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Hypsiglena chlorophaea COPE, 1860

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Higher TaxaColubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
SubspeciesHypsiglena chlorophaea chlorophaea COPE 1860
Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola TANNER 1946
Hypsiglena chlorophaea loreala TANNER 1946
Hypsiglena chlorophaea tiburonensis TANNER 1981 
Common Namesdeserticola: Great Basin Nightsnake, Desert Night Snake
loreala: Mesa Verde Nightsnake
tiburonensisa: Isla Tiburon Nightsnake
chlorophaea: Sonoran Nightsnake
S: Nocturna Verde Oscuro 
SynonymHypsiglena chlorophaea COPE 1860: 247
Hypsiglena torquata chlorophaea — TANNER 1985: 633
Hypsiglena torquata chlorophaea — CROTHER 2000: 63
Hypsiglena chlorophaea — MULCAHY 2008
Hypsiglena chlorophaea — CROTHER et al. 2012
Hypsiglena chlorophaea — WALLACH et al. 2014: 343

Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola TANNER 1946
Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus deserticola TANNER 1946: 59 (1944)
Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola — MULCAHY 2008
Hypsiglena torquata — WEAVER 2008
Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola — CROTHER et al. 2012

Hypsiglena chlorophaea loreala TANNER 1944
Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus lorealus TANNER 1946: 63 (1944)
Hypsiglena torquata loreala — CROTHER 2000: 63
Hypsiglena chlorophaea loreala — MULCAHY 2008
Hypsiglena chlorophaea loreala — CROTHER et al. 2012

Hypsiglena chlorophaea tiburonensis TANNER 1981
Hypsiglena torquata tiburonensis TANNER 1981
Hypsiglena chlorophaea tiburonensis — MULCAHY 2008 
Distributionchlorophaea: USA (Arizona, Nevada, E California, Utah, Idaho, Washington, Colorado), Mexico (Sonora, Sinaloa); Type locality: Arizona, Ft. Buchanan.

deserticola: Canada (S British Columbia), USA (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Utah, NW Arizona), Mexico (N Baja California); Type locality: small isolaed ridge which justs out into the valley and is near the road which leads from chimney rock pass to Fairfield, on the west side of Cedar Valley, between 3 and 4 miles northwest of Chimney Rock Pass, Utah Co. Utah”

loreala: USA (Utah, W Kansas, NW New Mexico, NE Arizona); Type locality: west edge of Castle Dale, Emery County, Utha.

tiburonensis: Mexico (Islas Tiburón and San Esteban)  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesSyntypes: ANSP 3748-49, USNM 4676
Holotype: BYU, paratypes: UMMZ, BYU, USNM [deserticola]
Holotype: BYU, paratypes: Dixie College, UMMZ [loreala]
Holotype: BYU 33181, adult female, collected by J.R. Dixon, 14 Aug 1974; paratype: MVZ 37802, adult female [tiburonensis] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (deserticola): see Tanner 1946: 60 (as H. ochrorhynchus deserticola)

Diagnosis (lorealus): see Tanner 1946: 64 (as H. ochrorhynchus lorealus)

 
CommentTANNER (1966) separated H. t. catalinae from H. torquata of the adjacent peninsula on the basis of the former having a single series of large dorsal spots, two rows of lateral spots, and a high number of ventral plus scutes (233-295). However, since these characters do not discretely diagnose catalinae GRISMER (1999) suggested to synonymize catalinae with H. torquata. MULCAHY (2008) considered catalinae as a valid subspecies (of Hypsiglena chlorophaea). Mulcahy et al. 2014 elevated Hypsiglena chlorophaea catalinae TANNER 1966 to full species status.

Distribution: see map of subspecies in Mulcahy et al. 2014. Not in Sinaloa fide D. Mulcahy, pers. comm., 1 Feb 2020. 
References
  • Bezy, Robert L. and Charles J. Cole 2014. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Madrean Archipelago of Arizona and New Mexico. American Museum Novitates (3810): 1-24 - get paper here
  • CAZARES, A., J. BOSAK, D. HEUERTA, R. TUIJL-GOODE, AND M. GOODE 2020. Hypsiglena chlorophaea (Desert Nightsnake). Diet. Herpetological Review 51: 619-620.
  • Collins, J.T. & Collins, S.L. 2009. A pocket guide to Kansas snakes, 2nd ed. Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, 69 pp.
  • Collins, J.T. & Collins, S.L. 2010. A pocket guide to Kansas snakes, 3rd ed. Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, 69 pp.
  • Cope, E.D. 1860. Catalogue of the Colubridae in the Museum of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, with notes and descriptions of new species. Part II. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 12: 241-266 - get paper here
  • Crother, B. I. (ed.) 2012. Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians, Seventh Edition. Herpetological Circular 39: 1-92
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  • Foster, C D; Greene, S; Sharp, S; Tietgen, M; Hall, J; Stackhouse, A & Zach, R; 2019. Captive husbandry and reproduction of the Desert Nightsnake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea) at the Arizona Center for Nature Conservation/Phoenix Zoo. Herpetological Review 50 (3): 513-516 - get paper here
  • Gregory, Linda. 2012. Hypsiglena chlorophaea Desert Night Snake - Couleuvre nocturne. The Canadian Herpetologist 2 (1): 4-5
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  • Heyborne, W H & Clokey, M; 2019. Hypsiglena chlorophaea (Desert Nightsnake) Predation. Herpetological Review 50 (1): 159 - get paper here
  • Lee, Justin L.; Adrian Thompson, and Daniel G. Mulcahy 2016. Relationships between Numbers of Vertebrae, Scale Counts, and Body Size, with Implications for Taxonomy in Nightsnakes (Genus: Hypsiglena). Journal of Herpetology 50 (4): 616-620 - get paper here
  • Lemos-Espinal JA, Smith GR 2020. A checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of Sinaloa, Mexico with a conservation status summary and comparisons with neighboring states. ZooKeys 931: 85-114 - get paper here
  • Lemos-Espinal JA, Smith GR, Rorabaugh JC 2019. A conservation checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of Sonora, Mexico, with updated species lists. ZooKeys 829: 131-160 - get paper here
  • Lillywhite, H.B. 2022. Discovering snakes in wild places. ECO Publishing, Rodeo, NM, 164 pp.
  • Mulcahy DG, Martínez-Gómez JE, Aguirre-León G, Cervantes-Pasqualli JA, Zug GR 2014. Rediscovery of an Endemic Vertebrate from the Remote Islas Revillagigedo in the Eastern Pacific Ocean: The Clarión Nightsnake Lost and Found. PLoS One 9 (5): e97682. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0097682 - get paper here
  • Mulcahy, Daniel G. 2008. Phylogeography and species boundaries of the western North American Nightsnake (Hypsiglena torquata): Revisiting the subspecies concept. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 46 (3): 1095-1115 - get paper here
  • Nevárez-de los Reyes; Manuel, David Lazcano, Javier Banda-Leal and Ian Recchio 2014. Notes on Mexican Herpetofauna 22: Herpetofauna of the Continental Portion of the Municipality of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Bull. Chicago Herp. Soc. 49(8):105-115 - get paper here
  • O’Shea, M. 2018. The Book of Snakes. Ivy Press / Quarto Publishing, London, - get paper here
  • Pregill, Gregory K.;Berrian, James E. 1984. Type specimens of amphibians and reptiles in the San Diego Natural History Museum. Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History 20 (10): 151-164 - get paper here
  • Rombough, Chris. 2016. Hypsiglena chlorophaea (Desert Nightsnake) Reproduction / Mating. Herpetological Review 47 (2): 312 - get paper here
  • Rorabaugh, J C; Turner, D; van Devender, T R; Hugo-Cabrera, V; Maynard, R J; Van Devender, R W; Villa, R A; Hamilton, P; Hale, S F; Aguilar-Morales, C; Blanco-Gutiérrez, A; Wallace, E & Hedgcock, C; 2019. Herpetofauna of the Mesa Tres Ríos area in the Northern Sierra Madre Occidental of Sonora, Mexico. Herpetological Review 50 (2): 251-259 - get paper here
  • Tanner, W. W. 1946. A taxonomic study of the genus Hypsiglena. Great Basin Naturalist 5 (3-4): 25-92 [1944] - get paper here
  • Tanner, W. W. 1981. A new Hypsiglena from Tiburon Island, Sonora, Mexico. Great Basin Naturalist 41 (1): 139-142 - get paper here
  • Tanner, Wilmer W. 1966. The night snakes of Baja California. Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History 14 (15): 189-196 - get paper here
  • Tanner, Wilmer W. 1985. Snakes of Western Chihuahua. Great Basin Naturalist 45 (4): 615-676 - get paper here
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  • Weaver, R. E. 2008. DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS OF THE NIGHT SNAKE (HYPSIGLENA TORQUATA) IN WASHINGTON STATE. Northwestern Naturalist 89: 164–170 - get paper here
  • Weaver, R.E. & K.V. Kardong 2009. Microhabitat and Prey Odor Selection in Hypsiglena chlorophaea Copeia 2009 (3): 475-482. - get paper here
  • Weaver, Robert E. 2010. Diet and Reproductive Ecology of the Desert Nightsnake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea) in Central Washington State. Journal of Herpetology 44 (1): 148–152 - get paper here
  • Weaver, Robert E.; William H. Clark, and Daniel C. McEwen 2012. Prey Chemical Discrimination by the Desert Nightsnake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea): A Comparison of Invertebrate and Vertebrate Prey. Journal of Herpetology 46 (4): 523-526. - get paper here
  • WEAVER, ROBERT E; KENDRA S WEAVER, TONI M JOHNSON, AND EDWARD A MYERS 2010. A NEW RECORD SIZE FOR THE NORTHERN DESERT NIGHTSNAKE (HYPSIGLENA CHLOROPHAEA DESERTICOLA). Northwestern Naturalist 91: 218–220 - get paper here
 
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