| Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Ruthven's Earth Snake |
| Synonym | Geophis ruthveni WERNER 1925: 60
Catastoma ruthveni — AMARAL 1929: 193
Geophis ruthveni — DOWNS 1967: 75
Geophis ruthveni — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 120
Geophis ruthveni — VILLA et al. 1988
Geophis ruthveni — WILSON & TOWNSEND 2007: 17
Geophis ruthveni — WALLACH et al. 2014: 305 |
| Distribution | NC Costa Rica, 85-1600 m elevation.
Type locality: “Sarapigui, Brasilien.” Probably refers to Sarapiquí, Heredia, Costa Rica (See Remarks).
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| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: NMW 16508, male, Naturhistorischen Museums Wien. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (n=7): Distinguished from other members of the genus by the combination of (1) corsal scales in 15 rows, strongly keeled on posterior body and tail; (2) anterior temporal absent; (3) snout pointed, rostral produced posteriorly between internasals; (4) dorsum unicolor, dark (light collar in juveniles); and (5) venter strongly banded. (Downs 1967)
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| Comment | The type locality of “Sarapigui,” Brazil is in error and means Sarapiquí, Costa Rica (SAVAGE 1960, DOWNS 1967).
Very rare. Only known from 10 specimens (SAVAGE & WATLING 2008). |
| Etymology | Named after Alexander Grant Ruthven (1882-1971), American herpetologist. |
| References |
- Amaral,A. do 1930. Estudos sobre ophidios neotropicos XVIII. Lista remissiva dos ophidios da região neotropica. Mem. Inst. Butantan 4: 126-271 [1929] - get paper here
- Beolens, Bo; Michael Watkins, and Michael Grayson 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA - get paper here
- Downs, F. L. 1967. lntrageneric relations among colubrid snakes of the genus Geophis Wagler. Misc. Publ. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan 131: 1-193. - get paper here
- Gemel, R.; G. Gassner & S. Schweiger 2019. Katalog der Typen der Herpetologischen Sammlung des Naturhistorischen Museums Wien – 2018. Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, B 121: 33–248 - get paper here
- Peters, James A.; Donoso-Barros, Roberto & Orejas-Miranda, Braulio 1970. Catalogue of the Neotropical Squamata: Part I Snakes. Bull. US Natl. Mus. 297: 347 pp. - get paper here
- Restrepo T J H; Wright J W 1987. A new species of the colubrid snake genus Geophis from Colombia. Journal of Herpetology 21 (3): 191-196 - get paper here
- Sasa, M., Arias, E., & Chaves, G. 2025. Annotated list of amphibians and reptiles of Costa Rica: The role of the Museum of Zoology in cataloging the country’s herpetological diversity. Revista de Biología Tropical, 73(S2): e64536-e64536 - get paper here
- Savage, J.M. 2002. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna Between Two Continents, Between Two Seas. University of Chicago Press, 934 pp. [review in Copeia 2003 (1): 205]
- Savage, Jay M.; Watling, James I. 2008. Not so rare snakes: a revision of the Geophis sieboldi group (Colubridae: Dipsadinae) in lower Central America and Colombia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 153(3):561-599 - get paper here
- Savage,J.M. 1960. A revision of the Ecuadorian snakes of the colubrid genus Atractus. Misc. Publ. Zool. Univ. Michigan 112: 1-86 - get paper here
- Solorzano, A. 2004. Serpientes de Costa Rica - Snakes of Costa Rica. Editorial INBio, Costa Rica, 792 pp.
- Villa, J., Wilson, L.D., Johnson, J.D. 1988. Middle American Herpetology - A Bibliographic Checklist. University of Missouri Press, 132 pp [review in Copeia 1989 (3): 802]
- Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
- Werner. F. 1925. Neue oder wenig bekannte Schlangen aus dem Naturhistorischen Staatsmuseum in Wien. II. Teil. Sitzungsb. Akad. Wiss., Wien, Abt. l, 134: 45 - 66 - get paper here
- WILSON, L.D. & J.H. TOWNSEND 2007. A checklist and key to the snakes of the genus Geophis (Squamata: Colubridae: Dipsadinae), with commentary on distribution and conservation. Zootaxa 1395: 1-31 - get paper here
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