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Geophis tectus SAVAGE & WATLING, 2008

IUCN Red List - Geophis tectus - Least Concern, LC

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Higher TaxaColubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common Names 
SynonymGeophis tectus SAVAGE & WATLING 2008
Geophis brachycephalus — DUNN 1942: 4 (in part)
Geophis brachycephalus — DOWNS 1967: 146 (in part)
Geophis brachycephalus — SAVAGE 2002: 604 (in part)
Geophis brachycephalus — MYERS 2003: 37 (in part)
Geophis brachycephalus — SOLÓRZANO 2004: 276 (in part)
Geophis tectus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 306 
DistributionPanama

Type locality: La Loma (= Buena Vista), Distrito de Chiriquí Grande, Provincia de Bocas del Toro, Panama; c. 8°50′N, 82°13′W (300 m elevation).  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: MCZ 19326, an adult male collected by E. R. Dunn and Chester B. Duryea, some time in July–August 1923.
 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: This species differs from other members of the G. brachycephalus complex by having high numbers of subcaudals in females and in lacking sexual dimorphism in ventral counts (Table 4). It is characterized by having the following combination of features: (1) 137–138.5 ± 0.9–140 ventrals in males, 138 in the female; 44–47.0 ± 2.4–50 subcaudals in males, 43 in the female; 183–185.5 ± 1.9–188 total segmentals in males, 181 in the female; (2) uniform black dorsum and upper surface of tail or with the light blotched/banded pattern on posterior two-thirds of body and light markings on upper surface of tail (light markings probably red in life); (3) hemipenes simple, capitulum moderately long but slender, about 2.5 times as long as the short truncus on the asulcate side (Myers, 2003).


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Comment 
EtymologyThe specific name is from the Latin tectus meaning secret or disguised in allusion to this species being concealed under the name G. brachycephalus for over 90 years. 
References
  • 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
  • Ray, Julie M. and Patty Ruback 2015. Updated checklists of snakes for the provinces of Panamá and Panamá Oeste, Republic of Panama. Mesoamerican Herpetology 2 (2): 168-188 - get paper here
  • 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
  • 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.
 
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