#Adelynhoserserpenae nummifer

[reptilemanaustralia]

Taxonomic vandalism - Wuster Gang of thieves - Vipers

GENUS ADELYNHOSERSERPENAE GEN. NOV. (2012) Type species: Atropos nummifer Rüppell 1845 (Currently recognised in most contemporary texts as Atropoides nummifer) Diagnosis: Adelynhoserserpenae gen. nov. is easily separated from the genus Atropoides by scalation. In Adelynhoserserpenae males have 104-136 ventrals, versus 138- 155 in Atropoides (Campbell and Lamar 2004), females have 103-138 ventrals, versus 143-145 in Atropoides (Campbell and Lamar 2004). This difference reflects the physical reality that Atropoides is a much longer and more slender animal than all species in Adelynhoserserpenae gen. nov. In Adelynhoserserpenae nasorostrals are often present, (as opposed to always absent in Atropoides), there is a single row of subfoveals separating prelacunal from supralabials (versus 1-3 rows of subfoveals separating prelacunal from supralabials in Atropoides). Atropides is defined above in this diagnosis as only including the species taxon A. picadoi. A. picadoi is a relatively thinly bodied species, versus the thickset body form of Adelynhoserserpenae. Character states such as intersupraoculars, supralabials, infalabials, dorsal mid-body scale rows and lateral body blotches are highly variable both between and within species and are not helpful in separating the genera. However Atropoides picadoi has considerably smaller shields at the back of the head than all species of Adelynhoserserpenae. In Atropoides these shields would be defined as small, whereas in Adelynhoserserpenae they’d be defined as medium (refer also to fig. 91 in Campbell and Lamar 2004). The genus Adelynhoserserpenae is found from northeastern Mexico southward through Central America to central Panama. They are usually forest dwellers. For a detailed description of the snakes in the genus Atropoides as defined until now (which would act to diagnose this new genus in conjunction with the information above), refer to pages 274-290 of Campbell and Lamar (2004). The very thickset build of Adelynhoserserpenae easily separates them from other pitvipers. Campbell and Lamar (2004), page 275, detailed minor hemipenal differences between the species mexicanus and picadoi, which was further investigated by Jadin, et. al. (2010) who found little significant differences between the various species in both genera. However investigation of venom composition and toxicity is required, as so far it has been shown that in Adelynhoserserpenae it seems to be considerably less toxic to humans than for Atropoides picadoi (Campbell and Lamar 2004).. Etymology: Named in honour of my eldest daughter, Adelyn Hoser, who by age 13 has more expertise with snakes than most people many times her age. She has been handling the world’s deadliest snakes since she was a baby and with complete safety as they were all venomoid (Hoser 2004), giving her unrivalled knowledge of the inner workings of venomous snakes. Hence it’s fitting that she should be recognised by having a genus of venomous snakes named in her honour. SPECIES WITHIN ADELYNHOSERSERPENAE GEN. NOV. Adelynhoserserpenae indomitus Smith and Ferrari-Castro, 2008 Adelynhoserserpenae mexicanus (Duméril, Bibron and Duméril, 1854) Adelynhoserserpenae nummifer (Rüppell 1845) Adelynhoserserpenae occiduus (Hoge, 1966) Adelynhoserserpenae olmec (Perez-Higareda, Smith and JuliaZertuche, 1985) Species remaining in the genus Atropoides Werman 1992 Atropoides picadoi (Dunn, 1939). Hoser, R. T. 2012. A new genus of Jumping Pitviper from Middle America (Serpentes: Viperidae). Australasian Journal of herpetology 10:33-34. Published 8 April 2012. Full text available at: http://www.smuggled.com/Issue-10-33-34.pdf ALSO SEE Hoser, R. T. 3013. Adelynhoserserpenae wellsi, a new species of Jumping Pitviper from Mexico (Serpentes: Viperidae). Australasian Journal of Herpetology 16:27-30. Published 29 April 2013. Available online at http://www.smuggled.com/issue-16-27-30.pdf