Leptophis

Leptophis is a genus of colubrid snakes, commonly known as parrot snakes, which are endemic to the Americas.[1]

Leptophis
Leptophis ahaetulla
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Colubrinae
Genus: Leptophis
Bell, 1825

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.[2]

The maxillary teeth, which number 20–32, are in a continuous series without any interspace, and are longest posteriorly,[2] but without grooves.[3] Conversely, the mandibular teeth are longest anteriorly.[2]

Species and subspecies

The following species and subspecies are currently recognized as being valid.[4][5]

  • Leptophis ahaetulla (Linnaeus, 1758) – parrot snake
    • Leptophis ahaetulla ahaetulla (Linnaeus, 1758)
    • Leptophis ahaetulla bocourti Boulenger, 1898
    • Leptophis ahaetulla bolivianus Oliver, 1942
    • Leptophis ahaetulla chocoensis Oliver, 1942
    • Leptophis ahaetulla copei Oliver, 1942
    • Leptophis ahaetulla liocercus (Wied, 1824)
    • Leptophis ahaetulla marginatus (Cope, 1862)
    • Leptophis ahaetulla nigromarginatus (Günther, 1866)
    • Leptophis ahaetulla occidentalis (Günther, 1859)
    • Leptophis ahaetulla ortonii Cope, 1876
    • Leptophis ahaetulla praestans (Cope, 1868)
    • Leptophis ahaetulla santamartensis Bernal-Carlo & Roze, 1994
  • Leptophis coeruleodorsus Oliver, 1942 – Oliver's parrot snake
  • Leptophis cupreus (Cope, 1868) – copper parrot snake
  • Leptophis depressirostris (Cope, 1861) – Cope's parrot snake
  • Leptophis diplotropis (Günther, 1872)
    • Leptophis diplotropis diplotropis (Günther, 1872) – Pacific Coast parrot snake
    • Leptophis diplotropis forreri H.M. Smith, 1943
  • Leptophis haileyi Murphy, Charles, Lehtinen, & Koeller, 2013
  • Leptophis mexicanus A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854 – culebra-perico mexicana
    • Leptophis mexicanus hoeversi Henderson, 1976
    • Leptophis mexicanus mexicanus A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854 – Mexican parrot snake
    • Leptophis mexicanus septentrionalis Mertens, 1972
    • Leptophis mexicanus yucatanensis Oliver, 1942
  • Leptophis modestus (Günther, 1872) – cloud forest parrot snake
  • Leptophis nebulosus Oliver, 1942 – Oliver's parrot snake
  • Leptophis riveti Despax, 1910 – Despax's parrot snake
  • Leptophis stimsoni Harding, 1995 – gray lora

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
  1. "Leptophis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  2. 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.
  3. Freiberg M (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. ISBN 0-87666-912-7.(Genus Leptophis, p. 80).
  4. "Leptophis ". Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: Annual Checklist. Encyclopedia of Life. Consulted: 8 May 2011.
  5. "Leptophis ". The Reptile Database. Consulted: 8 May 2011.

Further reading
  • Bell T (1825). "On Leptophina, a group of Serpents comprising the Genus Dryinus of Merrem, and a newly formed Genus proposed to be named Leptophis ". Zoological Journal 2: 322–329. (Leptophis, new genus, pp. 328–329.)


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