A new snake of the genus Tropidophis (Tropidophiidae) from the Guanahacabibes Peninsula of Western Cuba

Abstract

Tropidophis xanthogaster, new species, is described from Guanahacabibes Peninsula, Pinar del Río Province, Cuba. It has a grayish-brown or greenish-gray dorsum with eight rows of dark brown spots and a yellow venter which lacks spots on the anterior one-third. It is placed in the pardalis group mainly because of its small size, low number of ventral scales (155-164), eight spot rows, and 23 scale rows at midbody. It differs from its closest relative, T. pardalis, by a combination of color, pattern, and scale differences. © Koninklijke Brill NV 2006.