Dipsas oswaldobaezi ARTEAGA, SALAZAR-VALENZUELA, MEBERT, PEÑAFIEL, AGUIAR, SÁNCHEZ-NIVICELA, PYRON, COLSTON, CISNEROS-HEREDIA, YÁNEZ-MUÑOZ, VENEGAS, GUAYASAMIN & TORRES-CARVAJAL, 2018
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Dipsas oswaldobaezi
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| Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Oswaldo Báez’ Snail-Eater S: Caracolera de Oswaldo Báez |
| Synonym | Dipsas oswaldobaezi ARTEAGA, SALAZAR-VALENZUELA, MEBERT, PEÑAFIEL, AGUIAR, SÁNCHEZ-NIVICELA, PYRON, COLSTON, CISNEROS-HEREDIA, YÁNEZ-MUÑOZ, VENEGAS, GUAYASAMIN & TORRES-CARVAJAL 2018: 117 |
| Distribution | Ecuador (Loja, El Oro), NW Peru (Tumbes), elevation 39 - 1289 m Type locality: Quebrada El Faique, province of Loja, Ecuador (S4.17889, W80.04226; 1004 m elevation |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: QCAZ 10369 (Fig. 13), adult female collected by Silvia Aldás and Gabriel Zapata on March 03, 2010. Paratypes. BMNH1935.11.3.108, adult female collected by Clodoveo Carrión in the valley of Catamayo, province of Loja, Ecuador (S3.98064, W79.35928; 1289 m). MUSM 2192, adult male collected by Otavio Ruíz in Piura (department or city not specified), Peru. MZUA.RE.0286, adult of undetermined sex collected by Valentina Posse on December 2015 at Huaquillas, province of El Oro, Ecuador (S3.54115, W80.08646; 39 m). QCAZ 14051, adult of undetermined sex collected by Paul Székely and Diana Székely on March 18, 2015 at Reserva Ecológica Arenillas, province of El Oro, Ecuador (S3.62110, W80.17513; 41 m). QCAZ 14060, adult of undetermined sex collected by Paul Székely and Diana Székely on June 16, 2015 at Guabillo, province of El Oro, Ecuador (S3.60346, W80.18139; 44 m). QCAZ 15108, adult female collected by Diego Almeida, Darwin Núñez, Eloy Nusirquia, Santiago Guamán and Guadalupe Calle on November 12, 2016 at Reserva La Ceiba-Pilares, province of Loja, Ecuador (S4.27502, W80.32805; 534 m) (Fig. 14). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Dipsas oswaldobaezi is placed in the genus Dipsas based on phylogenetic evidence (Fig. 3) and the absence of a labial that is noticeably higher than other labials and in contact with the postocular, primary and secondary temporals. The species differs from all described species of Dipsas based on the following combination of characters: (1) 15/15/15 smooth dorsals with a slightly enlarged vertebral row (1–1.2 times as wide as adjacent rows); (2) loreal and prefrontal in contact with orbit; (3) six supralabials with 3rd and 4th contacting orbit; (4) no infralabials in contact behind symphysial; (5) 163–179 ventrals in males, 177–179 in females; (6) 68–70 divided subcaudals in males, 65–66 in females; (7) dorsal ground color light sandy brown with a pattern of 55–63 drab to brown black-edged middorsal blotches that are wider (7–9 vertebral scale rows) and solid down to the edges of the ventrals on the first one third of the body, but becoming narrower (1–3 vertebral scales long) and broken up laterally towards the tail; interspaces finely speckled with brown pigment; ground color of the head light sandy brown with a thin light cream nuchal collar and bold dark brown to black irregular blotches scattered on head plates and edging supralabials; ventral surfaces sandy brown with fine black speckling (Fig. 13b); iris sandy brown with dense dark brown speckling; (8) 277–348 mm SVL in males, 407–428 mm in females; (9) 85–114 mm TL in males, 110–122 mm in females. |
| Comment | Behavior: nocturnal Habitat: on vegetation or at ground level in forested environments, pastures, or rural gardens. One individual (QCAZ 15108) was found hidden under leaf litter during daytime. Two individuals (MZUA.RE.0286 and QCAZ 14060) were found dead on roads. Conservation status. We consider Dipsas oswaldobaezi to be Vulnerable following the IUCN criteria B1a,b(iii, iv) (IUCN 2001) because its extent of occurrence is esti- mated to be 8,605 km2; it is known only from eight localities effectively corresponding to four patches of forest lacking connectivity between them, and its habitat is severely fragmented and declining in extent and quality due to deforestation. Similar species: Dipsas oligozonata |
| Etymology | The specific name oswaldobaezi honors Dr. Oswaldo Báez, a renowned Ecuadorian biologist and researcher who has dedicated his life to the teaching of science, scientific thinking, and the conservation of nature. Oswaldo Báez has played a major role in science education in Ecuador through many popular science articles and books. |
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