Abstract
Corallus hortulana presents a large array of tones and color pattern variability throughout its distribution (= polychromatism), which trigged the description of several taxa now considered to be primary synonyms. Linnaeus described two of these (Boa enydris and Boa hortulana) on the same page of the 10th Edition of the Systema Naturae. However, both names had been widely used in literature almost in an optional way, until their formal synonymization more than two centuries after the original description. Additionally, the type specimen of Boa hortulana was reported as missing since the late 19th century. These two factors may have enabled the unjustified switched association of types, which was perpetuated in the literature to the present day. Our main goals here were to trace the correct type specimens for each species through a literature review and specimen examination, and to amend the switched association of type material. We found two specimens in the collection of the Uppsala University that are unmistakably associated with Boa hortulana. Herein we designate one of them as its lectotype in order to promote nomenclatural stability considering its huge phenotypic variability and the future possibility of eventually splitting the species.
References
Andersson, L.G. (1899) Catalogue of Linnean type-specimens of snakes in the Royal Museum in Stockholm. Bihang till Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Handlingar, 24 (6), 1–35.
Bauer, A.M. & Günther, R. (2014) Die Amphibien und Reptilien aus der von Borcke-Sammlung des Berliner Museums für Naturkunde: eine Fundgrube für verschollen geglaubtes Seba-Material. Sekretär, 14 (1), 3–33.
Bechstein, J.M. (1802) Herrn De la Cepede‘s Naturgeschichte der Amphibien oder der eyerlegenden vierfüβigen Thiere und der Schlangen. Vol. 5. Industrie-Comptoir’s, Weimar, 200 pp.
Boulenger, G.A. (1893) Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Part. I. Trustees of the British Museum, London, 448 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.8316
Briceño-Rossi, A.L. (1934) El problema del ofidismo en Venezuela. Boletín del Ministerio de Salubridad y Agricultura y Cria, Venezuela, año II, 1 (14), 1079–1177.
Cuvier, G. (1816) Le règne animal distribué d’après son organisation, pour servir de base a l’historire naturelle des animaux et d’introduction a l’anatomie comparée. Vol. 2. Les reptiles, les poissons, les mollusques et les annélides. Fortin, Masson et cie, Paris, 370 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.39612
Daston, L. (2004) Type specimens and scientific memory. Critical Inquiry, 31, 153–182.
https://doi.org/10.1086/427306
Daudin, F. (1803) Histoire naturelle, generale et particuliere des Reptiles. Vol. 5. F. Dufart, Paris, 365 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.60678
David, P., Vogel, G. & Dubois, A. (2011) On the need to follow rigorously the rules of the Code for the subsequent designation of a nucleospecies (type species) for a nominal genus which lacked one: the case of the nominal genus Trimeresurus Lacépède, 1804 (Reptilia: Squamata: Viperidae). Zootaxa, 2992 (1), 1–51.
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2992.1.1
Donndorff, J.A. (1798) Zoologische Beyträge zur XIII. Ausgabe des Linneischen Natursystems. Dritter Band. Amphibien und Fische. Weid-mannschen Buchhandlung, Leipzig, 980 pp.
Dowling, H.G. (1951) A proposed standard system of counting ventrals in snakes. British Journal of Herpetology, 1, 97–99.
Duarte, M.O., Freitas, T.M.S. & Prudente, A.L.C. (2015) Polychromatism of populations of Corallus hortulanus (Squamata: Boidae) from the southern Amazon Basin, Brazil. Acta Amazonica, 45 (4), 373–382.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4392201500603
Dubois, A. (2017) The need for reference specimens in zoological taxonomy and nomenclature. Bionomina, 12, 4–38.
https://doi.org/10.11646/bionomina.12.1.2
Duméril, A.M.C. & Bibron, G. (1844) Erpétologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Vol. 6. Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret, Paris, 610 pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.45973
Fitzinger, L.J. (1826a) Kritische Bemerkungen über J. Wagler’s Schlangenwerk. Isis von Oken, 19, 881–909.
Fitzinger, L.J. (1826b) Neue Classification der Reptilien nach ihren natürlichen Verwandtschaften nebst einer Verwandtschaften-Tafel und einem Verzeichnisse der Reptilien-Sammlung des K. K. Zoologischen Museum‘s zu Wien. J. G. Huebner, Wien, 66 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.4683
Forcart, L. (1951) Nomenclature remarks on some generic names of the snake family Boidae. Herpetologica, 7 (4), 197–199.
Frétey, T. (2019) Capitalised epithets in the works of Linnaeus (1758–1767), findings and consequences in herpetology. Bionomina, 16 (1), 22–45.
https://doi.org/10.11646/bionomina.16.1.2
Gasc, J.P. & Rodrigues, M.T. (1980) Liste préliminaire des serpents de la Guyane Française. Bulletin du Museum National d’histoire Naturelle Paris, 4 (2), 559–598.
Gmelin, J.F. (1788) Caroli a Linné, Systema naturae per regne tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Pars III. G. E. Beer, Lipsiae, 1092 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.36932
Gravenhorst, J.L.C.C. (1807) Vergleichende Übersicht des Linneischen und einiger neuern zoologischen Systeme, nebst dem eingeschalteten Verzeichnisse der zoologischen Sammlung des Verfassers und den Beschreibungen neuer Thierarten, die in derselben vorhanden sind. Heinrich Dietrich, Göttingen, 476 pp.
Gray, J.E. (1842) Synopsis of the species of prehensile-tailed snakes, or family Boidae. The Zoological Miscellany, 2, 41–46.
Gray, J.E. (1849) Catalogue of the specimens of snakes in the collection of the British Museum. Trustees of the British Museum, London, 125 pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.5503
Gonzalez, R.C. (2014) Variação morfológica de Corallus hortulanus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Serpentes: Boidae). Msc. Dissertation. Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 255 pp.
Guedes, T.B., Sawaya, R.J., Zizka, A., Laffan, S., Faurby, S., Pyron, R.A., Bérnils, R.S., Jansen, M., Passos, P., Prudente, A.L.C., Cisneros-Heredia, D.F., Braz, H. B., Nogueira, C.C. & Antonelli, A. (2018) Patterns, biases and prospects in the distribution and diversity of Neotropical snakes. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 27 (1), 14–21.
https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12679
Henderson, R.W. & Hedges, S.B. (1995) Origin of West Indian populations of the geographically widespread boa Corallus enydris inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 4 (1), 88–92.
https://doi.org/10.1006/mpev.1995.1009
Henderson, R.W. (1993) Corallus. Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles, 1993, 572.1–572.2.
Henderson, R.W. (1997) A taxonomic review of the Corallus hortulanus complex of Neotropical Tree Boas. Caribbean Journal of Science, 33 (3–4), 198–221.
ICZN [International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature] (1999) International code of Zoological Nomenclature. 4th Edition, International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature, London. Available from: http://www.iczn.org/ (accessed 11 September 2020)
ICZN [International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature] (1985) International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. 3rd Edition. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, Press, 338 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.50611
Ihering, R. (1911) As cobras do Brasil. Primeira parte. Revista do Museu Paulista, 8, 273–379.
Kullander, S.O. (2001) Swedish Museum of Natural History Collections: Museum Adolphi Friderici. Available from: http://linnaeus.nrm.se/welcome.html.en. (accessed 30 August 2020)
Laurenti, J.N. (1768) Specimen medicum, exhibens synopsin reptilium emendatam cum experimentis circa venena et antidota reptilium austriacorum. Joan. Thomae Trattnern, Viena, 214 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.5108
Linnaeus, C. (1754) Museum S:ae R:ae M:tis Adolphi Friderici ... in quo Animalia rariora imprimis, et exotica: Quadrupedia, Aves, Amphibia, Pisces, Insects, Vermes describuntur et determinantur, Latine et Svetice, cum iconibus, jussu Sac. Reg. Maj:tis a Car. Linnnao, Equ. Tomus 1. Typographia Regia, Holmiae, 110 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.119811
Linnaeus, C. (1758) Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. 10th editon. Reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm, Holmiae, III + 824 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.542
Lönnberg, E. (1896) Linnean type-specimens of birds, reptiles, batrachians and fishes in the Zoological Museum of the Royal University in Upsala. Bihang till Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Handlingar, 22 (1), 3–45.
McDiarmid, R.W., Touré, T. & Savage, J.M. (1996) The proper name of the Neotropical tree boa often referred to as Corallus enydris (Serpentes: Boidae). Journal of Herpetology, 30 (3), 320–326.
https://doi.org/10.2307/1565168
McDiarmid, R.W., Campbell, J.A. & Touré, T. (1999) Snake species of the world: a taxonomic and geographical reference. Vol. 1. The Herpetologist‘s League, Washington, D.C., 453 pp.
Merrem, B. (1790) Beytraege zur Geschichte der Amphibien. Zweytes Heft. Verlagshandlung der Gelehrten, Leipzig, 48 pp.
Merrem, B. (1821) Beitraege zur Geschichte der Amphibien. Drittes Heft. G. D. Baedeker, Essen, 141 pp.
Nogueira, C.C., Argôlo, A.J.S., Arzamendia, V., Azevedo, J.A., Barbo, F.E., Bérnils, R.S., Bolochio, B.E., Borges-Martins, M., Brasil-Godinho, M., Braz, H., Buononato, M., Cisneros-Heredia, D.F., Colli, G.R., Costa, H.C., Franco, F.L., Giraudo, A., Gonzalez, R.C., Guedes, T., Hoogmoed, M.S., Marques O.V., Montingelli, G.G., Passos, P., Prudente, A.L.C., Rivas, G., Sanchez, P.M., Serrano, F.C., Silva N.J., Strüssmann, C., Vieira-Alencar, J.P.S., Zaher, H., Sawaya, R.J. & Martins, M. (2019) Atlas of Brazilian snakes: verified point-locality maps to mitigate the wallacean shortfall in a megadiverse snake fauna. South American Journal of Herpetology, 14 (Supplement 1), 1–274.
https://doi.org/10.2994/SAJH-D-19-00120.1
Oken, L. (1816) Lehrbuch der Naturgeschichte. Dritter Theil Zoologie, Zweite Abtheilung: Fleischthiere. C. H. Reclam, Leipzig, 277 pp.
Peters, J.A. & Orejas-Miranda, B. (1970) Catalogue of the Neotropical Squamata: Part I. Snakes. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, 297, 1–347.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.46653
Powell, R., Henderson, R.W., Adler, K. & Dundee, H.A. (1996) An annotated checklist of West Indian amphibians and reptiles. In: Schwartz, A., Powell, R. & Henderson, R.W. (Eds.), Contributions to West Indian herpetology: a tribute to Albert Schwartz. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Ithaca, pp. 51–93.
Reuss, A. (1834) Zoologische Miscellen, Reptilien Ophidier. Museum Senckenbergianum: Abhandlungen aus dem Gebiete der beschreibenden Naturgeschichte, 1, 127–162.
Reynolds, G. & Henderson, R.W. (2018) Boas of the world (Superfamily Booidea): a checklist with systematic, taxonomic, and conservation assessments. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 162 (1), 1–58.
https://doi.org/10.3099/MCZ48.1
Schinz, K.R. (1833) Naturgeschichte und Abbildungen der Reptilien. Wiedmann, Leipzig, 240 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.4706
Schlegel, H. (1837) Essai sur la Physionomie des Serpens. L‘imprimerie de J. Kips, J. Hz à la Haye, Amsterdam, 215 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.4273
Schneider, J.G. (1801) Historiae amphibiorum naturalis et literariae. Fasciculus Secundus continens Crocodilos, Scincos, Chamaesauras, Boas, Pseudoboas, Elapes, Angues, Amphisbaenas et Caecilias. Fried. Frommann, Jenae, 259 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.4270
Schneider, J.G. (1821) Beytrag zur Klassifikation und kritische Uebersicht der Arten aus der Gattung der Riesenschlangen (Boa). Abhandlung Denkschriften der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu München (1818–1820), 7, 89–134.
Schwartz, A. & Henderson, R.W. (1991) Amphibians and reptiles of the West Indies: descriptions, distributions and natural history. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 720 pp.
Seba, A. (1735) Locupletissimi rerum naturalium thesauri accurata descriptio, et iconibus artificiosissimis expressio, per universam physices historiam. Tom. 2. J. Wetstenium & Gul. Smith & Janssonio-Waesbergios, Amstelaedami, 154 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.62680
Sentzen, U.I. (1796) Ophiologische Fragmente. Meyer‘s Zoologisches Archiv, 6 (2), 49–74.
Shaw, G. (1802) General Zoology or systematic natural history. Amphibia. Vol. 3. Part 2. Thomas Davison, London, 615 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.1593
Stimson, A.F. (1969) Liste der renzenten Amphibien und Reptilien. Boidae (Boinae + Bolyeridae + Loxoceminae + Pythoninae). Das Tierreich, 1969, 1–89.
Stull, O.G. (1935) A check-list of the family Boidae. Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History, 40, 387–408.
Taylor, E.H. (1944) Present location of certain herpetological and other type specimens. University of Kansas Science Bulletin, 30, 117–187.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.6507
Uetz, P., Cherikh, S., Shea, G., Ineich, I., Campbell, P.D., Doronin I.V., Rosado, J., Wynn, A., Tighe, K.A., Mcdiarmid, R., Lee, J.L., Köhler, G., Ellis, R., Doughty, P., Raxworthy, C.J., Scheinberg, L., Resetar, A., Sabaj, M., Schneider, G., Franzen, M., Glaw, F., Böhme, W., Schweiger, S., Gemel, R., Couper, P., Amey, A., Dondorp, E., Ofer, G., Meiri, S. & Wallach, V. (2019) A global catalog of primary reptile type specimens. Zootaxa, 4695 (5), 438–450.
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4695.5.2
Wagler, J.G. (1824) Serpentum brasiliensium species novae ou Histoire naturelle des especes nouvelles de serpens, recueillies et observées pendant le voyage dans l’intérieur du Brésil dans les années 1817, 1818, 1819, 1820, éxecuté par ordre de Sa Majesté le Roi de Baviére, publié par Jean de Spix (...), écrite d’aprés les notes du voyageur par Jean Wagler (...). Franc. Seraph. Hübschmanni, München, 75 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.4269
Wagler, J.G. (1830) Natürliches System der Amphibien, mit vorangehender Classification der Säugthiere und Vogel. J. G. Cotta, München, Stuttgart und Tübingen, 167 pp.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.108661
Wallach, V., Williams, K.L. & Boundy, J. (2014) Snakes of the world. A Catalogue of living and extinct species. CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1227 pp.
https://doi.org/10.1201/b16901
Wallin, L. (2005) Catalogue of type specimens. Vol. 4. Linnean specimens. Ver. 6. Uppsala University, Museum of Evolution, Zoology section, Uppsala, 128 pp.
Welch, K.G.P. (1994) Snakes of the world: a checklist, Boas, Pythons, Shield Tails and Worm Snakes. R & A Books, Somerset, 135 pp.