Biology:Leptophis

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Leptophis is a genus of colubrid snakes, commonly known as parrot snakes. The species within this genus are widely distributed throughout Mexico, Central and South America.[1]

Classification

The genus Leptophis belongs to the subfamily Colubrinae, of the family Colubridae. The species relationships within Leptophis can be shown in the cladogram below, with possible paraphyletic species identified:[2]

 

L. depressirostris

 
 
 

L. diplotropis

 
 
 
 

L. cupreus

 
 

L. riveti

 
 
 
 

L. occidentalis (Panama & Honduras) (paraphyletic)

 
 
 

L. bocourti

 
 
 

L. occidentalis (Ecuador) (paraphyletic)

 
 
 

L. ahaetulla (Guyana) (paraphyletic)

 
 
 

L. marginatus

 
 
 

L. nigromarginatus (paraphyletic)

 
 
 

L. nigromarginatus (paraphyletic)

 
 
 

L. coeruleodorsus

 
 
 

L. sp. nov.

 
 

L. ahaetulla (Brazil) (paraphyletic)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Description

Snakes of the genus Leptophis are slender with a long tail. The body is cylindrical or slightly laterally compressed. The head is elongated and distinct from the neck. The eye is large with a round pupil. The dorsal scales are arranged in 15 rows at midbody. The maxillary teeth, which number 20–32, are in a continuous series without any interspace, and are longest posteriorly. Conversely, the mandibular teeth are longest anteriorly.[3]

Species and subspecies

The following species and subspecies are currently recognized as being valid:

  • Leptophis ahaetulla (Linnaeus, 1758) – giant parrot snake[4]
  • Leptophis bocourti Boulenger, 1898[5]
  • Leptophis bolivianus Oliver, 1942[6]
  • Leptophis coeruleodorsus Oliver, 1942 – Oliver's parrot snake[7]
  • Leptophis cupreus (Cope, 1868) – copper parrot snake[8]
  • Leptophis depressirostris (Cope, 1861) – Cope's parrot snake[9]
  • Leptophis dibernardoi Albuquerque, Santos, Borges-Nojosa & R. Ávila, 2022[10]
  • Leptophis diplotropis (Günther, 1872) - Pacific Coast parrot snake[11]
    • Leptophis diplotropis diplotropis (Günther, 1872)
    • Leptophis diplotropis forreri H.M. Smith, 1943
  • Leptophis liocercus Wied-Neuwied, 1824[12]
  • Leptophis marginatus Cope, 1862[13]
  • Leptophis mexicanus A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854 – Mexican parrot snake[14]
    • Leptophis mexicanus hoeversi Henderson, 1976
    • Leptophis mexicanus mexicanus A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854
    • Leptophis mexicanus septentrionalis Mertens, 1972
    • Leptophis mexicanus yucatanensis Oliver, 1942
  • Leptophis modestus (Günther, 1872) – cloud forest parrot snake[15]
  • Leptophis mystacinus Albuquerque et al., 2025[16]
  • Leptophis nebulosus Oliver, 1942 – Oliver's parrot snake[17]
  • Leptophis nigromarginatus (Günther, 1866) - black-skinned parrot snake[18]
  • Leptophis occidentalis (Günther, 1859)[19]
  • Leptophis praestans Cope, 1868[20]
  • Leptophis riveti Despax, 1910 – Despax's parrot snake[21]
  • Leptophis stimsoni Harding, 1995 – Trinidad upland parrot snake[22]
  • Leptophis urostictus (W. Peters, 1873)[23]

Nota bene: A binomial authority or trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species or subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Leptophis.

References

  1. ↑ De Albuquerque, Nelson Rufino; Fernandes, Daniel S. (2022). "Taxonomic revision of the parrot snake Leptophis ahaetulla. (Serpentes, Colubridae)". Zootaxa 5153 (1): 1–69. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5153.1.1. PMID 36095641. https://mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5153.1.1. 
  2. ↑ Torres-Carvajal, Omar; Terán, Claudia (2021). "Molecular phylogeny of Neotropical Parrot Snakes (Serpentes: Colubrinae: Leptophis) supports underestimated species richness". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 164. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107267. PMID 34293395. Bibcode: 2021MolPE.16407267T. 
  3. ↑ Boulenger GA (1894). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xi + 382 pp. + Plates I–XX. (Leptophis, p. 105-106, Figure 10.
  4. ↑ "Leptophis ahaetulla (LINNAEUS, 1758)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=ahaetulla. 
  5. ↑ "Leptophis bocourti (BOULENGER, 1898)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=bocourti. 
  6. ↑ "Leptophis bolivianus (OLIVER, 1942)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=bolivianus. 
  7. ↑ "Leptophis coeruleodorsus (OLIVER, 1942)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=coeruleodorsus. 
  8. ↑ "Leptophis cupreus (COPE, 1868)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=cupreus. 
  9. ↑ "Leptophis depressirostris (COPE, 1861)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=depressirostris. 
  10. ↑ "Leptophis dibernardoi (ALBUQUERQUE, SANTOS, BORGES-NOJOSA & ÁVILA, 2022)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=dibernardoi. 
  11. ↑ "Leptophis diplotropis (GÜNTHER, 1872)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=diplotropis. 
  12. ↑ "Leptophis liocercus (WIED, 1824)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=liocercus. 
  13. ↑ "Leptophis marginatus (COPE, 1862)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=marginatus. 
  14. ↑ "Leptophis mexicanus (DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL, 1854)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=mexicanus. 
  15. ↑ "Leptophis modestus (GÜNTHER, 1872)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=modestus. 
  16. ↑ Albuquerque, Nelson R.; Martins, Roullien H.; Carvalho, Priscila S.; Shepard, Donald B.; Santana, Diego J. (2025-01-30). "A new species of parrot snake, Leptophis (Serpentes: Colubridae) from the Brazilian Cerrado" (in en). PeerJ 13. doi:10.7717/peerj.18528. ISSN 2167-8359. PMID 39897499. 
  17. ↑ "Leptophis nebulosus (OLIVER, 1942)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=nebulosus. 
  18. ↑ "Leptophis nigromarginatus (GÜNTHER, 1866)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=nigromarginatus. 
  19. ↑ "Leptophis occidentalis (GÜNTHER, 1859)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=occidentalis. 
  20. ↑ "Leptophis praestans (COPE, 1868)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=praestans. 
  21. ↑ "Leptophis riveti (DESPAX, 1910)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=riveti. 
  22. ↑ "Leptophis stimsoni (HARDING, 1995)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=stimsoni. 
  23. ↑ "Leptophis urostictus (PETERS, 1873)". Reptile Database. 2022. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Leptophis&species=urostictus. 

Further reading

Wikidata ☰ Q2421639 entry




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