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Hypsiglena chlorophaea COPE, 1860

IUCN Red List - Hypsiglena chlorophaea - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaColubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
SubspeciesHypsiglena chlorophaea chlorophaea COPE 1860
Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola TANNER 1946
Hypsiglena chlorophaea loreala TANNER 1946
Hypsiglena chlorophaea tiburonensis TANNER 1981 
Common Namesdeserticola: Great Basin Nightsnake, Desert Night Snake
loreala: Mesa Verde Nightsnake
tiburonensisa: Isla Tiburon Nightsnake
chlorophaea: Sonoran Nightsnake
S: Nocturna Verde Oscuro 
SynonymHypsiglena chlorophaea COPE 1860: 247
Hypsiglena torquata chlorophaea — TANNER 1985: 633
Hypsiglena torquata chlorophaea — CROTHER 2000: 63
Hypsiglena chlorophaea — MULCAHY 2008
Hypsiglena chlorophaea — CROTHER et al. 2012
Hypsiglena chlorophaea — WALLACH et al. 2014: 343
Hypsiglena chlorophaea — HANSEN & SHEDD 2025

Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola TANNER 1946
Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus deserticola TANNER 1946: 59 (1944)
Hypsiglena torquata deserticola — LOOMIS & STEPHENS 1967
Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola — MULCAHY 2008
Hypsiglena torquata — WEAVER 2008
Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola — CROTHER et al. 2012

Hypsiglena chlorophaea loreala TANNER 1944
Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus lorealus TANNER 1946: 63 (1944)
Hypsiglena torquata loreala — CROTHER 2000: 63
Hypsiglena chlorophaea loreala — MULCAHY 2008
Hypsiglena chlorophaea loreala — CROTHER et al. 2012

Hypsiglena chlorophaea tiburonensis TANNER 1981
Hypsiglena torquata tiburonensis TANNER 1981
Hypsiglena chlorophaea tiburonensis — MULCAHY 2008 
Distributionchlorophaea: USA (Arizona, Nevada, E California, Utah, Idaho, Washington, Colorado), Mexico (Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua); Type locality: Arizona, Ft. Buchanan.

deserticola: Canada (S British Columbia), USA (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Utah, NW Arizona), Mexico (N Baja California); Type locality: small isolaed ridge which justs out into the valley and is near the road which leads from chimney rock pass to Fairfield, on the west side of Cedar Valley, between 3 and 4 miles northwest of Chimney Rock Pass, Utah Co. Utah”

loreala: USA (Utah, W Kansas, NW New Mexico, NE Arizona); Type locality: west edge of Castle Dale, Emery County, Utha.

tiburonensis: Mexico (Islas Tiburón and San Esteban)  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesSyntypes: ANSP 3748-49 (fide Mulcahy 2008), USNM 4676 (2 specimens)
Holotype: BYU, paratypes: UMMZ, BYU, USNM [deserticola]
Holotype: BYU, paratypes: Dixie College, UMMZ [loreala]
Holotype: BYU 33181, adult female, collected by J.R. Dixon, 14 Aug 1974; paratype: MVZ 37802, adult female [tiburonensis] 
DiagnosisUnfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 1457 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentTANNER (1966) separated H. t. catalinae from H. torquata of the adjacent peninsula on the basis of the former having a single series of large dorsal spots, two rows of lateral spots, and a high number of ventral plus scutes (233-295). However, since these characters do not discretely diagnose catalinae GRISMER (1999) suggested to synonymize catalinae with H. torquata. MULCAHY (2008) considered catalinae as a valid subspecies (of Hypsiglena chlorophaea). Mulcahy et al. 2014 elevated Hypsiglena chlorophaea catalinae TANNER 1966 to full species status.

Distribution: see map of subspecies in Mulcahy et al. 2014. Not in Sinaloa fide D. Mulcahy, pers. comm., 1 Feb 2020.

Key: TANNER (1966) presented a key to the subspecies of H. torquata in Baja California. 
EtymologyFrom the Greek khlōrós meaning pale green, and -phaea = "dusky/dark complexion", in allusion to its greenish ash coloration.

H. c. tiburonensis was named after Islas Tiburón. 
References
  • Bezy, Robert L. and Charles J. Cole 2014. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Madrean Archipelago of Arizona and New Mexico. American Museum Novitates (3810): 1-24 - get paper here
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  • Weaver, Robert E. 2010. Diet and Reproductive Ecology of the Desert Nightsnake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea) in Central Washington State. Journal of Herpetology 44 (1): 148–152 - get paper here
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