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(A) Corallus batesii from Santa Cecilia, Sucumbios, Ecuador (KU 121833); (B) C. batesii from Ariquemes, Rondo ˆ nia, Brazil; (C) C. cf. batesii from an unknown locality; (D) C. caninus from Santa Elena de Uairen, Bolivar, Venezuela.
Source publication
The arboreal boa Corallus caninus is widely distributed across northern South America (the Guianas and Amazonia). We examined geographic variation based on examination of 192 specimens from throughout the range, and revised its taxonomy on the basis of quantitative and qualitative analyses of morphological characters (meristics, morphometrics, and...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... batesii (Gray, 1860) Figure 4A Diagnosis.-Distinguishable from all other species of Corallus (except C. caninus) based on its green dorsal ground color (rarely black or nearly so) with enamel-white markings on the dorsum (never immaculate green). ...
Context 2
... 2-9 scale rows, and at PDORS 2-6 scale rows; encroaching scales are flecked with green. Mental groove usually black, sometimes gray, and rarely white. Some specimens from unknown localities with black dorsal ground color, green flecks, mid-dorsal stripe and associated triangles, bright yellow venter, underside of head yellow, and labials yellow (Fig. 4). Juvenile dorsal coloration (in alcohol) pale yellow to beige (in life, red-orange) in specimens 389-590 mm ...
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Citations
... The emerald tree boa (Corallus batesii), is a medium sized boid with arboreal habits that naturally occurs in forested habitats with a broad canopy in the Amazon Basin [1,2]. These animals have aglyphous dentition which means that they are non venomous [3]. ...
Emerald tree boas (Corallus batesii) are boids that in situ occurs in forested habitats in the Amazon Basin. The mycobacterial species can infect reptiles but the species Mycolicibacterium fortuitum was identified only in feces samples of ex situ Python regius and was isolated from granulomatous lesions of an ex situ Iguana iguana when was still part of the genus Mycobacterium. This article aims to report a mycobacteria infection case in a female Corallus batesii kept under human care. The animal presented apathy and 2 months of anorexia, being found dead. The necropsy revealed presence of tracheal and pulmonary nodules besides multifocal, bacterial, granulomatous pneumonia. After Fite-Faraco histochemical staining, immunohistochemistry, semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genetic sequencing the Mycolicibacterium fortuitum complex was diagnosed with 99.54% of nucleotide similarity. This mycobacterial species was already pointed out as an important nosocomial pathogen and more studies are necessary to explore their zoonotic potential.
... As a rule, such character systems have been disregarded if compared to other sources of phenotypic characters (e.g., male geniatlia and osteological features) in several groups of snakes (see [96]). However, for all other extant boid the colour patterns have proven to hold interesting phylogenetic signals [97][98][99][100]. By following definitions of cryptic species [95], we believe that most taxa currently recognized as full species along the Boa constrictor Clade (i.e., Boa atlantica sp. ...
Snakes of the genus Boa are outstanding elements of the New World biota with a broad sociological influence on pop culture. Historically, several taxa have been recognized in the past 300 years, being mostly described in the early days of binomial nomenclature. As a rule, these taxa were recognized based on a suite of phenotypic characters mainly those from the external morphology. However, there is a huge disagreement with respect to the current taxonomy and available molecular phylogenies. In order to reconcile both lines of evidence, we investigate the phylogenetic reconstruction (using mitochondrial and nuclear genes) of the genus in parallel to the detailed study of some phenotypic systems from a geographically representative sample of the cis-Andean mainland Boa constrictor . We used cyt- b only (744bp) from 73 samples, and cyt- b , ND4, NTF3, and ODC partial sequences (in a total of 2305 bp) from 35 samples, comprising nine currently recognized taxa (species or subspecies), to infer phylogenetic relationships of boas. Topologies recovered along all the analyses and genetic distances obtained allied to a unique combination of morphological traits (colouration, pholidosis, meristic, morphometric, and male genitalia features) allowed us to recognize B . constrictor lato sensu , B . nebulosa , B . occidentalis , B . orophias and a distinct lineage from the eastern coast of Brazil, which we describe here as a new species, diagnosing it from the previously recognized taxa. Finally, we discuss the minimally necessary changes in the taxonomy of Boa constrictor complex; the value of some usually disregarded phenotypic character system; and we highlight the urgency of continuing environmental policy to preserve one of the most impacted Brazilian hotspots, the Atlantic Forest, which represents an ecoregion full of endemism.
... Six operational analytical units (termed called subpopulations hereafter) were determined according to the Amazon Basin interfluves (Fig. 4) as follows: north of the Amazon River and east of the Negro River (A), south of the Amazon River and east of the Tocantins-Araguaia River (B), south of the Amazon River and west of the Tapajós River (C), and south of the Amazon River and between the Tocantins-Araguaia and Tapajós Rivers (D). Thus, we hypothetically considered hydrography as a possible natural barrier to the dispersion of individuals among Amazonian subpopulations (sensu Wallace 1852), as recently reported for anurans (Godinho & Silva 2018), snakes (Henderson et al. 2009;Dal Vechio et al. 2021), birds (Oliveira et al. 2017;Ribas et al. 2011), and mammals (Boubli et al. 2015). ...
Wagler described Natrix sexcarinata through a specimen collected on the banks of the Amazon River in Brazil, without citing a specific location. The species was later transferred to different Neotropical genera (Chironius, Herpetodryas, Phrynonax, and Pseustes) currently allocated in the Family Colubridae. The taxonomic instability of Natrix sexcarinata is probably due to its brief original description in combination with its supposedly inaccurate illustration. Despite the holotype being lost during World War II, some authors have pointed out that its description is somewhat similar to the widespread concept of Pseustes poecilonotus. More recently, a molecular study proposed the synonymy of the genera Pseustes with Spilotes, resurrecting the Phrynonax genus to allocate Ph. poecilonotus and Ph. polylepis. However, the taxonomic positioning of Natrix sexcarinata remains unsatisfactory with respect to the cis-Andean taxa placed in Phrynonax or even Spilotes throughout the Amazon. Considering the taxonomic and nomenclatural problems mentioned above, we investigated how many Phrynonax species occur along the Amazon Basin and what would be their applicable name. We examined the external morphology (meristic, morphometric, and color pattern data) of 118 Phrynonax specimens and prepared the hemipenes of seven specimens to understand geographic, sexual, and ontogenetic variability parameters. Our result suggests the synonymy of Ph. polylepis and N. sexcarinata under the combination Phrynonax sexcarinatus. Based on available evidence, we reinforce that Phrynonax sexcarinatus is the only congener that occurs along the Amazon Basin. We have also designated a Natrix sexcarinata neotype to stabilize its complex nomenclature.
... For strictly exploratory analytical purposes, we further divided the populations of Xenopholis scalaris to investigate if there is any additional level of phenotypic differentiation. We considered Atlantic Forest populations as a single group due to the relatively small sample available and divided the Amazonian samples in two operation units: a Guiana Shield group, with locations north of the Amazon River and west of the Negro River; and south of the Amazon River within the Amazon drainage basin; see Henderson [48] for a similar analytical approach. ...
A reliable identification and delimitation of species is an essential prerequisite for many fields of science and conservation. The Neotropical herpetofauna is the world's most diverse, including many taxa of uncertain or debated taxonomy. Here we tackle one such species complex, by evaluating the taxonomic status of species currently allocated in the snake genus Xenopholis (X. scalaris, X. undulatus, and X. werdingorum). We base our conclusions on concordance between quantitative (meristic and morphometric) and qualitative (color pattern, hemipenes and skull features) analyses of morphological characters, in combination with ecological niche modeling. We recognize all three taxa as valid species and improve their respective diagnosis, including new data on color in life, pholidosis, bony morphology , and male genitalia. We find low overlap among the niches of each species, corroborating the independent source of phenotypic evidence. Even though all three species occur in the leaf litter of distinct forested habitats, Xenopholis undulatus is found in the elevated areas of the Brazilian Shield (Caatinga, Cerrado and Chaco), whereas X. scalaris occurs in the Amazon and Atlantic rainforests, and X. werdingorum in the Chiquitanos forest and Pan-tanal wetlands. We discuss the disjunct distribution between Amazonian and Atlantic Forest snake species in the light of available natural history and ecological aspects. This study shows the advantages of combining multiple data sources for reliable identification and cir-cumscription of ecologically similar species.
... pressures common to their conserved niches (Bickford et al., 2007;Metzger et al., 2010). Remarkably, the evolutionarily distant but morphologically convergent emerald tree boa (Corallus caninus) exhibits the same lime green coloration, white dorsal patterning, a strongly triangulate head, near identical ecological traits, and undergoes a strikingly similar ontogenetic color change from juvenile red to adult green (Esquerré and Keogh, 2016;Henderson et al., 2009). Convergence among other distantly related forest-dwelling snakes suggests a narrow arboreal niche that must drive strong convergence towards a specific phenotype (Henderson and Binder, 1980). ...
... pressures common to their conserved niches (Bickford et al., 2007;Metzger et al., 2010). Remarkably, the evolutionarily distant but morphologically convergent emerald tree boa (Corallus caninus) exhibits the same lime green coloration, white dorsal patterning, a strongly triangulate head, near identical ecological traits, and undergoes a strikingly similar ontogenetic color change from juvenile red to adult green (Esquerré and Keogh, 2016;Henderson et al., 2009). Convergence among other distantly related forest-dwelling snakes suggests a narrow arboreal niche that must drive strong convergence towards a specific phenotype (Henderson and Binder, 1980). ...
... Four species of Corallus have been reported in Colombia-Corallus annulatus (Cope, 1876), C. batesii (Gray, 1860), C. hortulanus (Linnaeus, 1758), and C. ruschenbergerii (Cope, 1876)-in lowland forests and scrubland, at elevations from sea level to elevations of about 1000 m (Henderson et al. 2009). However, Henderson et al. (2001) suggested that C. blombergi (Rendahl & Vesterfren, 1941) is likely in southwestern Colombia, based on an unexamined specimen from Tumaco, department of Nariño, which was deposited at the Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia (ICN-R-6680). ...
We report the first record in Colombia of Blomberg's Tree Boa, Corallus blombergi (Rendahl & Vestergren, 1941), based on 2 specimens from Tumaco municipality, department of Nariño, Colombia. The present record extends this species' documented distribution northwest by 55 km from its nearest previously known Ecuadorian occurrence and increases the number of Corallus species in Colombia to 5. In addition to summarizing its distribution, we present a brief comparison with the distribution of C. annulatus (Cope, 1876), the species most similar to C. blombergi.
... The arboreal boas of the genus Corallus currently comprise 9 valid species. Similar to the species and subspecies of B. constrictor, they present many morphological variations along their wide distribution in the Neotropical region [12,13]. Three species can be found in both Central America and South America (Corallus blombergi, Corallus annulatus and Corallus ruschenbergerii). ...
... In C. hortulanus, heterochromatic blocks were evident in all macrochromosomes (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), with bitelomeric, interstitial and centromeric markings (Fig 2c). ...
... In the anacondas (E. murinus and E. notaeus), heterochromatic blocks were also evident in all macrochromosomes (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16), with bitelomeric, interstitial and centromeric markings (Fig 2f). In both species, the chromosome 1 pair showed high similarity, with an interstitial heterochromatic block on the short arm, 2 interstitial blocks on the long arm and bitelomeric markings; however, variations in the distribution and quantity of these heterochromatic blocks were very evident between the 2 species (Fig 2i). ...
Boids are primitive snakes from a basal lineage that is widely distributed in Neotropical region. Many of these species are both morphologically and biogeographically divergent, and the relationship among some species remains uncertain even with evolutionary and phylogenetic studies being proposed for the group. For a better understanding of the evolutionary relationship between these snakes, we cytogenetically analysed 7 species and 3 subspecies of Neotropical snakes from the Boidae family using different chromosomal markers. The karyotypes of Boa constrictor occidentalis, Corallus hortulanus, Eunectes notaeus, Epicrates cenchria and Epicrates assisi are presented here for the first time with the redescriptions of the karyotypes of Boa constrictor constrictor, B. c. amarali, Eunectes murinus and Epicrates crassus. The three subspecies of Boa, two species of Eunectes and three species of Epicrates exhibit 2n = 36 chromosomes. In contrast, C. hortulanus presented a totally different karyotype composition for the Boidae family, showing 2n = 40 chromosomes with a greater number of macrochromosomes. Furthermore, chromosomal mapping of telomeric sequences revealed the presence of interstitial telomeric sites (ITSs) on many chromosomes in addition to the terminal markings on all chromosomes of all taxa analysed, with the exception of E. notaeus. Thus, we demonstrate that the karyotypes of these snakes are not as highly conserved as previously thought. Moreover, we provide an overview of the current cytotaxonomy of the group.
... This issue is particularly important considering taxa described based on few specimens and/or with diagnostic characters apparently very conspicuous. Frequently these taxa may actually represent species complexes, weakening the diagnosis of species already described and hindering the recognition of cryptic species (Bickford et al. 2006;Franco et al. 2007;Henderson et al. 2009). ...
... This issue is particularly important considering taxa described based on few specimens and/or with diagnostic characters apparently very conspicuous. Frequently these taxa may actually represent species complexes, weakening the diagnosis of species already described and hindering the recognition of cryptic species (Bickford et al. 2006;Franco et al. 2007;Henderson et al. 2009). ...
We describe a new species of Chironius Fitzinger, 1826 from the highlands of Chapada Diamantina, state of Bahia, Brazil. The new species is distinguished from all currently recognized congeners by a unique combination of states of characters on coloration, scale counts, scale ornamentation, and hemipenis. The new species closely resembles Chironius flavolineatus (Jan, 1863) in color pattern, but differs from the later taxon by the presence of two to four posterior temporal scales; cloacal shield entire; six to ten rows of keeled dorsal scales at midbody; ventral scales with posterior dark edges forming conspicuous transverse bars along almost the entire venter; conspicuous dark longitudinal stripes (in "zigzag") in the midventral portion of subcaudals; region of medial constriction of hemipenis slightly covered with spinules separating calyces of apex from spines below region of constriction; and sulcus spermaticus situated on convex face of hemipenis in lateral view. The new species is apparently restricted to Chapada Diamantina, corroborating the biological importance of this region from a conservational perspective.
