Diaphorolepis laevis Werner, 1923

Pyron, R. Alexander, Guayasamin, Juan M., Penafiel, Nicolas, Bustamante, Lucas & Arteaga, Alejandro, 2015, Systematics of Nothopsini (Serpentes, Dipsadidae), with a new species of Synophis from the Pacific Andean slopes of southwestern Ecuador, ZooKeys 541, pp. 109-147 : 118

Taxon classification Animalia Squamata Colubridae

Diaphorolepis laevis Werner, 1923

Holotype.

NMW 14860, locality given only as “Colombia.”

Etymology.

Apparently from the Latin laevis for “smooth,” referring to the anterior dorsal scales.

Description.

Relatively small-sized snake (350mm SVL) with 10 infralabials, 8/9 supralabials, 2 postoculars, internasals in contact, fused prefrontals, loreal present, nuchal collar apparently present, 16/18 maxillary teeth, 157 ventrals, 84 subcaudals, 19-19-17 dorsal scale rows, vertebral scale row is enlarged, with single keels on lateral dorsal scale rows and double keels on enlarged vertebral scale row weak to absent anteriorly and weak posteriorly. Uniformly light-colored venter and dark-colored dorsum in preservative. Nothing is known of the hemipenes or vertebrae.

Notes.

Known only from the type specimen. The original description states that the dorsal scales are smooth, but weak keels are evident throughout the posterior portion of the body. A specimen at Harvard, reportedly from Leticia, Amazonas, Colombia, bears the identification Diaphorolepis laevis (MCZ R-143839). Upon examination, this specimen is clearly not Diaphorolepis on the basis of divided prefrontals (versus united in Diaphorolepis ), lack of an enlarged bicarinate vertebral scale row (versus presence), and presence of an ocellated dorsal color-pattern (versus uniformly colored dorsum). The overall resemblance is of Dipsas sp.