Leptophis

Leptophis
	Leptophis ahaetulla
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Subfamily:	Colubrinae
Genus:	Leptophis; Bell, 1825
Species
	see text;

Leptophis is a genus of colubrid snakes, commonly known as parrot snakes. The species within this genus are widely distributed throughout Mexico, Central and South America.^[1]

Classification

The genus Leptophis belongs to the subfamily Colubrinae, of the family Colubridae. The species relationships within Leptophis can be shown in the cladogram below, with possible paraphyletic species identified:^[2]

L. depressirostris

L. diplotropis

	L. cupreus

	L. riveti

L. occidentalis (Panama & Honduras) (paraphyletic)

L. bocourti

L. occidentalis (Ecuador) (paraphyletic)

L. ahaetulla (Guyana) (paraphyletic)

L. marginatus

L. nigromarginatus (paraphyletic)

L. coeruleodorsus

	L. sp. nov.

	L. ahaetulla (Brazil) (paraphyletic)

Description

Snakes of the genus Leptophis are slender with a long tail. The body is cylindrical or slightly laterally compressed. The head is elongated and distinct from the neck. The eye is large with a round pupil. The dorsal scales are arranged in 15 rows at midbody. The maxillary teeth, which number 20–32, are in a continuous series without any interspace, and are longest posteriorly. Conversely, the mandibular teeth are longest anteriorly.^[3]

Species and subspecies

The following species and subspecies are currently recognized as being valid:

Leptophis ahaetulla (Linnaeus, 1758) – giant parrot snake^[4]
Leptophis bocourti Boulenger, 1898^[5]
Leptophis bolivianus Oliver, 1942^[6]
Leptophis coeruleodorsus Oliver, 1942 – Oliver's parrot snake^[7]
Leptophis cupreus (Cope, 1868) – copper parrot snake^[8]
Leptophis depressirostris (Cope, 1861) – Cope's parrot snake^[9]
Leptophis dibernardoi Albuquerque, Santos, Borges-Nojosa & R. Ávila, 2022^[10]
Leptophis diplotropis (Günther, 1872) - Pacific Coast parrot snake^[11]
- Leptophis diplotropis diplotropis (Günther, 1872)
- Leptophis diplotropis forreri H.M. Smith, 1943
Leptophis liocercus Wied-Neuwied, 1824^[12]
Leptophis marginatus Cope, 1862^[13]
Leptophis mexicanus A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854 – Mexican parrot snake^[14]
- Leptophis mexicanus hoeversi Henderson, 1976
- Leptophis mexicanus mexicanus A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854
- Leptophis mexicanus septentrionalis Mertens, 1972
- Leptophis mexicanus yucatanensis Oliver, 1942
Leptophis modestus (Günther, 1872) – cloud forest parrot snake^[15]
Leptophis nebulosus Oliver, 1942 – Oliver's parrot snake^[16]
Leptophis nigromarginatus (Günther, 1866) - black-skinned parrot snake^[17]
Leptophis occidentalis (Günther, 1859)^[18]
Leptophis praestans Cope, 1868^[19]
Leptophis riveti Despax, 1910 – Despax's parrot snake^[20]
Leptophis stimsoni Harding, 1995 – Trinidad upland parrot snake^[21]
Leptophis urostictus (W. Peters, 1873)^[22]

Nota bene: A binomial authority or trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species or subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Leptophis.

References

^ De Albuquerque, Nelson Rufino; Fernandes, Daniel S. (2022). "Taxonomic revision of the parrot snake Leptophis ahaetulla. (Serpentes, Colubridae)". Zootaxa. 5153 (1): 1–69. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5153.1.1. PMID 36095641. S2CID 249561990.
^ Torres-Carvajal, Omar; Terán, Claudia (2021). "Molecular phylogeny of Neotropical Parrot Snakes (Serpentes: Colubrinae: Leptophis) supports underestimated species richness". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 164: 107267. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107267. PMID 34293395.
^ Boulenger GA (1894). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xi + 382 pp. + Plates I–XX. (Leptophis, p. 105-106, Figure 10.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis ahaetulla (LINNAEUS, 1758)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis bocourti (BOULENGER, 1898)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis bolivianus (OLIVER, 1942)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis coeruleodorsus (OLIVER, 1942)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis cupreus (COPE, 1868)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis depressirostris (COPE, 1861)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis dibernardoi (ALBUQUERQUE, SANTOS, BORGES-NOJOSA & ÁVILA, 2022)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis diplotropis (GÜNTHER, 1872)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis liocercus (WIED, 1824)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis marginatus (COPE, 1862)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis mexicanus (DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL, 1854)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis modestus (GÜNTHER, 1872)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis nebulosus (OLIVER, 1942)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis nigromarginatus (GÜNTHER, 1866)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis occidentalis (GÜNTHER, 1859)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis praestans (COPE, 1868)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis riveti (DESPAX, 1910)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis stimsoni (HARDING, 1995)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Peter Uetz; Jakob Hallermann (2022). "Leptophis urostictus (PETERS, 1873)". Reptile Database. Retrieved 6 October 2022.

Classification

Description

Species and subspecies

References

Further reading