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Sonora punctatissima (VAN DENBURGH & SLEVIN, 1921)

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Higher TaxaColubridae, Colubrinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesS: Arenera de Modelo Variable 
SynonymChilomeniscus punctatissimus VAN DENBURGH & SLEVIN 1921
Chilomeniscus punctatissimus CLIFF 1954
Chilomeniscus punctatissimus — BANTA & LEVITON 1963
Chilomeniscus punctatissimus — LINER 1994
Sonora (Chilomeniscus) punctatissima — COX et al. 2018: 974
Sonora punctatissima — PERALTA-GARCÍA et al. 2023
Sonora punctatissimus — WALLACH 2025 
DistributionMexico (Baja California Sur: Partida Island, Espiritu Santo Island)

Type locality: “Isla Partida, Espiritu Santo Island, Gulf of California, Mexico’ [= Partida Island]  
Reproductionoviparous. 
TypesHolotype: CAS 49156 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (punctatissima): Sonora punctatissima can be distinguished from all other Sonora except for S. fasciata, S. cincta, S. stramineus and S. savagei by the presence of an elongated rostrum. Perhaps the best way to distinguish S. punctatissima from S. fasciata, S. cincta, S. stramineus and S. savagei is by geographic location; S. punctatissima is the only member of the genus Sonora on Partida and Espiritu Santo Islands. However, S. punctatissima can be distinguished from S. stramineus by lacking apical maculations on dorsal body scales (Holm 2008), although Grismer et al. (2002) noted the presence of blotches on scales of some morphs. Sonora punctatissima can be distinguished from S. savagei by having less than 127 ventral scales, compared to greater than 127 for S. savagei (Holm 2008). Sonora punctatissima can be distinguished from S. fasciata and S. cincta by either a gap between the internasals, possessing less than 35 bands and variation in ventral and subcaudal scale numbers summarized in Holm (2008) (Cox et al. 2018: 972).


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CommentSynonymy: Chilomeniscus cinctus and C. punctatissimus have been synonymized with C. stramineus by GRISMER et al. (2002) but revalidated by Cox et al. 2018. 
EtymologyLikely derived from the Latin word “stramen” meaning straw, possibly in reference to its straw-like coloration. 
References
  • Banta, Benjamin H.;Leviton, Alan E. 1963. Remarks on the colubrid genus Chilomeniscus (Serpentes: Colubridae). Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. 31 (11): 309-327 - get paper here
  • Cliff, Frank S. 1954. Snakes of the islands in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History 12 (5): 67-98 - get paper here
  • Cope, E.D. 1861. Notes and descriptions of new and little-known species of American reptiles. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 12: 339-345 [1860] - get paper here
  • Cope, E.D. 1861. Contributions to the ophiology of Lower California, Mexico and Central America. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 13: 292-306 - get paper here
  • Cope, E.D. 1867. On the REPTILIA and BATRACHIA of the Sonoran Province of the Nearctic Region. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 18 [1866]: 300-314 - get paper here
  • Cope, E.D. 1900. The crocodilians, lizards and snakes of North America. Ann. Rep. U.S. Natl. Mus. 1898: 153-1270 - get paper here
  • Cox, Christian L.; Alison R. Davis Rabosky, Iris A. Holmes, Jacobo Reyes-Velasco, Corey E. Roelke, Eric N. Smith, Oscar Flores-Villela, Jimmy A. McGuire & Jonathan A. Campbell 2018. Synopsis and taxonomic revision of three genera in the snake tribe Sonorini. Journal of Natural History 52: 945-988 - get paper here
  • Crother, B. I. (ed.) 2012. Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians, Seventh Edition. Herpetological Circular 39: 1-92
  • Enderson, Erik F.; Thomas R. Van Devender, Robert L. Bezy 2014. Amphibians and reptiles of Yécora, Sonora and the Madrean Tropical Zone of the Sierra Madre Occidental in northwestern Mexico. Check List 10 (4): 913-926 - get paper here
  • Funk, Richard S. 1967. A New Colubrid Snake of the Genus Chionactis from Arizona. Southwestern Naturalist 12 (2): 180 - get paper here
  • Garman, Samuel 1884. The reptiles and batrachians of North America. Mem. Mus. comp. Zool, Cambridge (Massachusetts), 8 (3): xxxiv + 185 pp. [1883] [CNAH reprint 10] - get paper here
  • Goldberg, Stephen R., Charles R. Bursey and Jeanette Arreola. 2013. Chilomeniscus stramineus (variable sandsnake) endoparasites. Herpetological Review 44 (4): 688 - get paper here
  • Goldberg, Stephen R., Clark R. Mahrdt and Kent R. Beaman. 2014. Chilomeniscus stramineus (variable sandsnake) reproduction. Herpetological Review 45 (1): 141 - get paper here
  • GRISMER, L. L., H. WONG & P. GALINA-TESSARO 2002. Geographic variation and taxonomy of the Sand Snakes, Chilomeniscus (Squamata: Colubridae). Herpetologica 58 (1): 18-31 - get paper here
  • Heimes, P. 2016. Snakes of Mexico. Chimaira, Frankfurt, 572 pp
  • Hoard, R.S. 1939. A new subspecies of snake of the genus Chilomeniscus. Pomona Coll. Jour. Ent. and Zool. 31 (4): 45-46
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  • Lemos-Espinal JA, Smith GR 2020. A checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of Sinaloa, Mexico with a conservation status summary and comparisons with neighboring states. ZooKeys 931: 85-114 - get paper here
  • Lemos-Espinal JA, Smith GR, Rorabaugh JC 2019. A conservation checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of Sonora, Mexico, with updated species lists. ZooKeys 829: 131-160 - get paper here
  • Lemos-Espinal, Julio A. (ed.) 2015. Amphibians and Reptiles of the US - Mexico Border States / Anfibios y Reptiles de los Estados de la Frontera México - Estados Unidos. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, Texas. x + 614 pp.; ISBN 978-1-62349-306-6. - get paper here
  • Leviton, Alan E.; Banta, Benjamin H. 1964. Midwinter reconnaissance of the herpetofauna of the Cape Region of Baja California, Mexico. Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. 30 (7): 127-156 - get paper here
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  • Mocquard, M.F. 1899. Contribution a la faune herpétologique de la Basse-Californie. Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Natur.Paris, 4th Series, Vol. 1: 297-343 + plates XI-XIII - get paper here
  • Murphy, R. W.; Ottley, J. R. 1984. Distribution of amphibians and reptiles on islands in the Gulf of California. Annals of the Carnegie Museum 53 (8): 207-230 - get paper here
  • Nevárez-de los Reyes; Manuel, David Lazcano, Javier Banda-Leal and Ian Recchio 2014. Notes on Mexican Herpetofauna 22: Herpetofauna of the Continental Portion of the Municipality of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Bull. Chicago Herp. Soc. 49(8):105-115 - get paper here
  • O’Shea, M. 2018. The Book of Snakes. Ivy Press / Quarto Publishing, London, - get paper here
  • Peralta-García A, Valdez-Villavicencio JH, Fucsko LA, Hollingsworth BD, Johnson JD, Mata-Silva V, Rocha A, DeSantis DL, Porras LW, and Wilson LD. 2023. The herpetofauna of the Baja California Peninsula and its adjacent islands, Mexico: composition, distribution, and conservation status. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 17(1&2): 57–142
  • Pilliod, D., Jeffries, M., Arkle, R. and Olson, D. 2024. Climate Futures for Lizards and Snakes in Western North America May Result in New Species Management Issues. Ecol Evol, 14: e70379 - get paper here
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  • STEVE JONES & JULES T. WYMAN. 2021. CHILOMENISCUS STRAMINEUS (Variable Sandsnake). PREDATION. Herpetological Review 52 (2): 417–418. - get paper here
  • Van Denburgh, J.; Slevin, J. R. 1921. Preliminary diagnoses of more new species of reptiles from islands in the gulf of California, Mexico. Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. (4) 11 (17): 395-398 - get paper here
  • Van Denburgh,J. 1895. A review of the herpetology of Lower California. Part I - Reptiles. Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. (2) 5: 77-163 - get paper here
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