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The Puerto Rican Boa, Chilabothrus inornatus downgraded from CITES App I to App II
On 12 January, 2023 the CITES Secretariat posted a Notification to the Parties announcing amendments to CITES Appendices I and II. That announcement (No. 2023/005) can be found here.
In a NOTICE TO THE WILDLIFE IMPORT/EXPORT COMMUNITY from the USFWS, Conference of the Parties (CoP19) Amendments to Appendices I and II are effective 90 days after the last day of the CoP. This rule change will take effect 23 February, 2023. The USFWS Notice can be found in its entirety here.
Species Transferred from Appendix I to Appendix II:
— Chilabothrus inornatus (Puerto Rican boa) (NOTE: Listed as Endangered under the ESA)
Given how vague the USFWS Bulletin was, we asked the USFWS the following questions on 16 January, 2023:
1- After the 90 day wait period (23 Feb, 2023) does the Puerto Rican boa (Chilabothrus inornatus) remain on the ESA?
2-Does it remain on the ESA as Endangered?
3-Can it be imported and exported outside of the CONUS (Continental US)?
4-Can it now be transported across state lines without permit (other than breeding loans/gifting)?
5-Can out-of-state sales take place?
On 27 January, 2023 we received the following response:
“The CITES reclassification does not affect the ESA listing in any way. U.S. trade with the species would still need to meet the ESA Import/ Export Requirements. The CITES listing only affects international trade so there are no changes to its interstate movement or sale at this time.”
In July, 2022 the USFWS, via the Federal Register, solicited comments regarding their plan to remove the Puerto Rican Boa from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. That decision has not been published as of 9 July, 2023.
A new Tropidophis is described from the Dominican Republic
The new Tropidophis is to be named Tropidophis leonae sp. nov., the Jaragua Golden Trope, after Dominican biologist Yolanda M. Leon, a conservation advocate who logistically supported the project. The work was accomplished by Miguel A. Landestoy T. in a single author paper – Bravo! . The author is also the discoverer of Chilabothrus ampelophis (see: ).
This new species is smaller and laterally compressed when compared to the only other Trope on the large island, Tropidophis haetianus. It has a higher ventral count, differs in head width, neck width, color and pattern.
The Trope was found preying on tadpoles and small toadlets in several inches of water in a limestone hole. It is found only from the karst foothills near Pedernales Province. This brings the number of Tropidophis to 35, with six of them living on the mainland. There is so much work to be done with this genus. Who will take up the monumental challenge?
The new paper can be found here.
Citations
A new species of dwarf boa, Tropidophis cacuangoae sp. nov., from the Upper Amazon Basin
This new Tropidophis species was found while examining a series of snakes from the Andes of Ecuador. The new species is tentatively placed as a sister-clade to Tropdophis taczanowskyi. More research is needed as the sequences for the mainland species are absent in the database. “Cacuangoae” is Latinized in honor of human rights Ecuadoran activist Dolores Cacuango.
This new Trope brings the number of valid species to 34, with six of those found on the mainland. On the mainland, the Tropes are evenly divided with three on the Atlantic highland forest range of eastern Brazil and three on the West side of the continent in montane tropical forests of Ecuador and Peru; yet east of the Andes. It is interesting all are found at higher and cooler elevations.
This paper highlights the need for more work on the Genus-there is little to no sequencing available for the genus in its entirety. That work would clarify some species validity issues, allow candidate species to be described, invalidate others and, most likely, raise a whole new littany of questions about the genus .
Read the new paper published in the European Journal of Taxonomy 854: 1-107 (2022) here.
Citations
Three West Indian Corallus species produced in 2022
This season was a productive one for C. ruschenbergerii, C. cookii and C. grenadensis. The first species to reproduce was C. grenadensis, with two litters of seven and three neonates, respectively. The litters were born on 21 October and 24 October, 2022. The average weight of a neonate was 6.28 grams; by far the smallest neonates of the genus Corallus.
The second species reproduced this year was C. cookii, with a litter of eight nenates born 30 November 2022. The average weight of a neonate was 7.35 grams, the second smallest of the genus.
The third species to be reproduced this season was C. ruschenbergerii, consisting of a litter of six live and six stillborn. The average weight of a neonate was 21.45 grams, making them the third largest neonates of the genus.
Pre-order available for “Boas of the West Indies: Evolution, Natural History, and Conservation”
By R. Graham Reynolds, Robert W. Henderson, Luis M. Diaz, Tomas M. Rodriguez-Cabrera and Alberto R. Puente-Rolon. Forward by Jonathan B. Losos. Hardcover $59.95
ISBN13: 9781501765452
ISBN10: 1501765450
Publication date: 03/15/2023
Pages: 288
Illustrations: 122 color photos, 21 maps, 3 charts, 2 graphs
Dimensions: 8 x 10 x 0 in
Pre-order here:
https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501765452/boas-of-the-west-indies/#bookTabs=4
Pre-order the New Book “Reptiles of the Lesser Antilles”
There is a 30 euro discount for pre-ordering the book. It is in A5 format: 900 images on 608 pages. Pre-order cost is 98 euros direct from Chimaira at the link below.
A quick note on Corallus neonate weight comparisons
Using data for 8 of the 9 species of Corallus (excluding C. cropanii), the chart below depicts the differences in weights of newborn neonates. It should be no surprise the smallest species are those neonates that initially start feeding on ectothermic prey items (Anolis).
Corallus ruschenbergerii: documenting its life cycle in captivity
Of the 9 species in the genus Corallus, C. ruschenbergerii (Cope, 1875) is one of three species least understood. Two litters of insular C. ruschenbergerii were born on 14 November and 15 November, 2021. Litter sizes were 12 live/one stillborn and 13 live respectively. Neither litter contained any unfertilized ovum.
Average neonate weight for the first litter is 16.20 grams. All neonates were patterned in various shades of orange. All neonates underwent their first shed from days 9 through 13 after birth.
Average neonate weight for the 2nd litter is 17.19 grams. All neonates underwent their first shed from days 9 through 13 after birth. All neonates were patterned. Interestingly, two different color forms were present in this litter: nine newborns displayed various shades of orange and 4 were gray. This is the first time color heterogeneity is reported in an insular C. ruschenbergerii litter.
Compare these two litters with one litter born last year that consisted of all patternless neonates with the same shade of orange.
For more information and photos, visit the chapter on C. ruschenbergerii here.
Reptiles and Amphibians, Vol 28, No. 3, December 2021 issue
This particular issue has four articles on the Genus Tropidophis. They are:
Giant dwarfs: Very large giant tropes Tropidophis melanurus (Squamata: Tropidophiidae), and new maximum size records for the species.
https://journals.ku.edu/reptilesandamphibians/article/view/15965
New prey records for two snakes of the genus Tropidophis (Tropidophiidae) from urban habitats in La Habana, Cuba.
https://journals.ku.edu/reptilesandamphibians/article/view/15858
Predation on murid rodents by the Giant Trope, Tropidophis melanurus (Squamata: Tropidophiidae), with comments on predation of mammals by snakes of the genus Tropidophis
https://journals.ku.edu/reptilesandamphibians/article/view/15876
Westernmost record of the Spotted Red Trope, Tropidophis maculatus (Squamata: Tropidophiidae), with comments on the Tropidophis species assemblage from the Guanahacabibes Peninsula.
https://journals.ku.edu/reptilesandamphibians/article/view/15857
Individual PDF’s can be downloaded from each link.