Flagger | Content Author | Content | Reason | Flag Created | Resolved by | Resolution |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
rfoster | Subspecies Demansia psammophis cupreiceps |
status unclear |
Sep. 19, 2019 12:03:25 +0000 | loarie |
see comments |
All good - a couple of us have convinced RD to make a change. This taxon should be listed as Demansia reticulata cupreiceps in the next RD update. See https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/34592638
Annoying that they still don't seem to have sorted this http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Demansia&species=psammophis&search_param=%28%28search%3D%27Demansia+reticulata+cupreiceps%27%29%29
@loarie, it seems the change was derailed by an innocuous pers comm. from Glenn Shea to Peter Uetz that has been given more weight than it deserved. It has resulted in RD, and therefore iNat, being out of step with current understanding in the the Australian herp community, both amateur and professional. This conflict is causing problems in iNat and, frankly, it's a PITA to have to keep "correcting" observations and explaining why.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51573478
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/58591189
In my view it's time for us to deviate from RD on this one. I will draft the necessary swaps and do the atlases if we're in agreement.
revisiting this and looping in @uetz to see if RD is considering making changes here
Problem is: nobody has sorted this out. As you can see from the comments in the database, I have talked about this with several experts, and there seems to be no consensus or final clarification yet. I have a manuscript on this from 2015 which never got published. Anyway, I can move cupreiceps to reticulata, but even that is preliminary as there seems to be no DNA or other detailed data to stabilize the situation.
OK I made the following swaps and split
Demansia psammophis cupreiceps -> Demansia reticulata
Demansia psammophis psammophis -> Demansia psammophis
Demansia psammophis -> Demansia reticulata, Demansia psammophis
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/409219
Reptile Database is hedging it bets on this one listing it as a valid subspecies of Demansia psammophis and also as a synonym of Demansia reticulata (without a subspecies epithet specified).
http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Demansia&species=psammophis&search_param=%28%28search%3D%27demansia+reticulata%27%29%29
http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Demansia&species=reticulata&search_param=%28%28search%3D%27demansia+reticulata%27%29%29