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Thamnophis melanogaster (PETERS, 1864)

IUCN Red List - Thamnophis melanogaster - Endangered, EN
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Higher TaxaColubridae (Natricinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
SubspeciesThamnophis melanogaster canescens SMITH 1942
Thamnophis melanogaster chihuahuaensis TANNER 1959
Thamnophis melanogaster linearis SMITH, NIXON & SMITH 1950
Thamnophis melanogaster melanogaster (PETERS 1864) 
Common NamesE: Blackbelly Garter Snake
G: Mexikanische Schwarzbauch-Strumpfbandnatter
S: Jarretera Vientre-negro Mexicana 
SynonymTropidonotus melanogaster DEPPE 1830 (nomen nudum)
Tropidonotus melanogaster PETERS 1864: 389
Tropidonotus (Regina) mesomelanus JAN 1863 (nomen oblitum)
Eutaenia melanogaster — COPE 1885: 386
Regina mesomelana — COPE 1865: 74
Regina mesomelana — GARMAN 1887: 125
Tropidonotus melanogaster — BOULENGER 1893: 225
Eutaenia melanogaster — COPE 1900: 1086
Thamnophis melanogaster melanogaster — SMITH 1942: 116
Nerodia melanogaster — CHIASSON & LOWE 1989
Nerodia melanogaster — LINER 1994
Thamnophis (Nerodia) melanogaster — MUTSCHMANN 1995: 122
Thamnophis melanogaster — ROSSMAN et al. 1996
Thamnophis melanogaster — WALLACH et al. 2014: 723
Thamnophis melanogaster — CORTÉS-VÁZQUEZ et al. 2022

Thamnophis melanogaster canescens SMITH 1942
Thamnophis melanogaster canescens SMITH 1942: 117
Tropidonotus baronis-mülleri TROSCHEL in MÜLLER 1865: 610
Thamnophis melanogaster canescens — SMITH et al. 1950: 575
Thamnophis melanogaster canescens — CONANT 1963: 481
Thamnophis melanogaster canescens — WEBB 1984
Thamnophis melanogaster canescens — PETERSON 1995
Thamnophis melanogaster canescens — ROSSMAN et al. 1996

Thamnophis melanogaster chihuahuaensis TANNER 1959
Thamnophis melanogaster chihuahuaensis TANNER 1959
Thamnophis melanogaster chihuahuaensis — TANNER 1985: 653
Thamnophis melanogaster chihuahuaensis — ROSSMAN et al. 1996

Thamnophis melanogaster linearis SMITH, NIXON & SMITH 1950
Thamnophis melanogaster linearis SMITH, NIXON & SMITH 1950: 575
Thamnophis melanogaster linearis — ROSSMAN et al. 1996 
DistributionMexico (Distrito Federal, Durango, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, Querétaro, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, Aguascalientes, Sonora, Hidalgo).

canescens: Mexico (Durango, Jalisco); Type locality: Chapala, Lake Chapala, Jalisco.

chihuahuaensis: Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango) (HR 33: 69)

linearis: Type locality: “Lerma, México”  
Reproductionovoviviparous 
TypesSyntypes ZMB 1996, 1946, 51781
Holotype: FMNH 100016, male [canescens]
Holotype: BYU 14197, an adult male, collected by Wilmer W. Tanner and Wilber G. Robison,Jr., 29 June, 1958; Paratypes:BYU 13371, 13373, 13451, 13493, 13496, 13505, 14198-202, 14208-10 topotypes: 14283, Cuiteco; KU 44275-78 11/2 mi. E Creel; MMZ 111495-96, Mojarachic; 111497, Areponapuchic, Chihuahua, Mexico [chihuahuaensis]
Holotype: FMNH 123872; formerly private collection HM Smith 15942, male [linearis] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (identification): “Dorsal scales usually in a maximum of 19 rows (occasionally In supralabials usually 8; preoculars usually 2; maxillary teeth 24 to 32; the dorsum dark brown, olive, or tan, with or without 2 alternating rows of dark spots being visible; a light vertebral stripe present in some populations, absent in others; a light lateral stripe, if present, confined to dorsal scale row 2 or also involving adjacent edges of rows 1 and 3.” (Rossman 1996: 207)


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CommentSynonymy: partly after BOULENGER 1893. See SMITH & CHISZAR (2001) for a comment on the name Tropidonotus (Regina) mesomelanus. Peters noted that the species was named by Wiegmann in 1830, without a description (Wiegmann’s name seems to be available). However, Deppe compiled the 1830 list, not Wiegmann, hence the describer is Peters 1864, see Gutsche 2016: 169 for details. 
EtymologyThe specific name melanogaster is derived from the Greek words melano, meaning "black" and gaster, meaning "belly." 
References
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