c-mos genes are concordant in placing the new species sister to Liophidium rhodogaster, and these two species sister to a clade containing the remaining Liophidium species included. Besides its unique colour and a substantial genetic differentiation, L. pattoni differs from almost all Liophidium by meristic characters, the only exception being L. torquatum that exhibits overlaps in scale counts with the new species but differs by its colouration, with lack of pink-red colour on the back, a dark band in the neck, and transversal lines of spots on the venter. Next to the yellow-black Stenophis citrinus, this is the second pseudoxyrhophiine from Madagascar with such bright and potentially aposematic colour, although these two species both are not aggressive and, as far as is known, not dangerously toxic.
Keywords
Lamprophiidae, Liophidium pattoni sp. n., Madagascar, molecular relationships, Serpentes, Squamata
Full Citation
Vieites, D. R., Ratsoavina, F. M.,Randrianiaina, R. D., Nagy, Z. T., Glaw, F. and Vences, M. 2010. A rhapsody of colours from Madagascar: discovery of a remarkable new snake of the genus Liophidium. Salamandra 46(1) 1-10 and its phylogenetic relationships.
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