 |
| Tantilla carolina Palacios-Aguilar, Fucsko, Jiménez-Arcos, Wilson & Mata-Silva, 2022 |
Abstract
A new species of Tantilla in the calamarina group from southeastern coastal Guerrero, Mexico is
described. This new species is part of a clade that contains T. calamarina, T. cascadae, T. ceboruca, T. coronadoi,
T. deppei, T. sertula, and T. vermiformis. All of these species are endemic to Mexico, except for T. vermiformis,
which is found along the Pacific coastal plain from El Salvador to northwestern Costa Rica. Members of this
group of Tantilla show varying adaptations to fossoriality, which might reflect their phylogenetic relationships.
Keywords. calamarina group, centipede snake, fossoriality, phylogenetics, Reptilia, taxonomy
 |
| Dorsal (A), lateral (B), and ventral (C) views of the head of the holotype of Tantilla carolina sp. nov.(BMNH 1906.6.1.241). |
 |
| Dorsal view of the holotype of Tantilla carolina sp. nov. (BMNH 1906.6.1.241). |
Tantilla carolina, new species
Suggested common name. Carolina’s Little Snake.
Diagnosis. Tantilla carolina is a member of the T. calamarina group (Table 1). This species differs from Tantilla calamarina by the presence of more ventrals in females (156 versus [hereinafter = vs.] 118–140), more total segmental scales (194 vs. 146–179), a normallysized preocular scale in contact with the postnasal scale (vs. a preocular with a tendency toward a decrease in size to complete the loss of the scale), two postocular scales (vs. one), seven supralabials (vs. usually six), a uniform dorsal head color followed by two pale postparietal spots (vs. a head pattern consisting of a spatulate dark anterior extension of the middorsal dark stripe flanked by prominent pale narrow longitudinal markings confluent with the pale postparietal spots), and a body pattern involving a dark lateral stripe that does not extend to the end of the body (vs. a dark brown lateral stripe on rows 3 and 4 extending the length of the body).
...
Etymology. We are privileged to name this small snake in honor of the Hungarian Freedom Fighter Karolina Laszló (Fig. 4), in recognition of her dedication to the maintenance of human rights for all peoples in the face of totalitarianism, beginning with the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. As a young woman, Karolina was forced to join the exodus of her country people, in the company of her new husband, a soldier, Ede Károly Fucskó, who bravely defied the Hungarian dictatorship, communism, and the invading Soviet army. Ede Károly Udvarhelyi was adopted at an early age, when his mother remarried and thus kept the surname Fucskó. As the couple roamed through several European countries, in search of a refuge from the terror of oppressive political regimes, they escaped to England before seeking asylum in Australia. Due to unforeseen circumstances, however, the family of five later travelled back to Hungary, residing there for several years before escaping again to Vienna, Austria, then travelling to Italy, and from there they journeyed to South Africa. There, they dared to oppose the policy of apartheid but eventually, under duress, had to flee as interracial tensions escalated into further hostilities and reprisals. Finally, the family found relative solace in the democratic land of Australia, where life remained challenging in such a strangely beautiful land. During this long trek to find a life of freedom, Karolina and Ede were accompanied by their three children, John Edward, Stephen Charles, and a coauthor of this paper, Lydia Allison Fucsko. Therefore, in Karolina’s honor, we named this snake Tantilla carolina sp. nov., with a reference to the meaning of the name Carolina in Spanish as “the prettiest woman of the town,” an apt descriptor for this truly lovely, indomitable, and spirited lady whose humanitarian efforts continue to inspire future generations.
Ricardo Palacios-Aguilar, Lydia Allison Fucsko, Víctor H. Jiménez-Arcos, Larry David Wilson and Vicente Mata-Silva. 2022. Out of the Past: A New Species of Tantilla of the calamarina Group (Squamata: Colubridae) from southeastern coastal Guerrero, Mexico, with Comments on Relationships among Members of the Group. Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. 16(2); 120-132.
Resumen.— Describimos una nueva especie de Tantilla del grupo calamarina de la costa sureste de Guerrero, México. Esta nueva especie forma parte de un clado que contiene a T. calamarina, T. cascadae, T. ceboruca, T. coronadoi, T. deppei, T. sertula y T. vermiformis. Todas estas especies son endémicas de México, excepto T. vermiformis, que se encuentra a lo largo de la planicie costera del Pacífico desde El Salvador hasta el noroeste de Costa Rica. Los miembros de este grupo de Tantilla muestran diversas adaptaciones a la fosorialidad, lo que podría reflejar sus relaciones filogenéticas.
Palabras claves. Culebra ciempiés, fosorialidad, grupo calamarina, relaciones filogenéticas, Reptilia, taxonomía
