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Phyllorhynchus decurtatus (COPE, 1868)

IUCN Red List - Phyllorhynchus decurtatus - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaColubridae, Colubrinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Spotted Leafnose Snake
G: Gefleckte Blattnasennatter
S: Culebra Nariz Moteada 
SynonymPhimothyra decurtata COPE 1868: 310
Salvadora decurtata — GARMAN 1884: 39
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus — STEJNEGER 1890: 154
Lytorhynchus decurtatus — BOULENGER 1893: 417
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus — STEBBINS 1985: 177
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus perkinsi KLAUBER 1935
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus nubilus KLAUBER 1940
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus nubilis — BOGERT & OLIVER 1945: 350 (in error)
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus norrisi SMITH & LANGEBARTEL 1951: 181
Phyllorhynchus arenicola SAVAGE & CLIFF 1954: 69
Phyllorhynchus arenicola — CLIFF 1954
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus porelli POWERS & BANTA 1974: 241
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus porelloi — SMITH & SMITH 1976: 13 (nom. emend.)
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus arenicola — MURPHY & OTTLEY 1980
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus arenicolus — MCLEARY & MCDIARMID 1993
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus decurtatus — MCLEARY & MCDIARMID 1993
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus norrisi — MCCLEARY & MCDIARMID 1993
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus nubilus — MCCLEARY & MCDIARMID 1993
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus perkinsi — MCCLEARY & MCDIARMID 1993
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus — LINER 1994
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus — GRISMER 1999: 460
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus — CROTHER et al. 2012
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 560 
DistributionUSA (SE California, S Nevada, SW Arizona, SW Utah),
Mexico (Baja California, Sonora, W Sinaloa)

arenicolus: Isla Montserrate in the Gulf of California, Mexico; Type locality: the shouthwest coast of Isla Montserrate, Gulf of California, Mexico”;

decurtatus: Mexico (Baja California), Type locality: “upper part of Lower California”; restricted to “San Fernando Misíon (between San Ignacio and)” [nothing following the “and”]

norrisi: Mexico (Sonora); Type locality: Mexico: 45.1 mi S Santa Ana, Sonora;

nubilus: USA (Arizona); Type locality: “Xavier (Weisner’s Ranch), Pima County, Arizona”.

perkinsi: USA (California); Type locality: “Dry Lake, San Diego County, California”  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: ANSP 5489 (decurtatus)
Holotype: SDNHM = SDSNH 32493; paratypes SDNHM = SDSNH [nubilus]
Holotype: SDNHM = SDSNH 23757 [perkinsi]
Holotype: CAS-SUR 14013 [arenicolus]
Holotype: INHS (= UIMNH) 23887, D. A. Langebartel and R. Abbuhl; July 3, 1951 [norrisi] 
Diagnosis 
CommentSubspecies: Traditionally, 5 subspecies are recognized. However, GRISMER 1999 discusses the status of arenicolus and synonymizes it with decurtatus. McDiarmid and McCleary (1993) listed five subspecies but were skeptial about their validity. CROTHER (2000) followed this opinion. GARDNER & MENDELSON 2004 showed that variation in this species is not consistent with subspecific distinction and therefore rejected subspecies. 
EtymologyThe species name decurtatus is derived from the Latin decurto, meaning to cut short. In his original description Cope (1868) commented that both “the head is shortened" and "the tail is relatively shorter”.

The subspecific names are derived as follows: perkinsi is a patronym to honor Charles B. Perkins, colleague and friend of Laurence M. Klauber who described that taxon; nubilus is a Latin word meaning cloudy, presumably in reference to the nature of the irregular blotches that cover the body; norrisi is a patronymn to honor Lester J. Norris, who gave financial supportto the expedition that collected the type-specimen; arenicola is derived from the Greek arena, meaning sand, and cola, meaning dwelling; presumably in reference to the fact that the type-series was collected on sand dunes on Isla Monserrate (from (McDiarmid and McCleary 1993). 
References
  • Atsatt, S. R. 1923. Behavior of the leaf-nosed snake, Phyllorhynchus decurtatus. Univ. California Publ. Zool. 21 (9): 303-312
  • Boulenger, G.A. 1893. Catalogue of the snakes in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) I. London (Taylor & Francis), 448 pp. - get paper here
  • Brattstrom, Baynard H. 1953. Notes on a population of leaf-nosed snakes Phyllorhynchus decurtatus perkinsi. Herpetologica 9 (2): 57-64 - get paper here
  • Campbell, H.W. & S.P. Christman 1982. The Systematic Status of Phyllorhynchus decurtatus porelli Powers and Banta Journal of Herpetology 16 (2): 182-183. - get paper here
  • Cliff, Frank S. 1954. Snakes of the islands in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History 12 (5): 67-98 - get paper here
  • Cope, E.D. 1868. Sixth contribution to the herpetology of Tropical America. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 20: 305-313 - 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
  • Dial, B.E., P.J. Weldon & B. Curtis 1989. Chemosensory Identification of Snake Predators (Phyllorhynchus decurtatus) by Banded Geckos (Coleonyx variegatus) Journal of Herpetology 23 (3): 224-229. - get paper here
  • Gardner, S.A. & Mendelson III, J.R. 2004. Taxonomy and geographic variation in the leaf-nosed Snake Phyllorhynchus decurtatus (Squamata: Colubridae). Journal of Herpetology 38 (2): 187-196 - get paper here
  • Grismer, L. Lee. 1999. An evolutionary classification of reptiles on islands in the Gulf of California, México. Herpetologica 55 (4): 446-469 - get paper here
  • Hardy, L.M., & McDiarmid, R.W. 1969. The amphibians and reptiles of Sinaloa, Mexico. Univ. Kansas Publ. Mus. Nat. Hist. 18 (3): 39-252. - get paper here
  • Heimes, P. 2016. Snakes of Mexico. Chimaira, Frankfurt, 572 pp
  • Jones, K.B.; Abbas, D.R. & Bergstedt, T. 1981. Herpetological records from Central and Northeastern Arizona. Herpetological Review 12 (1): 16 - get paper here
  • Klauber, L. M. 1935. Phyllorhynchus, the leaf-nosed snake. Bulletins of the Zoological Society of San Diego (12): 1-27 - get paper here
  • Klauber,L.M. 1940. Two new subspecies of Phyllorhynchus, the leaf-nosed snake, with notes on the genus. Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 9, (20): 195-214 - get paper here
  • Kunz, K. 2015. Dauerbrenner im Terrarium: Nattern. Reptilia (Münster) 20 (115): 18-27 - 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
  • Leviton, Alan E.; Banta, Benjamin H. 1964. Midwinter reconnaissance of the herpetofauna of the Cape Region of Baja California, Mexico. Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. 30 (7): 127-156 - get paper here
  • McCleary R J R; McDiarmid R W 1993. Phyllorhynchus decurtatus (Cope), spotted leaf-nosed snake. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 580: 1-7 - get paper here
  • McDiarmid R W; McCleary R J R 1993. Phyllorhynchus Stejneger, leaf-nosed snakes. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 579: 1-5 - get paper here
  • Murphy, R. W.; Ottley, J. R. 1980. A genetic evaluation of the leafnose snake, Phyllorhynchus arenicolus. Journal of Herpetology 14 (3): 263-268 - get paper here
  • Murphy, R. W.; Ottley, J. R. 1984. Distribution of amphibians and reptiles on islands in the Gulf of California. Annals of the Carnegie Museum 53 (8): 207-230 - 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
  • Peralta-García A, Valdez-Villavicencio JH, Fucsko LA, Hollingsworth BD, Johnson JD, Mata-Silva V, Rocha A, DeSantis DL, Porras LW, and Wilson LD. 2023. The herpetofauna of the Baja California Peninsula and its adjacent islands, Mexico: composition, distribution, and conservation status. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 17(1&2): 57–142
  • Savage, Jay M.; Cliff, Frank S. 1954. A new snake, Phyllorhynchus arenicola, from the Gulf of California, Mexico. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 67: 69-76 - get paper here
  • Smith, Hobart M. & Taylor, Edward H. 1950. Type localities of Mexican reptiles and amphibians. Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 33 (8): 313-380 - get paper here
  • Smith, Hobart M.; Langebartel, Dave A. 1951. A new geographic race of leaf-nosed snake from Sonora, Mexico. Herpetologica 7: 181-184 - get paper here
  • Stebbins,R.C. 1985. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, Boston
  • Taylor, Edward Harrison 1938. Notes on the herpetological fauna of the Mexican state of Sonora. Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 24 (19): 475-503 [1936] - get paper here
  • Van Denburgh,J. 1895. A review of the herpetology of Lower California. Part I - Reptiles. Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. (2) 5: 77-163 - 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.
  • Werning, Heiko 2012. Die Reptilien und Amphibien des Südwestens. Draco 13 (50): 18-60 - get paper here
 
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