La Salle's Shadow Snake

description

Description. Smaller (~ 300 mm SVL) dipsadine snakes of the Amazonian versant of the Andes of Ecuador and Colombia, diagnosable by 24 maxillary teeth, 10 or 11 infralabials, 7 - 9 supralabials, fused prefrontals, internasals in contact, loreal present, 1 or 2 postoculars, nuchal collar absent, 144 - 165 ventrals, 101 - 126 subcaudals, dorsal scales in (19 - 23) - (19 - 22) - (17 - 21) strongly keeled rows even on head and neck, venter dark in some populations, neural spines expanded and flattened, and laterally expanded zygapophyses. Known from low to high elevations (~ 500 - 2000 m) along the Amazonian versant of the Andes from central Colombia to central Ecuador. Nothing is known of diet or reproduction.

Systematics of Nothopsini (Serpentes, Dipsadidae), with a new species of Synophis from the Pacific Andean slopes of southwestern Ecuador

etymology

Etymology. After the Instituto de La Salle, in Bogota (Niceforo-Maria 1950).

Systematics of Nothopsini (Serpentes, Dipsadidae), with a new species of Synophis from the Pacific Andean slopes of southwestern Ecuador

description

Range. Amazonian Andean slopes, from central Colombia to central Ecuador, ~ 500 – 1500 m. The type locality (" N of Albán, cen. Cundinamarca Dept., cen. Colombia ") is difficult to georeference accurately for precise location and elevation. Description. Adult size ~ 270 – 410 mm SVL and ~ 150 – 210 mm TL (assuming> 270 mm SVL is adult and MZUTI 4181 and USNM 233063 have truncated tails), keeled nuchal scales; no nuchal collar; intranasals in contact; usually 2 postoculars, but occasionally 1; 11 infralabials; 7 – 9 supralabials; 144 – 156 ventrals; 101 – 126 subcaudals omitting truncated tails, 111 – 126 not including holotype MLS / CJP with 101, which may also be truncated but was not examined; and (21 – 23) - (21 – 22) - (19 – 20) dorsal scale-rows with single, heavy keel. Notes. Some specimens of S. bogerti and S. zamora were referred to S. lasallei by Pyron et al. (2015), prior to the description of those taxa. The only specimen of S. lasallei sequenced here is from the southernmost known population in Ecuador. It is possible that additional cryptic species are present in this taxon, such as the Colombian or northern Ecuadorean populations.

A revision and key for the tribe Diaphorolepidini (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) and checklist for the genus Synophis