<documentID-CLB-Dataset="281330"ID-DOI="http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.7.112476"ID-GBIF-Dataset="9a13d7c7-6048-46bd-a685-2d3cedfdde64"ID-Pensoft-Pub="2535-0730-2-317"ID-Pensoft-UUID="73FC5B652BFB5F618B4CC37B2E32EE5D"ID-ZooBank="2D3CA9C524E24EF484BF174362F70EBC"ModsDocID="2535-0730-7-2-317"checkinTime="1702117233076"checkinUser="pensoft"docAuthor="Arteaga, Alejandro & Harris, Kyle J."docDate="2023"docId="61C9476415E65F1D9C3B7EDADC1BEF96"docLanguage="en"docName="EvolutSyst 7(2): 317-334"docOrigin="Evolutionary Systematics 7 (2)"docPubDate="2023-12-07"docSource="http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.7.112476"docTitle="Ninia guytudori Arteaga & Harris 2023, sp. nov."docType="treatment"docUuid="6A72861B-F4CF-465E-B73C-E11790A65DE8"docUuidSource="ZooBank"docVersion="5"id="73FC5B652BFB5F618B4CC37B2E32EE5D"lastPageNumber="317"masterDocId="73FC5B652BFB5F618B4CC37B2E32EE5D"masterDocTitle="A new species of Ninia (Serpentes, Colubridae) from western Ecuador and revalidation of N. schmidti"masterLastPageNumber="334"masterPageNumber="317"pageNumber="317"updateTime="1732790119595"updateUser="ExternalLinkService">
<mods:titleid="778561C560F4D6FE42057DD61E66EB42">A new species of Ninia (Serpentes, Colubridae) from western Ecuador and revalidation of N. schmidti</mods:title>
<mods:affiliationid="7E6AFB8394D2061FF296A3B2FA932ABE">Khamai Foundation, Quito, Ecuador & Tropical Herping S. A., Quito, Ecuador</mods:affiliation>
<taxonomicNameid="8D0CE4EDC77CFBBFBDB00D50F09C7940"LSID="https://zoobank.org/6A72861B-F4CF-465E-B73C-E11790A65DE8"authority="Arteaga & Harris, 2023"authorityName="Arteaga & Harris"authorityYear="2023"family="Colubridae"genus="Ninia"higherTaxonomySource="treatment-meta"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Ninia guytudori"order="Squamata"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rank="species"species="guytudori"status="sp. nov.">Ninia guytudori</taxonomicName>
<figureCitationid="486607C232BB5722A95C9ED1C3458C10"captionStart="Figure 3"captionStartId="F3"captionText="Figure 3. Female holotype of Ninia guytudori sp. nov. JMG 1327 in (a) dorsal and (b) ventral view."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948885"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">Figs 3</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="E0BAB71AB7909244BEDF79AC80200539"captionStart="Figure 4"captionStartId="F4"captionText="Figure 4. Lateral views of the head in two species of Ninia: (a) N. guytudori sp. nov. JMG 1327; (b) N. schmidti comb. nov. TH 503."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948886"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">, 4a</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="22EA2DEB38922024091DCFB2B43C2AC8"captionStart="Figure 5"captionStartId="F5"captionText="Figure 5. Dorsal and lateral views of the head in two species of Ninia: (a, b) N. guytudori sp. nov. JMG 1327; (c, d) N. guytudori sp. nov. SC 005; (e, f) N. schmidti comb. nov. SC 095; (g, h) N. schmidti comb. nov. SCA 1374."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948887"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">, 5a-d</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="16D1D6E4D9FFD99E4AFBE0DB95773B6B"captionStart="Figure 6"captionStartId="F6"captionText="Figure 6. Photographs of some specimens of Ninia guytudori sp. nov. in life: (a) from Rio Manduriacu Reserve, Imbabura province; (b) from Santa Lucia Cloud Forest Reserve, Pichincha province. Photos by Jose Vieira."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948888"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">, 6</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="E3565B43BB68F254DFD88B1931ACD59E"captionStart="Figure 7"captionStartId="F7"captionText="Figure 7. Lateral views of some specimens of Ninia from western Ecuador in life: (a) N. schmidti comb. nov. SCA 1446 from Buenaventura Reserve, El Oro province; (b) Ninia guytudori sp. nov. from Santa Lucia Cloud Forest Reserve, Pichincha province. Photos by Jose Vieira."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948889"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">, 7b</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="608278F311916573743F7BBD26EDA27E"captionStart="Figure 3"captionStartId="F3"captionText="Figure 3. Female holotype of Ninia guytudori sp. nov. JMG 1327 in (a) dorsal and (b) ventral view."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948885"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">3</figureCitation>
,
<figureCitationid="2F3E2F50366B7E88F55DA4DA5CBB1F97"captionStart="Figure 4"captionStartId="F4"captionText="Figure 4. Lateral views of the head in two species of Ninia: (a) N. guytudori sp. nov. JMG 1327; (b) N. schmidti comb. nov. TH 503."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948886"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">4a</figureCitation>
,
<figureCitationid="F9A7EE56FE2BB5C7E0EF5F18F5458A72"captionStart="Figure 5"captionStartId="F5"captionText="Figure 5. Dorsal and lateral views of the head in two species of Ninia: (a, b) N. guytudori sp. nov. JMG 1327; (c, d) N. guytudori sp. nov. SC 005; (e, f) N. schmidti comb. nov. SC 095; (g, h) N. schmidti comb. nov. SCA 1374."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948887"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">5a-b</figureCitation>
), adult female collected by Alejandro Arteaga on July 27, 2017 at road to Mindo, Pichincha province, Ecuador (
<taxonomicNameid="EB16414D0C52DCE6E907147D0CD43318"authorityName="Arteaga & Harris"authorityYear="2023"family="Colubridae"genus="Ninia"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Ninia guytudori"order="Squamata"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rank="species"species="guytudori">
<figureCitationid="9297A2D2A131F3A85434260565E197BC"captionStart="Figure 5"captionStartId="F5"captionText="Figure 5. Dorsal and lateral views of the head in two species of Ninia: (a, b) N. guytudori sp. nov. JMG 1327; (c, d) N. guytudori sp. nov. SC 005; (e, f) N. schmidti comb. nov. SC 095; (g, h) N. schmidti comb. nov. SCA 1374."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948887"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">5c, d</figureCitation>
), juvenile male with the same data as the holotype.
</paragraph>
</subSubSection>
<subSubSectionid="C133391C0A4F465CC7DE9D0058C48674"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"type="proposed standard english name">
<paragraphid="83578F21FD4EA5B69AD80B451BB70D7D"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">Proposed standard English name.</paragraph>
<taxonomicNameid="A6B4B3C35D68BDF88EC0068D62C71C7C"authorityName="Arteaga & Harris"authorityYear="2023"family="Colubridae"genus="Ninia"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Ninia guytudori"order="Squamata"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rank="species"species="guytudori">
<bibRefCitationid="6F3D95110ACE96ED6404F8829191E0AB"DOI="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.21.1.9"author="Dunn, ER"journalOrPublisher="Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"pagination="9 - 12"refId="B24"refString="Dunn, ER, 1935. The snakes of the genus Ninia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America 21: 9 - 12, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.21.1.9"title="The snakes of the genus Ninia."url="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.21.1.9"volume="21"year="1935">Dunn (1935)</bibRefCitation>
, based on phylogenetic evidence (Fig.
<figureCitationid="61B71EA77D1ACAC575605DBA85992AAC"captionStart="Figure 1"captionStartId="F1"captionText="Figure 1. Phylogenetic relationships within Ninia inferred using a Bayesian inference and derived from analysis of DNA gene fragments 16 S, CYTB, ND 4, and RAG 1. Support values on intra-specific branches are not shown for clarity. Voucher numbers for sequences are indicated for each terminal. Black dots indicate clades with posterior probability values from 95 - 100 %. Grey dots indicate values from 70 - 94 %. White dots indicate values from 50 - 69 % (values <50 % not shown). Colored clades correspond to the species' distribution presented in Fig. 2."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948883"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">1</figureCitation>
). The species is diagnosed based on the following combination of characters: (1) 19/19/19 keeled dorsals; (2) two postoculars or none in SC 005; (3) loreal 1.6-1.7
longer than high; (4) temporals 1+2; (5) seven or eight supralabials, usually fourth and fifth contacting orbit; (6) seven or eight infralabials, first four or five contacting chin shields; (7) two rows of chin shields; (8) two or three preventrals; (9) 130-138 ventrals in males, 144 in the single female; (10) 48-51 subcaudals in males, 44 in the single female; (11) dorsal ground color uniformly black with a white nuchal collar that connects to a white lip band forming a bridle (Fig.
<figureCitationid="47B5E554B88B166B799DAE02EC398620"captionStart="Figure 6"captionStartId="F6"captionText="Figure 6. Photographs of some specimens of Ninia guytudori sp. nov. in life: (a) from Rio Manduriacu Reserve, Imbabura province; (b) from Santa Lucia Cloud Forest Reserve, Pichincha province. Photos by Jose Vieira."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948888"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">6</figureCitation>
); (12) ventral surfaces uniformly immaculate white (Fig.
<figureCitationid="1D3AB967E560C19813A0BA3775CA5F6D"captionStart="Figure 3"captionStartId="F3"captionText="Figure 3. Female holotype of Ninia guytudori sp. nov. JMG 1327 in (a) dorsal and (b) ventral view."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948885"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">3b</figureCitation>
); (13) 181-243 mm SVL in males, 183 mm in the single female; (14) 30-58 mm CL in males, 35 in the single female.
<taxonomicNameid="92400DD99BB6F10E85470CF6B806DC7F"authorityName="Arteaga & Harris"authorityYear="2023"family="Colubridae"genus="Ninia"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Ninia guytudori"order="Squamata"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rank="species"species="guytudori">
<taxonomicNameid="B504F41B6321147B9E00E3A6B5E79078"authorityName="Arteaga & Harris"authorityYear="2023"family="Colubridae"genus="Ninia"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Ninia guytudori"order="Squamata"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rank="species"species="guytudori">
<tableCitationid="E4FE206461490BE9E3264089218AAE39"captionStart="Table 1"captionStartId="T1"captionText="Table 1. Differences in coloration, scale counts, and size between snakes of the genus Ninia inhabiting western Ecuador. The range of each continuous variable is from our own sample, Angarita-Sierra and Lynch (2017), and Angarita-Sierra (2018). The numbers in parentheses represent the sample size."httpUri="http://table.plazi.org/id/14914A24F65C1A64FC62E09B641BAAC9"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"tableUuid="14914A24F65C1A64FC62E09B641BAAC9">1</tableCitation>
). The new species differs from all of them by having a white nuchal collar merged with the white lip coloration (Fig.
<figureCitationid="367C5A7979E1424358CE5371F2B4E67A"captionStart="Figure 4"captionStartId="F4"captionText="Figure 4. Lateral views of the head in two species of Ninia: (a) N. guytudori sp. nov. JMG 1327; (b) N. schmidti comb. nov. TH 503."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948886"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">4a</figureCitation>
), immaculate throat and chin shields (Fig.
<figureCitationid="26A8356FB485919ABF0753FA7C4EDA6B"captionStart="Figure 5"captionStartId="F5"captionText="Figure 5. Dorsal and lateral views of the head in two species of Ninia: (a, b) N. guytudori sp. nov. JMG 1327; (c, d) N. guytudori sp. nov. SC 005; (e, f) N. schmidti comb. nov. SC 095; (g, h) N. schmidti comb. nov. SCA 1374."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948887"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">5b, d</figureCitation>
), and ventral surface of body immaculate white (Fig.
<figureCitationid="E03236682012A93AB32F16001641F99B"captionStart="Figure 3"captionStartId="F3"captionText="Figure 3. Female holotype of Ninia guytudori sp. nov. JMG 1327 in (a) dorsal and (b) ventral view."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948885"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">3b</figureCitation>
comb. nov., the throat and chin shields are obscured by dark brown pigment (Fig.
<figureCitationid="839338A14A63A943728A646E1268AFA1"captionStart="Figure 5"captionStartId="F5"captionText="Figure 5. Dorsal and lateral views of the head in two species of Ninia: (a, b) N. guytudori sp. nov. JMG 1327; (c, d) N. guytudori sp. nov. SC 005; (e, f) N. schmidti comb. nov. SC 095; (g, h) N. schmidti comb. nov. SCA 1374."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948887"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">5f, h</figureCitation>
), the supralabials are partly or entirely black or dark gray (Fig.
<figureCitationid="D8B29EB4F5991E4ED5F8F13B765FF304"captionStart="Figure 4"captionStartId="F4"captionText="Figure 4. Lateral views of the head in two species of Ninia: (a) N. guytudori sp. nov. JMG 1327; (b) N. schmidti comb. nov. TH 503."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948886"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">4b</figureCitation>
), nuchal collar absent in adults (Fig.
<figureCitationid="20F04A312AA0C1D0D2FEF88C161A4660"captionStart="Figure 5"captionStartId="F5"captionText="Figure 5. Dorsal and lateral views of the head in two species of Ninia: (a, b) N. guytudori sp. nov. JMG 1327; (c, d) N. guytudori sp. nov. SC 005; (e, f) N. schmidti comb. nov. SC 095; (g, h) N. schmidti comb. nov. SCA 1374."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948887"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">5e, g</figureCitation>
), and ventral surfaces usually heavily obscured by dark pigment.
<taxonomicNameid="006D0D7CF9507539F8C99038894E1FC1"authorityName="Arteaga & Harris"authorityYear="2023"family="Colubridae"genus="Ninia"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Ninia guytudori"order="Squamata"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rank="species"species="guytudori">
by having a lower number of ventrals in males (130-138 vs 143-156), presence of a "white bridle," and belly not irregularly spotted, speckled, or heavily obscured by dark pigment. The cis-Andean
<taxonomicNameid="3CFFEE29D6FD86F2CE8377E9AA5D6B40"authorityName="Arteaga & Harris"authorityYear="2023"family="Colubridae"genus="Ninia"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Ninia guytudori"order="Squamata"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rank="species"species="guytudori">
by having a white (instead of red, orange, or yellow) nuchal collar (
<bibRefCitationid="5D6CEC5904E7DF5024D7D93B89F7F3CC"DOI="https://doi.org/10.1590/S0031-10492009002200001"author="Angarita-Sierra, T"journalOrPublisher="Papeis Avulsos de Zoologia"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"pagination="277 - 288"refId="B1"refString="Angarita-Sierra, T, 2009. Variacion geografica de Ninia atrata en Colombia (Colubridae: Dipsadinae). Papeis Avulsos de Zoologia 49: 277 - 288, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0031-10492009002200001"title="Variacion geografica de Ninia atrata en Colombia (Colubridae: Dipsadinae)."url="https://doi.org/10.1590/S0031-10492009002200001"volume="49"year="2009">Angarita-Sierra 2009</bibRefCitation>
), ventral surface of tail obscured by dark gray pigment (instead of uniformly cream;
<bibRefCitationid="73A268DBF3F81F418A738394EBDE9167"DOI="https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4244.4.2"author="Angarita-Sierra, T"journalOrPublisher="Zootaxa"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"pagination="478 - 492"refId="B4"refString="Angarita-Sierra, T, Lynch, JD, 2017. A new species of Ninia (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from Chocó-Magdalena biogeographical province, western Colombia. Zootaxa 4244: 478 - 492, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4244.4.2"title="A new species of Ninia (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from Choco ́ - Magdalena biogeographical province, western Colombia."url="https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4244.4.2"volume="4244"year="2017">Angarita-Sierra and Lynch 2017</bibRefCitation>
), nasal divided, and by having the sulcate surface of the hemipenial body ornamented with a large basal hooked spine (photo of QCAZR 11960 depicted in
<bibRefCitationid="FBEF5FC2623A0F8859E087290FC72E2B"author="Guerra-Correa, E"journalOrPublisher="Sinauer Associates, Sunderland"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"refId="B29"refString="Guerra-Correa, E, 2020. Ninia teresitae. In: Torres-Carvajal O, Pazmino-Otamendi G, Salazar-Valenzuela D (Eds) Reptiles del Ecua-dor. Version 2022.0. Museo de Zoologia, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador. [accessed on 2023-09-09]"title="Ninia teresitae. In: Torres-Carvajal O, Pazmino-Otamendi G, Salazar-Valenzuela D (Eds) Reptiles del Ecua-dor. Version 2022.0. Museo de Zoologia, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador. [accessed on 2023 - 09 - 09]"year="2020">Guerra-Correa 2020</bibRefCitation>
inhabiting western Ecuador. The range of each continuous variable is from our own sample,
<bibRefCitationid="3E919CF067B89BA5F1B2ED07AD497A25"DOI="https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4244.4.2"author="Angarita-Sierra, T"journalOrPublisher="Zootaxa"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"pagination="478 - 492"refId="B4"refString="Angarita-Sierra, T, Lynch, JD, 2017. A new species of Ninia (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from Chocó-Magdalena biogeographical province, western Colombia. Zootaxa 4244: 478 - 492, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4244.4.2"title="A new species of Ninia (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from Choco ́ - Magdalena biogeographical province, western Colombia."url="https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4244.4.2"volume="4244"year="2017">Angarita-Sierra and Lynch (2017)</bibRefCitation>
, and
<bibRefCitationid="422FCB2A5B566DF80D574257E5E9E03C"author="Angarita-Sierra, T"journalOrPublisher="Herpetology Notes"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"pagination="357 - 360"refId="B3"refString="Angarita-Sierra, T, 2018. Range expansion in the geographic distribution of Ninia teresitae (Serpentes: Dipsadidae): new localities from northwestern Ecuador. Herpetology Notes 11: 357 - 360"title="Range expansion in the geographic distribution of Ninia teresitae (Serpentes: Dipsadidae): new localities from northwestern Ecuador."volume="11"year="2018">Angarita-Sierra (2018)</bibRefCitation>
. The numbers in parentheses represent the sample size.
<taxonomicNameid="1A5DB110FC9ED477586F8A552AEE030B"authorityName="Arteaga & Harris"authorityYear="2023"family="Colubridae"genus="Ninia"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Ninia guytudori"order="Squamata"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rank="species"species="guytudori">
<taxonomicNameid="311F85BAC7E90FEFFC1AED197F4BC204"authorityName="Arteaga & Harris"authorityYear="2023"baseAuthorityName="Jan"baseAuthorityYear="1862"family="Colubridae"genus="Ninia"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Ninia schmidti"order="Squamata"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rank="species"species="schmidti">
<taxonomicNameid="5E3D50C654505BF125AB0224D96B883D"authorityName="Angarita-Sierra & Lynch"authorityYear="2017"family="Colubridae"genus="Ninia"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Ninia teresitae"order="Squamata"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rank="species"species="teresitae">
<tdid="148BE52E304D8EF30F7E23563B981CF2"colspan="2"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rowspan="1">White (juveniles) or white with faint dark speckling</td>
<tdid="BFB14ABFC7F9438EDE58782015C866AF"colspan="2"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rowspan="1">Partly or entirely black or dark gray; dingy white in ZMH R10390</td>
<tdid="B9CDC87433DF288E4B92B6AD868AFD7C"colspan="2"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rowspan="1">Partly or entirely black or dark gray</td>
<tdid="A8CFA739877328FCC37F8119FD73CBAD"colspan="2"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rowspan="1">Immaculate to heavily obscured by dark pigment</td>
<tdid="71DB94F0D0D7FD90C8A734DEC7A0021F"colspan="2"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rowspan="1">Irregularly spotted, speckled, or heavily obscured by dark pigment</td>
<tdid="F997678D95798E30EB727A786BA2F316"colspan="1"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rowspan="1">Pocket-shaped structure at the base of the hemipenial body</td>
<taxonomicNameid="3C090CD8615A5DC689DA36FB26B461C0"authorityName="Arteaga & Harris"authorityYear="2023"family="Colubridae"genus="Ninia"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Ninia guytudori"order="Squamata"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rank="species"species="guytudori">
Subadult female, 218 mm TL; 35 mm CL; 183 mm SVL; CL/SVL ratio 0.19; head distinct from body; HL 11.4 mm; HW 6.6 mm; rostral wider than high; internasals wider than long (1.2
0.8 mm), entering orbit and contacting postocular; nasal scales 2/2 where anterior nasal scale contacts internasal, rostral, first supralabial, and posterior nasal in contact with loreal, prefrontal, internasal, first and second supralabials; loreal single, longer than high (1.7
longer than lower posterior temporal; anterior temporal in contact with 5th and 6th supralabials; supralabials 7/8; 3rd-4th or 4th and 5th entering orbit, 5th in contact with postocular; infralabials 7/8, 1st-4th/1st-5th in contact with two pairs of chin shields; dorsal scales in 19/19/19 rows, keeled, strongly striated, lacking apical pits; ventrals 138; divided subcaudals 44; cloacal plate undivided.
<taxonomicNameid="65FA770F0DF7FD9FCFDC69DA1EE9950C"authorityName="Arteaga & Harris"authorityYear="2023"family="Colubridae"genus="Ninia"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Ninia guytudori"order="Squamata"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rank="species"species="guytudori">
sp. nov. have been found active at night on leaf-litter in old-growth cloud forest. During the daytime, they have been found hidden under rotten logs. When threatened, individuals flatten the body and tail (Fig.
<figureCitationid="4C0A4768C3567EE507E1BEDCCD53EFA2"captionStart="Figure 8"captionStartId="F8"captionText="Figure 8. Dorsal views of some specimens of Ninia from western Ecuador in life: (a) N. schmidti comb. nov. SCA 1446 from Buenaventura Reserve, El Oro province; (b) Ninia guytudori sp. nov. from Santa Lucia Cloud Forest Reserve, Pichincha province. Photos by Jose Vieira."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948890"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">8b</figureCitation>
<taxonomicNameid="932547BA9CC1C4C3FF0E117BBF01D011"authorityName="Arteaga & Harris"authorityYear="2023"family="Colubridae"genus="Ninia"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Ninia guytudori"order="Squamata"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rank="species"species="guytudori">
<taxonomicNameid="5EE7641527635981A7F644229CD764FD"authorityName="Arteaga & Harris"authorityYear="2023"family="Colubridae"genus="Ninia"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Ninia guytudori"order="Squamata"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rank="species"species="guytudori">
sp. nov. is endemic to an estimated area of 3,432 km2 along the Pacific slopes of the Andes in northwestern Ecuador. The species is known from 11 localities (listed in Suppl. material 3) and has been recorded at elevations 1190-1676 m above sea level (Fig.
<figureCitationid="05E93E03B5B512D8C6C412B76C37F2E1"captionStart="Figure 2"captionStartId="F2"captionText="Figure 2. Distribution of species of Ninia in western Ecuador. Black symbols represent type localities. Each colored area is a geographic representation of the suitable environmental conditions for one of the clades recovered in the phylogeny of Fig. 1."httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/948884"pageId="0"pageNumber="317">2</figureCitation>
is a patronym honoring Guy Tudor, an all-around naturalist and scientific illustrator with a deep fondness for birds and all animals, in recognition of the impact he has had on the conservation of South
birds through his artistry. For many years, Tudor and Bob Ridgely partnered in the preparation of numerous well-regarded volumes on the Neotropical avifauna.
<taxonomicNameid="D4DFC0B58056592A92C3AA083886F3AA"authorityName="Arteaga & Harris"authorityYear="2023"family="Colubridae"genus="Ninia"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Ninia guytudori"order="Squamata"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"rank="species"species="guytudori">
sp. nov. to be included in the Near Threatened conservation category following the IUCN criteria (
<bibRefCitationid="AAC46906C8615F41E221BE4936C55509"author="Ingrasci, MJ"journalOrPublisher="MSc Thesis, University of Texas at Arlington"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"refId="B33"refString="IUCN (2012) IUCN Red List categories and criteria: Version 3.1. Second edition.IUCN Species Survival Commission, Gland and Cambridge, 32 pp."year="2011">IUCN 2012</bibRefCitation>
), because the species has been recorded in more than 10 localities (listed in Suppl. material 3) and it is distributed over an area which retains the majority (~53%) of its forest cover (
<bibRefCitationid="06C29D942631F4FEB3366CBD5A6B23EB"author="Lanfear, R"journalOrPublisher="Molecular Biology and Evolution"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"refId="B37"refString="MAE (2012) Línea base de deforestación del Ecuador continental.Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador, Quito, 30 pp."year="2016">MAE 2012</bibRefCitation>
). Therefore, the species is facing no major immediate extinction threats. However, some populations are likely to be declining due to deforestation by logging and large-scale mining, especially in the province Imbabura (
<bibRefCitationid="5813915E226FC1A9875063AAD76EBAF9"DOI="https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6400"author="Guayasamin, JM"journalOrPublisher="Sinauer Associates, Sunderland"pageId="0"pageNumber="317"refId="B28"refString="Guayasamin, JM, Cisneros-Heredia, DF, Vieira, J, Kohn, S, Gavilanes, G, Lynch, RL, Hamilton, PS, Maynard, RJ, 2019. A new glassfrog (Centrolenidae) from the Choco-Andean Rio Manduriacu Reserve, Ecuador, endangered by mining. PeerJ 7: e6400. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6400"title="A new glassfrog (Centrolenidae) from the Choco-Andean Rio Manduriacu Reserve, Ecuador, endangered by mining. PeerJ 7: e 6400."url="https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6400"year="2019">Guayasamin et al. 2019</bibRefCitation>
), where only two populations of the species are known.
