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The Identity of the Syntypes of Dryophylax freminvillei with Comments on

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The Identity of the Syntypes of Dryophylax freminvillei with Comments on Their Locality
Data
Author(s): Robert A. Thomas and Ivan Ineich
Source: Journal of Herpetology, Vol. 33, No. 1 (Mar., 1999), pp. 152-155
Published by: Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
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152 SHORTER COMMUNICATIONS
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dependent sex determination: A mechanistic ap-
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slider turtle, Trachemysscripta. J. Exp. Zool. 281:
409-416.
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Accepted: 14 October 1998.
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Journalof Herpetology,Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 152-155, 1999
Copyright1999Societyfor the Studyof Amphibiansand Reptiles
The Identity of the Syntypes of
Dryophylax freminvillei with Comments
on their Locality Data
ROBERTA. THOMAS,12AND IVAN INEICH,3'Departlments
of Communicationsand BiologicalSciences,LoyolaUnlizvr-
sity, New Orleans,Louisiana70118-6195, USA, 2Audubon
Centerfor Researchof EndangeredSpecies, 14001 Rizvr
Road,New Orleans, Louisiana70131-3265, USA. E-nail:
bthomas@loyno.edu, de Zoologie(Reptiles
anud3Laboratoire
et Amphibiens),Museum national d'Histoire naturelle,25
Rue Cuvier, F-75231 Paris cedex 05, FRANCE. E-mail:
ineich@cim rsl. n hn.fr
Dryophylaxfreminvillei Dumeril, Bibron, and Du-
meril (1854) was described on the basis of four spec-
imens, each of which presents a problem either in
terms of questionable locality data or existence of the
specimen. Two specimens were allegedly collected by
M. Christophe-Paulin de Freminville during his trav-
els on the Frigate "'TAllier" and bear localities of
"Nouvelle Hollande" (the old name for Australia)
(MNHN 3847) and "Guyane" (MNHN 7630) (Du-
meril et al., 1854:1117-18). The other two specimens,
were said to be collected by "M. Gaudichaud"
(Charles-Marie Gaudichaud-Beaupr6, a French bota-
nist) (Dumeril et al., 1854:1118) in Calao (sic), Peru.
Dum6ril (1853:508) used the name (without descrip-
tion) and cited specimens from "Guyane" and "Per-
ou" without elaboration.
Status of the TypeSpecimens.We have examined the
specimens from "Guyane" (MNHN 7630) and "Nou-
velle Hollande" (MNHN 3847), both attributed to
Fr6minville. The Callao specimens, attributed by Du-
meril et al. (1854) to Gaudichaud, are not presently in
the MNHN. The following discussion documents our
investigation of the Callao specimens.
MNHN presently contains specimens collected by
Gaudichaud in Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Bawack
Island (presumably Rawack Island near Waigeo in In-
donesia, though the specimen with that locality rep-
resents a species that does not occur there, Glenn
Shea, pers. comm.), Timor, the Marianna Islands in
Micronesia, and India. Three lizards are the only rep-
tiles in the MNHN collected by him in Peru.
In the MNHN catalog containing material entered
from 1839 to 1869, there is a list of specimens (pp. 37,
seven species, eight specimens) given to the museum
by Fr6minville in February,1842. We accept that spec-
imens 6 (listed as "Psamnmophis voison du temminickii"
from "Nouvelle Hollande") and 7 ("Psammophis?dor-
so-catenata?"from "Guyane") are MNHN 3847 and
MNHN 7630, respectively. Aside from those two
specimens, there is only one other specimen collected
by Fr6minville that is still extant in MNHN, namely
MNHN 816, which is the type of Stenorrhinafremin-
villei, collected in M6xico.
In the catalog of the reptiles of the MNHN collec-
tions written by Auguste Dum6ril, dated 1 March,
1857, and conserved as a manuscript in the Central
Library of MNHN, Dryophylaxfreminvillei was listed
from "Ameriq. merid." (South America). The fact that
 SHORTER COMMUNICATIONS
A. Dumeril stated that D. freminvillei is from "Merid-
ional America" clearly shows that the locality of
"Nouvelle Hollande," as stated in the original descrip-
tion, is incorrect.
In another unpublished catalog housed in the La-
boratoire des Reptiles et Amphibiens (MNHN) and
dated 1864, specimens are listed by species. On p. 330,
under Dryophylaxfreminvillei, only two specimens are
listed: "4515 Dryophylax freminvilleii D.B., Guyane.
Fr6minville, alcool. T." (T. means type; this specimen
is now MNHN 7630 as stated in this catalog on the
same page) and "4516 Dryophylaxfreminvilleii D.B.,
Nouvelle Hollande. Fr6minville, alcool. T." (now
MNHN 3847). The numbers 4515 and 4516 were old
catalog numbers. No chronological significance should
be drawn from these two specimens which now bear
the non-serial numbers MNHN 3847 and MNHN
7630.
It should now be clear that since 1864 there were
only two specimens, both syntypes, referred to as
Dryophylaxfreminvillei by Dumeril, Bibron, and their
colleagues. Both of these specimens were said to be
collected by Freminville; there are no snakes, even in
the old catalogs, attributed to Gaudichaud from Peru.
The mention of two specimens of Dryophylaxfremin-
villei, clearly indicated as juveniles in the original de-
scription, from Callao, Peru, remains a mystery. The
only conclusion that we can reach is that these speci-
mens were available to Dumeril, Bibron, and Dumeril
during their original description of Dryophylaxfrem-
invillei and that they were presumably collected in
Callao, Peri, but that they were never entered into the
MNHN collections, being either lost, destroyed, ex-
changed, or donated, without any written record other
than their use in the description of the species. We
must note that there is also the possible explanation
that Dum6ril et al. realized that the two specimens
belonged to a different species, had correct locality
information, and they cataloged them elsewhere in the
collection without noting a correction, but this is less
probable.
Status of the Species.Jan (1863) placed the species in
the genus PhilodryasWagler, but later Jan and Sordelli
(1879, P1. IV, Fig. 2, presumably based on MNHN
7630) returned it to Dryophylax.This taxon was placed
in the synonymy of Alsophis elegans (Tschudi, 1845) by
Boulenger (1896:133), and has since been mentioned
only in that context (e.g., Peters and Orejas-Miranda,
1970:243). Schmidt and Walker (1943:317) gave the lo-
calities for the syntypes as "Guyane and Callao,
Peru," and they "restricted" the type locality to Cal-
lao, Peru, without having examined the syntypes and
with no discussion of their reasoning.
During the course of studies of Alsophis elegans and
related snakes, one of us (Thomas) examined the two
syntypes of Dryophylaxfreminvillei, both males (deter-
mined by incision of the tails). One (MNHN 7630) has
obviously grooved post-diastemal teeth, while the
other (MNHN 3847) does not. Additionally, the latter
is large for an A. elegans, and has a pattern not typical
of that species. These characteristics and other meristic
data led us to realize that MNHN 3847 is not an Al-
sophis elegans from the mainland, but an Alsophis bis-
erialis (sensu Thomas, 1997) from the Galapagos Ar-
chipelago. The species are so similar that their correct
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153
identities have eluded herpetologists who do not have
experience with specimens from both regions.
Freminville never visited the west coast of South
America or the Galapagos Archipelago; he traveled in
the Atlantic visiting Guyana, Rio de Janeiro, various
sites in the Antilles, and the west coast of Africa (R.
Roux-Esteve, in litt., 16 July, 1980). He either obtained
the syntypes of Dryophylaxfreminvillei from another
collector in Guyana, or the specimens were mislabeled
after being collected by someone else. We have found
one connection between MNHN and the Galapagos
islands during the time period being discussed. The
Frigate "La Venus," commanded by Abel A. du Petit-
Thouars (1836-1839) and with the naturalist Adolphe
Simon Neboux aboard, visited the west coast of South
America and the Galapagos (Papavero, 1971:165). Du
Petit-Thouars (1841) discussed visits to the vicinities
of Punta del Callao/Lima and Punta de Aguja/Paita,
Peru, followed by stops on the following Galapagos
islands: Hood (Espanola), Charles (Floreana), Chatam
(San Crist6bal), Barrington (Santa F6), James (Santia-
go), Albemarle (Isabela), Narborough (Fernandina),
and others.
MNHN 3847 compares favorably with other male
specimens from San Crist6bal but not with males
from other Galapagos islands (see Thomas, 1997)
(counts from known San Crist6bal male specimens
given in parentheses): ventrals 199 (199, 202, 204, 208),
subcaudals 109 (117, 120, 122). All other scale counts
are the same. The dorsal pattern of MNHN 3847 is
striped throughout as are all Alsophis biserialis from
San Crist6bal. On the neck, the mid-dorsal stripe ap-
pears to zig-zag due to the presence of pale, slightly
offset spots lateral to it (Fig. 1). Also typical of spec-
imens from San Crist6bal is the presence of prominent
pale nuchal stripes. Based on this information,
MNHN 3847 is a specimen of Alsophis biserialis biser-
ialis (Giinther) and we hereby correct the locality of
this syntype to Isla San Crist6bal, Galapagos Archi-
pelago, Ecuador, thus possibly having been collected
by someone (presumably Neboux) on "La Venus" and
not by Freminville, who never visited the Galapagos
islands.
Based on pattern and meristic data, the specimen
bearing the number MNHN 7630 is an Alsophis elegans
(Fig. 2). This species does not occur in Guyana as cat-
aloged. Assuming that MNHN 7630 was collected at
one of the two Peruvian localities (Punta de Aguja and
Callao) visited by expeditions that are known to or
may have supplied zoological specimens to MNHN
before 1854 (such as the Frigate "La Venus") and/or
reported by Dumeril et al. (1854:1118, Callao), the
male specimen was compared to males from the vi-
cinities of Punta de Aguja and Callao in an attempt
to verify its true point of origin. The species exhibits
a clinal increase in ventral numbers from north to
south (Thomas and Myra Valena, unpubl. data). Com-
paring the ventral count of MNHN 7630 (207) to
males from within one degree latitude north and
south of both Punta de Aguja (ca. 6?S: 187-200, x =
191.7) and Punta del Callao (ca. 12?S: 199-225, x =
214.7), the count is low but within the range of the
latter. Based on this analysis, we confirm that MNHN
7630 is a specimen of Alsophis elegans, and that it is
presumably from Callao, Peru.
This analysis being accomplished and the above lo-
154 SHORTER COMMUNICATIONS

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.: ?-L I??,?y';;
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 SHORTER COMMUNICATIONS
cality conclusion reached, we have not positively iden-
tified the collector. The specimen may have been given
to Freminville by an unknown collector, since the for-
mer never visited western South America. On the ba-
sis of known contacts between MNHN and coastal
Peru, two other potential collectors of the specimen
should be considered. It may have been collected by
a crew member of "La Venus," during its stop in Cal-
lao, Peri. This seems plausible especially since we
have shown above that one of the two syntypes is
Alsophis b. biserialis from San Crist6bal, thus "La Ve-
nus" visited both syntypes' probable points of origin.
The specimen may have been collected by Charles-
Marie Gaudichaud-Beaupre, during his visit to Callao,
Peru, on the Frigate "l'Herminie" on its 1830-32 so-
journ to South America (see Nelson and Lescure, 1975,
for more information on Gaudichaud's travels).
Though Dumeril et al. (1854:1118) cited specimens
from Callao attributed to Gaudichaud, no specimens
of this taxon bearing his name have ever been cata-
loged in MNHN, so we have no reason to believe that
Gaudichaud was the collector.
Finally, a lectotype must be identified to clarify fu-
ture reference to Dryophylaxfreminvillei. In order to
maximize taxonomic stability, we choose to designate
MNHN 7630 as the lectotype for this taxon. It is the
only specimen illustrated for the species (Jan and Sor-
delli, 1879, P1. IV, Fig. 2), and this choice avoidsfrem-
invillei becoming the senior synonym of the long rec-
ognized and recently revised (Thomas, 1997) Alsophis
biserialis. Thus, Dryophylaxfreminvillei is now a junior
synonym of Alsophis elegans (Tschudi). As mentioned
earlier, Schmidt and Walker (1943:317) restricted the
locality of D. freminvillei to Callao, Per6. Since they did
not designate a neotype or lectotype, their restriction
is invalid. We hereby agree with their intent and re-
strict the lectotype to Callao, Perlu.
Acknowledgments.-We thank J. Guibe, R. Roux-Es-
teve, J. Lescure, and Edouard-Raoul Brygoo, Museum
national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris (MNHN), and
Glenn Shea, Australian Museum, for help with the
itineraries of the early explorers discussed above. The
following curators and collection managers also gra-
ciously extended loans: A. F Stimson and C. J. Mc-
Carthy, Natural History Museum of London (BMNH);
A. E. Leviton, R. C. Drewes, and J. Vindum, California
Academy of Sciences (CAS); H. Marx, H. K. Voris, and
A. Resetar, Field Museum of Natural History
(FMNH); R. L. Bezy and J. W. Wright, Natural History
Museum of Los Angeles (LACM); E. E. Williams, J. E.
Cadle, and J. Rosado, Museum of Comparative Zool-
ogy (MCZ), Harvard University; C. Dufour, Musee
d'Histoire Naturelle de Neuchatel (MHNN); K. Klem-
mer, Senckenberg Museum (SMF); J. R. Dixon and R.
K. Vaughan, Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection
(TCWC), Texas A&M University; W R. Heyer, G. Zug,
and R. Reynolds, National Museum of Natural His-
tory (USNM); G. Peters, Zoologisches Museum an der
Humbolt-Universitat, Berlin (ZMB); and U. Gruber,
Zoologisches Staatsmuseum des Bayerischen Staats,
Muinchen (ZSM). Polly Thomas and Cassandra Mabe
helped Thomas with translations. The clarity of the
discussion was enhanced by suggestions from Roy W.
McDiarmid.
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155
LITERATURE
CITED
BOULENGER, G. A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in
the British Museum (Natural History). Vol. III,
Containing the Colubridae, (Opisthoglyphae and
Proteroglyphae), Amblycephalidae, and Viperidae.
British Mus. Nat. Hist., London.
A. M. C. 1853. Prodrome de la classification
DUMERIL,
des reptiles ophidiens. Mem. Acad. Sci. Paris. 23:
399-536.
AND A. DUMERIL. 1854. Erpetologie
,G. BIBRON,
Generale ou Histoire Naturelle Complete des Rep-
tiles. Tome septieme, deuxieme partie. Lib. Encycl.
Roret, Paris.
JAN, G. 1863. Elenco Sistematico degli Ofidi Descritti
e Disegnati per l'Iconografia Generale. Tipografia
di A. Lombardi, Milan.
,AND F SORDELLI. 1879. Iconographie Generale
des Ophidiens. Vol. 3, Livr. 49, IV, 2. By the Au-
thors, Milan; Bailliere Tindall, and Cox, London; J.
B. Bailliere and Sons, Paris; C. Bailley-Bailliere,
Madrid.
NELSON, C. E., AND J. LESCURE. 1975. The taxonomy
and distribution of Myersiella and Synapturanus
(Anura: Microhylidae). Herpetologica 31: 389-397.
PAPAVERO,N. 1971. Essays on the History of Neotrop-
ical Dipterology, with Special Reference to Collec-
tors (1750-1905). Vol. I. Mus. Zool. Univ. Sao Paulo,
Sao Paulo, Brazil.
PETERS,J. A., AND B. R. OREJAS-MIRANDA. 1970. Cat-
alogue of the Neotropical Squamata: Part I. Snakes.
Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus. 297: viii + 347 pp.
PETIT-THOUARS,A. A. 1841. Voyage Autour du Monde
sur la Fregate Venus Pendant les Annees 1836-
1839, Publiee par Ordre du Roi, sous les auspices
du Ministrere de la Marine. Tome deuxieme. Gide
Editeur, Paris.
SCHMIDT,K. P., AND W. F WALKER, JR. 1943. Snakes of
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THOMAS, R. A. 1997. Galapagos terrestrial snakes: bio-
geography and systematics. Herpetol. Nat. Hist. 5:
19-40.
TSCHUDI, J. J. VON. 1845. Reptilium conspectum quae
in Repdblica Peruana reperiuntur et pleraque ob-
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gesch. 9:150-170.
I
APPENDIX
Material Examined.-Alsophis biserialis (Giinther): Ec-
uador, Galapagos Archipelago. San Crist6bal: locality
unknown (CAS 104697, MNHN 3847, SMF 56715-
717). Alsophis elegans (Tschudi): Peru. Lambayeque:
26.5 km N Chepen (LACM 49438, TCWC 28911), 7.8
km W Naupe (TCWC 28915), Eten (BMNH
1910.2.26.12); Lima: locality unknown (MHNN
91.514-holotype); Lima (BMNH 75.2.13.4-6, USNM
75399, ZMB 26255, ZSM 279/26); Callao (MNHN
7630); 5 km E Chosica (LACM 49437); Chosica, 3000
ft (FMNH 39372); Infantas (MCZ 130283); 2 km N, 2
km W Chilca (USNM 218047); Isla San Lorenzo
(BMNH 88.5.31.2); Piura: 15 km E Piura (TCWC
4135); Paita (MNHN 1906.254); Quebrada Montero,
Cerro de Illesca (FMNH 8387-88); Bayovar, Bahia de
Sechura (FMNH 9791).