Dipsas cisticeps (BOETTGER, 1885)
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Dipsas cisticeps
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| Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Neotropical Snail-eater |
| Synonym | Leptognathus (Dipsadomorus) [sic] cisticeps BOETTGER 1885: 237 Dipsas cisticeps — BERTONI 1914: 29 Dipsas indica cisticeps — PETERS 1960: 78 Dipsas indica cisticeps — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 87 Dipsas bucephala cisticeps — HARVEY & EMBERT 2008: 64 Dipsas cisticeps — CACCIALI et al. 2016 Dipsas cisticeps — ATKINSON et al. 2017 |
| Distribution | E Bolivia (Cochabamba, Santa Cruz), NW Argentina, W Paraguay Type locality: Paraguay |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: unlocated, not in SMF (Pier Cacciali and Sebastian Lotzkat, pers. comm., 1 Aug 2017). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: The following combination of characters distinguishes Dipsas bucephala from all congeners: (1) dorsals 13, usually without reduction or with reduction to 11 relatively close to vent; (2) temporals excluded from orbit by postoculars; (3) usually two pairs of infralabials in contact behind mental; (4) infralabials broadly contacting second pair of chinshields or sublabials occasionally (22% of the time) separating infralabials and second pair of chinshields; (5) loreal square, entering orbit; (6) preocular present above loreal, excluding prefrontal from orbit; (7) dorsal head scales with few large brown spots edged in yellow; (8) labials immaculate or with scattered black marks not concentrated at dorsal apices of scales or forming regular bars; (9) nuchal collar tan to light gray; first blotch not reaching rictus and separated from parietals by 4–8 vertebrals; (10) dorsum tan to light gray with darker markings narrowly edged first in yellow then in dark brown; body blotches, and often interspaces, with row of subcircular cream to yellow spots, at least anteriorly; (11) dorsal blotches incomplete ventrally; widest at paraventrals, longer than interspaces over most of body; usually not forming bands anteriorly; (12) interspaces mostly immaculate dorsally; large dark brown accessory blotch of paraventral region fusing to varying degrees with body blotches; (13) paraventral pattern extending onto venter, center of venter mostly immaculate or with narrow longitudinal line; (14) ventrals 169–194; (15) subcaudals 77–107; (16) maxillary teeth 14–15 (Harvey & Embert 2008: 64). Additional details (2646 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Distribution: not confirmed in Brazil fide Nogueira et al. 2019 although sometimes reported from Mato Grosso. |
| Etymology | Named after Greek cistis (κύστις), the bladder + Latin -ceps, -headed. [?. Perhaps “...oculis prominentioribus...”]. (from Esteban Lavilla, pers. comm., May 2024) |
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