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Geophis ruthveni WERNER, 1925

IUCN Red List - Geophis ruthveni - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaColubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Ruthven's Earth Snake 
SynonymGeophis ruthveni WERNER 1925: 60
Catastoma ruthveni — AMARAL 1929: 193
Geophis ruthveni — DOWNS 1967: 75
Geophis ruthveni — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 120
Geophis ruthveni — VILLA et al. 1988
Geophis ruthveni — WILSON & TOWNSEND 2007: 17
Geophis ruthveni — WALLACH et al. 2014: 305 
DistributionNC Costa Rica, 85-1600 m elevation.

Type locality: “Sarapigui, Brasilien.” Probably refers to Sarapiquí, Heredia, Costa Rica (See Remarks).  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: NMW 16508, male, Naturhistorischen Museums Wien. 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (n=7): Distinguished from other members of the genus by the combination of (1) corsal scales in 15 rows, strongly keeled on posterior body and tail; (2) anterior temporal absent; (3) snout pointed, rostral produced posteriorly between internasals; (4) dorsum unicolor, dark (light collar in juveniles); and (5) venter strongly banded. (Downs 1967)


Unfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data. However, these details, e.g. detailed descriptions (about about 2.07 pages) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us if you need any of this material. 
CommentInformation request form sent to authors on 9/30/2025 with details requested for next database release. 
EtymologyNamed after Alexander Grant Ruthven (1882-1971), American herpetologist. 
References
  • Amaral,A. do 1930. Estudos sobre ophidios neotropicos XVIII. Lista remissiva dos ophidios da região neotropica. Mem. Inst. Butantan 4: 126-271 [1929] - get paper here
  • Beolens, Bo; Michael Watkins, and Michael Grayson 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA - get paper here
  • Downs, F. L. 1967. lntrageneric relations among colubrid snakes of the genus Geophis Wagler. Misc. Publ. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan 131: 1-193. - get paper here
  • Gemel, R.; G. Gassner & S. Schweiger 2019. Katalog der Typen der Herpetologischen Sammlung des Naturhistorischen Museums Wien – 2018. Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, B 121: 33–248 - get paper here
  • Peters, James A.; Donoso-Barros, Roberto & Orejas-Miranda, Braulio 1970. Catalogue of the Neotropical Squamata: Part I Snakes. Bull. US Natl. Mus. 297: 347 pp. - get paper here
  • Restrepo T J H; Wright J W 1987. A new species of the colubrid snake genus Geophis from Colombia. Journal of Herpetology 21 (3): 191-196 - get paper here
  • Sasa, M., Arias, E., & Chaves, G. 2025. Annotated list of amphibians and reptiles of Costa Rica: The role of the Museum of Zoology in cataloging the country’s herpetological diversity. Revista de Biología Tropical, 73(S2): e64536-e64536 - get paper here
  • Savage, J.M. 2002. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna Between Two Continents, Between Two Seas. University of Chicago Press, 934 pp. [review in Copeia 2003 (1): 205]
  • Savage, Jay M.; Watling, James I. 2008. Not so rare snakes: a revision of the Geophis sieboldi group (Colubridae: Dipsadinae) in lower Central America and Colombia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 153(3):561-599 - get paper here
  • Savage,J.M. 1960. A revision of the Ecuadorian snakes of the colubrid genus Atractus. Misc. Publ. Zool. Univ. Michigan 112: 1-86 - get paper here
  • Solorzano, A. 2004. Serpientes de Costa Rica - Snakes of Costa Rica. Editorial INBio, Costa Rica, 792 pp.
  • Villa, J., Wilson, L.D., Johnson, J.D. 1988. Middle American Herpetology - A Bibliographic Checklist. University of Missouri Press, 132 pp [review in Copeia 1989 (3): 802]
  • 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.
  • Werner. F. 1925. Neue oder wenig bekannte Schlangen aus dem Naturhistorischen Staatsmuseum in Wien. II. Teil. Sitzungsb. Akad. Wiss., Wien, Abt. l, 134: 45 - 66 - get paper here
  • WILSON, L.D. & J.H. TOWNSEND 2007. A checklist and key to the snakes of the genus Geophis (Squamata: Colubridae: Dipsadinae), with commentary on distribution and conservation. Zootaxa 1395: 1-31 - get paper here
 
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