Geophis bellus, MYERS, 2003

Savage, Jay M. & Watling, James I., 2008, Not so rare snakes: a revision of the Geophis sieboldi group (Colubridae: Dipsadinae) in lower Central America and Colombia, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 153 (3), pp. 561-599 : 586-587

GEOPHIS BELLUS MYERS, 2003

Geophis bellus Myers, 2003: 30 , figs 11–14 (Type locality: Panama: Panama: Pacora: east of Cerro Jefe : near Altos de Pacora, 700 m; Holotype: KU 110703, an adult male).

Diagnostics: The single known male specimen is distinguished from other members of the Geophis sieboldi species group by the following combination of characters (see Fig. 1B ): (1) six supralabials; (2) two supralabials posterior to the orbit; (3) no anterior temporal or postlabials; (4) last supralabial separated from the parietal by an elongate posterior temporal; (5) two jubals posterior to posterior temporal and last supralabial, upper separated from contact with the parietal by the elongate posterior temporal; (6) dorsal scales in 15–15–15 rows; (7) dorsal scales on posterior 50% of body keeled; (8) anterior tip of maxilla pointed and toothless; posterior end depressed, curving slightly ventrad posteriorly; (9) ventrals 131; subcaudals 33; ventrals plus subcaudals 164; (10) upper surfaces glossy black with a white head band, venter uniform black.

Other features: The holotype is 169 mm in standard length with a tail length of 32 mm (15.9% of total length); total length 201 mm. Preoculars 0–0. Postoculars 2–2. In the holotype, supralabial five on the right side of the head is split with the upper portion (anterior temporal of Myers, 2003) bordering the parietal and posterior temporal and the latter is shorter than its equivalent on the left side. Supralabials 6–6; supralabial 4 bordering the orbit on the right side of the head with 3–4 bordering the orbit on the left side. Infralabials 7–7, 5–5 bordering the chin shields.

Hemipenes: Based on an everted hemipenis (KU 110703). Organ bilobed. Sulcus spermaticus apparently centrifugal. Pedicel covered with spinules and small spines and two larger spines distally. Capitulum about twice as long as the truncus on asulcate side and covered mostly with small spines (Myers, 2003).

Distribution: Known from a tropical premontane wet forest site east of the Panama Canal and a tropical premontane rainforest site west of the Canal in central Panama, 600–800 m ( Fig. 16 ).

GEOPHIS BETANIENSIS RESTREPO & WRIGHT, 1987

( FIG. 4A )

Geophis betaniensis Restrepo & Wright, 1987: 191 , figs 1–3 (Type locality: Colombia: eastern slope of the Cordillera Occidental: Valle del Cauca: Bolivar: Corregimiento de Betania, 4°23′N, 76°21′W, 1680 m; Holotype: UVC 7360, an adult female; Lips & Savage, 1994: 414; Myers, 2003: 36.

Diagnostics: A member of the Geophis sieboldi species group characterized by the following combination of features (see Fig. 1B ): (1) six supralabials; (2) two supralabials posterior to orbit; (3) no anterior temporal or postlabials; (4) last supralabial separated from contact with the parietal by a short posterior temporal; (5) three jubal scales posterior to the posterior temporal and last supralabial with the upper jubal in contact with the parietal; (6) dorsal scales in 15–15–15 scale rows; (7) dorsal and caudal scales smooth; (8) anterior tip of maxilla with first tooth at tip, posterior end of maxilla not depressed, not curving ventrad; (9) 140–143 ventrals in female; 20–28 subcaudals in females; ventrals plus subcaudals 168–173; (10) upper surfaces of body and tail reddish-brown with posterior margins of each scale black; black longitudinal ventrolateral stripes on tips of ventral from postoccipital region to tip of tail; venter yellow laterally, midventral area greenishyellow; subcloacal plate red.

Other features: The largest female is 260 mm in standard length with a tail length of 36 mm (12.2% of total length); total length 296 mm. Tail length as a percentage of total length 12.2–12.3%. Preoculars 0–0. Postoculars 2–2. Supralabials 6–6, 3 and 4 bordering orbit. Infralabials 6–6, 4 in contact with genials.

Restrepo & Wright (1987) state that the holotype, and presumably the paratypes, had a pair of black stripes on scale rows 1 and 2 on each side in life. These stripes are not evident in the paratype ( LACM 136189 ) examined by us .

Hemipenes: No information as both known specimens of this species are females.

Distribution: In the tropical premontane wet forest zone of the Cordillera Occidental of Colombia, 1680 m ( Fig. 16 ).

Figures

Figure 1. Lateral head scalation in Geophis: A, pattern typical of G. zeledoni; B, pattern typical of G. brachycephalus complex; C, variant pattern; D, pattern typical of G. hoffmanni. PT, posterior temporal; U, upper postsupralabial; L, lower postsupralabial; PI, postinfralabial; number of supralabials and infralabials indicated by Arabic numerals; number of jubals indicated by Roman numerals.

Figure 4. Dorsal patterns in Geophis: A, dorsal pattern of G. betaniensis; B, dark transverse bands typical of Geophis dunni.

Figure 16. Geographical distribution of four species of Geophis in Panama and western Colombia. G. betanensis and G. nigroalbus are sympatric in Colombia.