Sonora aemula (COPE, 1879)
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Sonora aemula
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| Higher Taxa | Colubridae, Colubrinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Filetail Ground Snake S: Culebra de Tierra Cola Plana |
| Synonym | Procinura aemula COPE 1879: 262 Contia aemula — GARMAN 1884: 92 Scolecophis aemulus – AMARAL 1929 Sonora aemula – BOGERT & OLIVER 1945 Procinura aemula — SMITH & TAYLOR 1945 Sonora aemula – ZWEIFEL & NORRIS 1955 Procinura aemula — SMITH & SMITH 1976 Sonora aemula — LINER 1994 Procinura aemula – LEMOS-ESPINAL et al. 2004 Procinura aemula — LINER 2007 Procinura aemula — ENDERSON et al. 2009 Sonora aemula — COX et al. 2012 Sonora aemula — WALLACH et al. 2014: 680 Sonora (Procinura) aemula — COX et al. 2018: 980 |
| Distribution | NW Mexico (S Chihuahua, Sonora, Sinaloa) Type locality: Batopilas, Southern Chihuahua, Mexico. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: ANSP 11641 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: This species can be distinguished from both S. michoacanensis and S. mutabilis by the presence of distinctly raised tubercular scales or caudal spines (Fig. 13) creating a ‘file-like’ tail (Bogert & Oliver, 1945, COX et al. 2012). Diagnosis: This species can be distinguished from all other species of Sonora by the presence of distinctly raised tubercular scales or caudal spines creating a ‘file-like’ tail (Bogert and Oliver 1945, Cox et al. 2018: 982). Variation: This species is extremely variable in colour pattern, ranging from a uniformly red to banded tricoloured pattern (Bogert and Oliver 1945; Zweifel and Norris 1955; Nickerson and Heringhi 1966). In tricoloured animals, the number and arrangement of triads can vary greatly (Bogert and Oliver 1945; Zweifel and Norris 1955; Nickerson and Heringhi 1966). A more detailed description of meristic characters and a hemipenial description are found in Bogert and Oliver (1945) (Cox et al. 2018: 982). |
| Comment | Phylogenetics: Procinura aemula COPE 1879 was recently placed back in the monotypic genus Procinura on the basis of its unusual caudal morphology, a ‘file-like’ tail (Lemos-Espinal et al., 2004a, 2004b, 2004c). Variation: This species is extremely variable in colour pattern, ranging from a uniformly red to banded tricoloured pattern (Bogert & Oliver, 1945; Zweifel & Norris, 1955; Nickerson & Heringhi, 1966). In tricoloured animals, the number and arrangement of triads can vary greatly (Bogert & Oliver, 1945; Zweifel & Norris, 1955; Nickerson & Heringhi, 1966). A more detailed description of meristic char- acters and a hemipenial description are found in Bogert & Oliver 1945 [COX et al. 2012]. |
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