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Hydromorphus concolor PETERS, 1859

IUCN Red List - Hydromorphus concolor - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaColubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Costa Rica Water Snake 
SynonymHydromorphus concolor PETERS 1859: 277
Hydromorphus clarki DUNN 1942: 2
Hydromorphus clarki — VILLA et al. 1988
Hydromorphus concolor — BAUER et al. 1995: 72
Hydromorphus concolor — SAVAGE 2002: 605
Hydromorphus concolor — WALLACH et al. 2014: 339
Hydromorphus concolor — SUNYER & MARTÍNEZ-FONSECA 2023 
DistributionGuatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama; elevation (Honduras): 900 m

Type locality: Costa Rica [by implication]  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: ZMB 2493
Holotype: ANSP 23910; Panama, Agua Clara village, nr. Chargres River [Hydromorphus clarki DUNN 1942] 
DiagnosisUnfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 4060 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentRelative abundance in Honduras: rare

Type species: Hydromorphus concolor PETERS 1859: 277 is the type species of the genus Hydromorphus PETERS 1859.

Distribution: not in Colombia fide Bernal (2025) and IUCN. 
EtymologyNamed after Latin concolor, of uniform color throughout; without spots. [“...ein Weibchen, ist oben dunkelgraubraun, die Körperseiten und die Unterseite sind heller, indem die Schuppen und Schilder hier zum Theil schmutzig gelb sind...”].

The genus was named after Latin Hydrus, snake genus due to Schneider, 1799 (see) + Greek morpho (μορφή), form, shape. ["...Diese neue Gattung schließt sich durch die Körperform zunächst an die Hormalopsidae mit ungefurchten hinteren Zähnen, Calopisma, Hypsirhina und Hydrops an, ist aber durch eigentümlichen Kieferbau, Bezahnung und Kopfschilder leicht zu unterscheiden..."]. 
References
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  • Bauer, A.M.; Günther,R. & Klipfel,M. 1995. The herpetological contributions of Wilhelm C.H. Peters (1815-1883). SSAR Facsimile Reprints in Herpetology, 714 pp.
  • Bernal, R. 2025. Serpientes de Colombia-Guía de Campo. Serie de Guías Tropicales de Campo. 19: 396 pp. Conservación Internacional Colombia, Bogotá - get paper here
  • Crother, B.I. 1989. A Redescription of the Hemipenis of Hydromorphus concolor (Colubridae) with Comments on Its Tribal Allocation Copeia 1989 (1): 227-229. - get paper here
  • Dunn, Emmett Reid 1942. New or Noteworthy Snakes from Panama. Notulae Naturae 108:1-8.
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