Erythrolamprus mertensi (ROZE, 1964)
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Erythrolamprus mertensi
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| Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Mertens' Tropical Forest Snake |
| Synonym | Umbrivaga mertensi ROZE 1964 Umbrivaga mertensi — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 319 Umbrivaga mertensi — KORNACKER 1999: 143 Erythrolamprus mertensi — GRAZZIOTIN et al. 2012 Umbrivaga mertensi — WALLACH et al. 2014: 761 |
| Distribution | Venezuela (Aragua) Type locality: Parque Nacional “Henri Pittier”, Rancho Grande, Venezuela. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: MBUCV 3046, a 345 mm male (L. Aristeguieta, April 1953). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus Umbrivaga): This genus is related to the Leimadophis,Liophis and Urotheca assemblage of snakes, but its dentition differs from that of any of the genera in this complex. The teeth on the maxilla are directed inward, so that the axis of each tooth is almost horizontal. There are only 6 + 2 to 7 + 2 maxillary teeth, the last two considerably enlarged, lance-shaped, and separated from the rest by a large diastema (Fig. 1 in Roze 1964). Moreover, there is a shelf-like anterior projection of the premaxilla (Fig. 2 in Roze 1964), not observed in any related genus. Table 1 (Roze 1964: 535) summarizes the diagnostic characteristics of the genera Leimadophis, Lygophis, Liophis, Urotheca, and Umbrivaga). |
| Comment | Type species: Umbrivaga mertensi ROZE 1964 is the type species of the genus Umbrivaga ROZE 1964. The genus has been synonymized with Erythrolamprus by Grazziotin et al. 2012. |
| Etymology | Named after Robert Mertens (1894-1975), Russian-born herpetologist who worked most of his life at the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt, Germany. See also Haacke 1975. |
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