Amastridium veliferum COPE, 1861
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Amastridium veliferum?
Amastridium veliferum
Find more photos by Google images search: 
| Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Rufous-headed snake, Rustyhead Snake |
| Synonym | Amastridium veliferum COPE 1861: 370 Fleischmannia obscura BOETTGER 1898: 69 Phrydops melas BOULENGER 1905: 454 Phydrops [sic] melas — DUNN 1931: 163 Amastridium veliferum — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 18 Amastridium veliferum — LINER 1994 Amastridium veliferum — SAVAGE 2002 Amastridium veliferum — WALLACH et al. 2014: 24 Amastridium veliferum — CALZADA-ARCINIEGA & TOSCANO-FLORES 2014 Amastridium veliferum — SUNYER & MARTÍNEZ-FONSECA 2023 |
| Distribution | S Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama (IUCN) Type locality: Cocuyas de Veraguas, N. Grenada (= Cocuyas, Panama) |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: ANSP 3738 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus) A genus (two species) differing in morphology from generalized colubrids in having a distinct canthal ridge and moderately long tail (25 to 32 % of total length). Other defining features include the basic colubrid complement of head shields; nasal completely divided; a loreal that may be fused with postnasal; a single preocular; pupil round; two pairs of chin shields; dorsal scales 17-17-17, smooth, with two apical pits on scales in nuchal region; keels present on supracloacal scales in adult males; anal and subcaudals divided; maxillary teeth 11 to 7 plus two enlarged fangs that may be grooved or not and separated from the subequal anterior teeth by a diastema; Duvernoy's gland probably present; mandibular teeth subequal; hypapophyses present on posterior dorsal vertebrae. The absence of a loreal, the presence of 17 scale rows at midbody, and the canthal ridge distinguish the genus from others in Costa Rica (although members of the genus from northern areas of Central America and Mexico have a loreal) (Savage 2002: 583). Additional details (333 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Synonymy: after PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970. Distribution: Not listed for San Luis Potosí by Lemos-Espinal et al. 2018 (checklist SLP). Not listed in Liner 2007. Note that A. sapperi has been split off from this species. Type species: Amastridium veliferum COPE 1860 is the type species of the genus Amastridium COPE 1860. |
| Etymology | Named after Latin veliferum, carrying a sail;. [“...posteriorly a few dorsal rows with faint keels, becoming stronger toward the tail, and extending on all the scales near the anal region...”]. The genus may have been named after Greek mastr- (μάστρ-), searcher + Greek –idium (–ιδιυμ),diminutive suffix. According to Wilson (1988), "The first letter of the name was most likely intended by Cope o represent a euphonic alpha, affecting the pronunciation but not the meaning. Given such was the case, the meaning would be "a little searcher," in apparent reference to the snake's size and foraging habits. It is possible, however, that Cope used the a- as an intensive alpha, meaning "very much," thus signifying "very much the little searcher." Alternatively, the name may be from Greek Amastris (Ἄμαστρις), daughter of Otanes, wife of Xerxes, and mother of Artaxerxes I. (3) Greek Amastris (Ἄμαστρις), city in Paphlagonia on the southern coast of the Euxine Pontus, called Cromna by Homer. |
| References |
|
| External links |