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Hypsiglena torquata (GÜNTHER, 1860)

IUCN Red List - Hypsiglena torquata - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaColubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) 
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Night Snake
G: Nachtschlange 
SynonymLeptodeira torquata GÜNTHER 1860: 170
Comastes quincuniatus JAN 1871
Sibon torquatum — GARMAN 1884: 18
Hypsiglena torquata — BOULENGER 1894: 210
Hypsiglena torquata torquata — TAYLOR 1939: 371
Hypsiglena torquata — TANNER 1946: 40
Hypsiglena torquata torquata — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 132
Hypsiglena torquata — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 132
Hypsiglena torquata — STEBBINS 1985: 221
Hypsiglena torquata — LINER 1994
Hypsiglena torquata — WALLACH et al. 2014: 343
Hypsiglena torquata — MATA-SILVA et al. 2015 
DistributionMexico (Oaxaca, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan, Guerrero, W Puebla, Morelos, Aguascalientes, Durango, Guanajuato)

martinensis: Type locality: San Martln Island. Baja California, Mexico.

tortugaensis: Isla Tortuga  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesSyntypes: BMNH 1946.1.1.15 (formerly BMNH 1861.12.30.97), a female
Holotype: CAS; Paratype SDNHM = SDSNH 4074 [tortugaensis] 
Diagnosis 
CommentSubspecies: Note that MULCAHY (2008) has revised the Hypsiglena torquata complex and elevated several subspecies to full species status while moving some other to the new species. For example, populations in Washington and British Columbia state are now referred to H. chlorophaea deserticola. Hypsiglena torquata tortugaensis TANNER 1946 is now a subspecies of H. ochrorhyncha.

The type locality for H. torquata was originally described as Island of Laguna, Nicaragua (Günther, 1860), but later revised to near Lagunillas in Moreles, Mexico (Tanner, 1997).  Peters (1956) corrected an erroneous record from Ecuador.  Tanner (1997) and Savage (2002) corrected other dubious records from Central America; there are currently no valid records of Hypsiglena south of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico (from D. Mulcahy, pers. comm.).

Records from South America (Ecuador, Venezuela) seem to be erroneous according to PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 132. PETERS (1956) also removed Pseudodipsas fallax PETERS 1860 from its synonymy. GRISMER (1999) also synonymized tiburonensis and tortugensis with torquata because there are no diagnostic differences. MULCAHY (2008) recognized tiburonensis but did not mention tortugensis.

Not listed for Honduras by WILSON & MCCRANIE (2002).

Diet: mostly specialized on lizards

Behavior: nocturnal 
Etymology 
References
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  • Loc-barragán J.A., D., Lazcano y G.A Woolrich-Piña. 2018. Notes on the Herpetofauna of Nayarit, Mexico 2: Amphibians and Reptiles of the Municipality of Compostela. Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society 53(10): 205-212
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