identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
95265CFC984459959550BFA0FC683CA5.text	95265CFC984459959550BFA0FC683CA5.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Philodryas patagoniensis (Girard 1858)	<div><p>Philodryas patagoniensis (Girard, 1858)</p><p>Figures 3 A, 3 B, 3 D, 3 E, 3 G, 3 H, 4 A, 4 B, 5 A, 5 B, 6 A, 6 B, 7 A – D, 9 A, 9 C, 9 E, 9 G, 10, 11 A, 11 B</p><p>Callirhinus patagoniensis Girard, 1858: 182</p><p>Euophrys modestus Günther, 1858: 139</p><p>Pseudophis patagoniensis – Cope (1862: 348)</p><p>Liophis poecilostictus Jan, 1863 a: 289</p><p>Dirrhox patagoniensis – Cope (1887: 58)</p><p>Philodryas schottii (not Schlegel, 1837) – Boulenger (1896: 130, in part), Koslowsky (1898: 196, in part), Nágera (1915: 28), Devincenzi (1925: 47, in part)</p><p>Chlorosoma schottii – Amaral (1929: 214, in part), Serié (1936: 51, in part)</p><p>Philodryas patagoniensis – Hoge (1964: 67, in part), Peters and Orejas-Miranda (1970: 244, in part), Thomas (1976: 172, in part), Vega and Bellagamba (1990: 12), Williams and Francini (1991: 75, in part), Cei (1993: 639, in part), Vega and Bellagamba (1994: 143), Tiranti and Avila (1997: 111), Achaval (2001: 7, in part), Carreira (2002: 36, in part), Giraudo and Scrocchi (2002: 32, in part), Carreira et al. (2005: 372, in part), Scolaro (2005: 66), (2006: 92), Scrocchi et al. (2010: 218), Wallach et al. (2014: 551, in part), Harrington et al. (2018: 71, in part), Nogueira et al. (2019: 221, in part), Di Pietro et al. (2020 a: 3), (2020 b: 7), Williams et al. (2021: 73, in part), Chuliver and Scanferla (2024: 10, in part)</p><p>Common name.</p><p>We propose changing the common name “ Patagonia green racer ” used for P. patagoniensis sensu lato to “ Patagonia maculated racer ” to better reflect the characteristics (i. e., distinctive maculation pattern) of P. patagoniensis sensu stricto .</p><p>Lectotype.</p><p>USNM 5536, an adult female from the <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-62.7896&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-41.0241" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -62.7896/lat -41.0241)">mouth of the Río Negro</a>, border of Río Negro and Buenos Aires provinces, Argentina (41.0241°S, 62.7896°W; elevation 0 m), collected by the U. S. Exploring Expedition under the command of Captain Charles Wilkes during 1838–1842 .</p><p>Referred specimens.</p><p>We examined 213 museum specimens (see File S 1) from Argentina and Uruguay, corresponding to the B-morphotype. This collection included photographs of the lectotype, and also of the two syntypes of E. modestus, which were entirely consistent with our re-description of P. patagoniensis (see below), thereby confirming that name as a junior synonym of P. patagoniensis sensu stricto . Additionally, numerous photographs from citizen science platforms were analysed to enhance the distribution dataset, bringing the total number of B-morphotype specimens considered for this purpose to 322 (File S 1).</p><p>Emended diagnosis.</p><p>Philodryas patagoniensis differs from all other species of the genus by the following combination of characters: (1) dorsal scale rows 19–19 – 15, (2) HL / TTL between 2.3 and 4.6 %, (3) SVL / TTL between 68.2 and 88.8 %, (4) TL / TTL between 11.2 and 31.8 %, (5) ventral scales between 159 and 193, (6) subcaudal scales between 57 and 109, (7) loreal markedly quadrate, (8) dorsal half of the preocular barely exceeds the posterior margin of the loreal, (9) supralabials 7 (3, 4), (10) lateral border of the supraocular concave in dorsal view, (11) first temporal scale short (height&gt; 45 % of the length), (12) dorsal scales of the head brown, irregularly spotted with black, and bordered with wide black margins, (13) dorsal body design with maculated pattern, and (14) ventral scales exhibiting lateral black spots.</p><p>Re-description of the lectotype.</p><p>See Fig. 10. We examined photographs of the lectotype (USNM 5536) and found it to be entirely consistent with the Girard (1858) description and the Thomas (1976) enriched account. Additionally, we enriched the earlier descriptions as follows: (1) loreal supernumerary (2 / 2) and not 1 / 1 as is typical for the species, (2) dominant loreal (ventral) square-shaped with no dominant axis; (3) preoculars 1 / 1 with the dorsal half barely exceeding the posterior margin of the loreal; (4) postocular 2 / 2; (5) external border of the supraocular concave in dorsal view; (6) temporals 1 + 2, first temporal short (height representing 46 % of the scale length); (7) supralabials 7 (3, 4) / 7 (3, 4); (8) infralabials 9 (5) / 10 (6); (9) dorsal head scales (parietals, frontal, supraoculars) exhibit dark irregular areas and wide black scale borders; (10) dorsal scales with single apical pits; (11) uniform dorsal and head colouration; (12) lateral black spots present between successive ventral scales (a pattern blurred in the subcaudals); (13) 19–19 – 15 dorsal scales; (14) 182 ventral scales; (15) 69 subcaudal scales; and (16) tail short (TL / TTL = 17.6 %; calculated based on the measurements provided by Thomas in the description of the lectotype).</p><p>Variation.</p><p>In adult males, TTL ranges from 605 to 976 mm (mean: 747.2 ± 95.6 mm), HL from 18.5 to 30.6 mm (mean: 24.4 ± 2.9 mm), SVL from 425 to 752 mm (mean: 545.5 ± 73.1 mm), and TL from 161 to 259 mm (mean: 205.5 ± 25.8 mm); in adult females, TTL ranges from 622 to 1415 mm (mean: 981.1 ± 180 mm), HL from 20.3 to 39.4 mm (mean: 30.2 ± 4.7 mm), SVL from 471 to 1130 mm (mean: 765.8 ± 147.4 mm), and TL from 128 to 285 mm (mean: 218.5 ± 41.5 mm). Tables 2 and 3 summarise variations in pholidosis and measurements.</p><p>In life, the colouration of P. patagoniensis (Fig. 11 A, B) exhibits two distinct patterns of dorsal and lateral head and body colouration, characterised by varying shades of brown and the presence of dorsal and lateral body maculation. It is important to note that maculation may not be uniformly expressed across the entire series of dorsal scales. The dorsal head scales (parietals, frontal, and supraoculars) typically display dark irregular areas with broad black scale borders. One of the two distinct patterns occurs in specimens from the Monte of Plains and Plateaus, Patagonian Forests, Steppe, southeast Espinal, and south Pampa ecoregions (Chubut, La Pampa, Mendoza, Neuquén, Rio Negro, southern San Luis, and southern Buenos Aires provinces). These specimens range from brown or black-brown on the dorsal and lateral head and maculated body areas, to pale brown in the non-maculated regions (Fig. 11 A). The point at which the lateral head colour transitions from dorsal brown to ventral pale yellow colour is variable, typically occurring near the supralabials. The second pattern is observed in specimens from the northern parts of the Pampa (mainly Buenos Aires province), Espinal (southern Santa Fe province), south-eastern Dry Chaco (Córdoba province), and the Pampa of south and central Uruguay (Fig. 11 B). These specimens exhibit a more homogeneous colouration across the dorsal head scales and the dorsal and lateral parts of the body, characterised by a pronounced brown (sometimes olive-brown) hue in the non-maculated areas, which renders the macula on the scales difficult to distinguish.</p><p>Some specimens from both patterns exhibit paravertebral lines on the dorsal scales. The lateral areas of the head (the ventral half of the supralabials and infralabials), the gular region, and all ventral and subcaudal scales are pale yellow. The caudal edge of each supralabial is bordered in black. The pale-yellow ventral colouration is interrupted by black pigmentation on the ventral scales (less distinct on the subcaudals). This pigmentation forms lateral spots along adjacent scales’ anterior and posterior margins, sometimes producing a black line between them, which may be complete, incomplete, or absent. The tongue is bicoloured, with a red base and a black fork.</p><p>The colouration in preservative remains similar to that observed in life, except in poorly preserved specimens or those fixed with aggressive concentrations of formalin, which tend to exhibit a general darkening of the scales (e. g., obscuring maculae and other scale patterns). Specimens that have been properly fixed and well preserved exhibit a slightly attenuated pattern compared to live individuals; for example, the ventral scales shift from pale yellow to beige or white. The contrast between the head and dorsal body colouration remains evident, although in slightly muted tones. Loss of the outermost scale layer can result in a lighter appearance (pale lavender; see Fig. 5 B). The overall head and body colouration could not be confirmed in specimens that were partially (one adult male from Neuquén province; MACN 30463) or fully melanistic (two adult males from Buenos Aires and Santa Fe provinces; MACN 48145 and MACN 27957, respectively). Notably, we observed an unusual body colouration in a single P. patagoniensis female (MACN 48160; Córdoba province), whose dorsal skin exhibited a black ring surrounding each scale, a pattern commonly seen in the new species described below.</p><p>The hemipenes of P. patagoniensis are long and bilobed, with the maximum width occurring at the level of the lobes (width 2.8 to 3.5 times the length of the hemipenis). The lobes comprise approximately one-third of the total hemipenis length. On the sulcate face, the spermatic groove is bifurcated near the base, with both branches running parallel and close to each other before diverging approximately halfway along the hemipenis. The sulcate and asulcate faces exhibit longitudinal rows of elongated spines that increase in length distally. Among the eight hemipenes examined, the sulcate face displayed various spine configurations: 4 / 4, 4 / 6, 5 / 5 (n = 3), 5 / 6 (n = 2), and 7 / 7 (Fig. 7 A, C). The spines on the asulcate face showed configurations of 5 / 4, 5 / 5 (n = 5), 6 / 4, and 6 / 6 (Fig. 7 B, D). The asulcate face presents two longitudinal rows of large calyces extending over the body’s middle and distal portions and lobes. Additionally, the general reticulation of the lobes and the scattered distribution of the spinule patches resemble the descriptions of P. patagoniensis sensu lato provided by Thomas (1976; without specifying the origin of the specimens), Zaher (1999), Melo-Sampaio et al. (2021: fig. 2 C), and Scrocchi et al. (2024). Notably, the latter three studies based their descriptions on specimens from the distribution area of the species we describe below.</p><p>Distribution (Fig. 1).</p><p>Based on current knowledge, the distribution of Philodryas patagoniensis should be considered restricted to Argentina and Uruguay, with most records concentrated in Argentina. In Argentina, the species occurs across nine provinces: Buenos Aires, Chubut, Córdoba, La Pampa, Mendoza, Neuquén, Río Negro, San Luis, and Santa Fe. Its range encompasses six ecoregions (Patagonian Forests, Dry Chaco, Espinal, Steppe, the Monte of Plains and Plateaus, and the Pampa) and 22 regional sub-complexes sensu Morello et al. (2012).</p><p>Finally, the species has also been recorded in 14 departments of Uruguay: Canelones, Colonia, Durazno, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandú, Río Negro, Rocha, Salto, San José, Soriano, and Tacuarembó. These localities span seven ecozones sensu Brazeiro et al. (2012): South and West Sedimentary Basins, Basaltic Slope, Crystalline Shield, Merín Lagoon Graben, Santa Lucía Graben, and the Eastern Hills.</p><p>Taxonomic and nomenclatural remarks.</p><p>The species was initially described as Callirhinus patagoniensis by Girard (1858), based on two syntypes collected from the mouth of the Río Negro, between the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires and Río Negro. One of these specimens is currently lost, while the other (USNM 5536) was designated as the lectotype of the species (Thomas 1976). Some decades earlier, Fitzinger (1826) examined snakes in the collection of the Imperial and Royal Zoological Museum (Vienna) and listed a specimen from “ Ex-America, Brasilia ” (his original words) as Coluber schottii . The following year, Boie (1827) referred to the same specimen as Xenodon schottii, a species that was formally described a decade later by Schlegel (1837). Subsequent reclassifications included transfers to the genera Pseudophis by Fitzinger (1843) and Dryophilax by Duméril (1853). Duméril et al. (1854) maintained the transfer of X. schottii to D. schottii and accompanied this change with a description based on specimens that clearly correspond to what is currently recognised as P. patagoniensis . They highlighted the opisthoglyphous dentition of these specimens and provided vague locality data, without referencing collection acronyms, although they did mention that the specimens were housed in the Paris Museum. The description was accompanied by the term “ Nobis ” (Latin for “ us ”) indicating that the genus transfer was of their own authorship. Late, Günther (1858) published a catalogue of specimens housed in the British Museum (London). On page 125 of this catalogue, he examined three specimens of a rear-fanged snake from Brazil, placing them in the genus Philodryas under the specific name P. schottii, and associating them with the Coluber schottii specimens listed by Fitzinger (1826). Furthermore, on page 139, Günther (1858) described Euophrys modestus, a species that was traditionally included in the synonymy of P. patagoniensis (Peters and Orejas-Miranda 1970; Thomas 1976). It was formally described based on two syntypes, one lacking a specific locality and the other reportedly from “ Canton ”, China, likely an error (currently catalogued as BMNH 1946.1.2.84 and 1946.1.8.40). Similarly, Jan (1863 a) described Liophis poecilostictus from southern Uruguay; with the type specimens now lost, this species has traditionally been considered a synonym of P. patagoniensis (Peters and Orejas-Miranda 1970) . In subsequent years, the only taxonomic changes involved generic reassignments. Cope (1862) grouped Callirhinus patagoniensis and Philodryas schottii back into Pseudophis and later Cope (1887) transferred C. patagoniensis to the genus Dirrhox . Boulenger (1896) compiled a catalogue of snakes in the British Museum, in which he classified several specimens under Philodryas schottii, following the erroneous usage of the name introduced by Duméril et al. (1854) and later perpetuated by Günther (1858). Boulenger (1896) provided descriptions and listed multiple individuals, including the type specimens of E. modestus described by Günther (1858). Years later, Amaral (1929), based on the Principle of Priority, assigned all Philodryas species known at that time to the genus Chlorosoma, an action that did not gain acceptance, largely due to the arguments presented by Parker (1932). Finally, controversies regarding the name schottii were resolved by Hoge (1964), who reviewed the material used by Schlegel (1837) in the original description of X. schottii, and concluded that the name schottii should refer to what is currently recognised as Erythrolamprus poecilogyrus schottii (Schlegel, 1837), a non-rear-fanged snake that, according to Entiauspe-Neto et al. (2021), is distributed throughout Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina. Thomas (1976) criticised and ultimately rejected the action taken by Duméril et al. (1854), who had erroneously assigned the epithet schottii to opisthoglyphous snakes. This subsequent misapplication of the species name, later perpetuated by Günther (1858) and Boulenger (1896), persisted until the publication of Hoge’s work in 1964. According to Article 49 of the ICZN (1999), such a misapplication of a species name does not constitute an available name and, for this reason, we have assigned a new name for the northern populations of P. patagoniensis sensu lato (see below).</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/95265CFC984459959550BFA0FC683CA5	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Di Pietro, Diego Omar;Sánchez, Julieta;Poljak, Sebastián;Alcalde, Leandro	Di Pietro, Diego Omar, Sánchez, Julieta, Poljak, Sebastián, Alcalde, Leandro (2026): Morphological and molecular variation reveal cryptic diversity in the racer Philodryas patagoniensis (Girard, 1858) (Squamata: Colubridae). Vertebrate Zoology 76: 93-119, DOI: 10.3897/vz.76.e169219
D8718B29FA7157DAAEF3209C47A0C148.text	D8718B29FA7157DAAEF3209C47A0C148.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Philodryas pseudomamba Di Pietro & Sánchez & Poljak & Alcalde 2026	<div><p>Philodryas pseudomamba sp. nov.</p><p>Figures 3 C, 3 F, 3 I, 4 C, 5 C, 6 C, 7 E, 7 F, 9 B, 9 D, 9 F, 9 H, 11 C, 12</p><p>Dryophilax schottii (not Schlegel, 1837) – Duméril (1853: 112), Duméril et al. (1854: 1118)</p><p>Philodryas schottii (not Schlegel, 1837) – Günther (1858: 125), Jan (1863 b: 83), Hensel (1868: 332), Boettger (1885: 235), Boulenger (1886: 434), Cope (1895: 218), Peracca (1895: 18), Boulenger (1896: 130, in part), Koslowsky (1898: 196, in part), Devincenzi (1925: 46, in part), Ábalos et al. (1964: 264)</p><p>Pseudophis schottii – Cope (1862: 348)</p><p>Chlorosoma schottii – Amaral (1929: 214, in part), Amaral (1932: 101), Serié (1936: 51, in part)</p><p>Philodryas patagoniensis – Hoge (1964: 67, in part), Peters and Orejas-Miranda (1970: 244, in part), Thomas (1976: 172, in part), Williams and Francini (1991: 75, in part), Cei (1993: 639, in part), Lobo and Scrocchi (1994: 105), Fowler and Salomão (1995: 150), Leynaud and Bucher (1999: 30), Zaher (1999: 67), Achaval (2001: 7, in part), Giraudo (2001: 155), Carreira (2002: 36, in part), Giraudo and Scrocchi (2002: 32, in part), Carreira et al. (2005: 372, in part), Hartmann and Marques (2005: 25), López and Giraudo (2008: 474), Zaher et al. (2009: 121), Vidal et al. (2010: 53), Pyron et al. (2011: 337), Grazziotin et al. (2012: 443), Wallach et al. (2014: 551, in part), Cabral and Bueno-Villafañe (2015: 13), Cacciali et al. (2016 b: 240), Gouveia et al. (2017: 6), Harrington et al. (2018: 71, in part), Nogueira et al. (2019: 221, in part), Quintela and Loebmann (2019: 12), Zaher et al. (2019: 28), Arredondo et al. (2020: 6), Williams et al. (2021: 73, in part), Tioyama et al. (2023: 14), Chuliver and Scanferla (2024: 10, in part)</p><p>Pseudablabes patagoniensis – Melo-Sampaio et al. (2021: 37), Dubeux et al. (2022: 6)</p><p>Suggested common name.</p><p>South American dotted racer.</p><p>Holotype.</p><p>MLP.R 5449, an adult male from <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-57.1712&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-28.5333" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -57.1712/lat -28.5333)">Colonia Carlos Pellegrini</a>, San Martin department (28.5333°S, 57.1712°W; elevation 67 m), Corrientes Province, Argentina; collected by Cátedra de Herpetología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata between 11 and 15 November 2008 .</p><p>Paratypes (n = 14).</p><p>Argentina. Chaco Province: MLP.JW 1949 (adult female) from Juan José Castelli, General Güemes department, collected by I. Berkunsky in January 2001; MACN 38710 (adult female) from Resistencia, San Fernando department, collected by C. Schlinger on 19 November 1956. Corrientes Province: MACN 50189 (adult female) from Provincial Road 5 between San Luis del Palmar and Laguna Brava, San Cosme department, collected by B. Cajade and E. Nenda on 30 July 2017; MACN 48195 (adult male) from Yapeyú, San Martín department, collected by Ayudantía Marítima Yapeyú on 6 September 1965. Entre Ríos Province: MACN 48165 (adult female) from the surroundings of La Paz, La Paz department, collected by M. Baldi on 7 November 1975; MACN 48163 (adult female) from Pronunciamiento, Uruguay department, collected on 30 October 1967. Formosa Province: MACN 48134 (adult male) from Bartolomé de Las Casas, Patiño department. Misiones Province: MACN 48166 (adult female) from Posadas, Capital department, collected on 24 April 1966. Santa Fe Province: MLP. R 6445 (adult male) from 4 km NE of Aguará Grande, San Cristóbal department, collected by L. Alcalde, M. J. Cassano and M. B. Semeñiuk on 29 October 2016; MLP. R 6434 (adult male) from Provincial Road 3 in Los Tábanos, Vera department, collected by L. Alcalde, M. J. Cassano and M. B. Semeñiuk on 21 October 2016; MLP. R 6450 (adult female) from Provincial Road 3 near Vera, Vera department, collected by L. Alcalde, M. J. Cassano and M. B. Semeñiuk on 25 October 2016; MLP. R 6455 (adult male) from road cross between Provincial Road 3 and National Road 11 near Vera, Vera department, collected by L. Alcalde, M. J. Cassano and M. B. Semeñiuk on 25 October 2016. Santiago del Estero Province: MACN 4325 (adult male) form Malbrán, Aguirre department, collected by Cazale and Peyrade. — Brazil: São Pablo State: MACN 36703 (adult female) from the surroundings of Ibiúna, Ibiúna municipality, collected by Instituto Butantán in April 1996.</p><p>Referred specimens.</p><p>For the species description, 178 museum specimens corresponding to the A-morphotype were examined (File S 1), including those from the type series. In addition, numerous photographs from citizen science platforms were analysed to enhance the distribution dataset, bringing the total number of A-morphotype specimens considered to 403 (File S 1).</p><p>Etymology.</p><p>The prefix pseudo of the epithet derives from Greek, meaning “ falseness ” or “ falsehood ”. Mamba refers to the term “ imamba ” used in the Bantú language (spoken by various African ethnic groups) to designate snakes of the genus Dendroaspis, commonly known in English and other languages as “ mambas ”. The species name was explicitly inspired by D. polylepis (the black mamba), due to the general physical resemblance and notably aggressive behaviour shared by both species.</p><p>Diagnosis.</p><p>Philodryas pseudomamba sp. nov. differs from all other species of the genus by the following combination of characters: (1) dorsal scale rows 19–19 – 15, (2) HL / TTL between 2 and 3.4 %, (3) SVL / TTL between 68 and 77.7 %, (4) TL / TTL between 22.2 and 32 %, (5) ventral scales between 166 and 199, (6) subcaudal scales between 81 and 124, (7) loreal scale rectangular, longer than tall, (8) dorsal half of the preocular markedly exceeding the posterior margin of the loreal, (9) supralabials 7 (3, 4), (10) lateral border of the supraocular straight in dorsal view, (11) first temporal scale large (height being less than 40 % of the length), (12) dorsal scales of the head with completely immaculate olive colouration featuring tiny black scale margins, (13) dorsal body design dotted, not maculated, and (14) ventral scales lacking lateral black spots.</p><p>Description of the holotype.</p><p>See Figs 3 C, 3 F, 3 I, 4 C, 5 C, 6 C, 12. Adult male, TTL of 910 mm, HL of 27.3 mm, SVL of 645 mm, and TL of 265 mm; proportions, HL / TTL = 3 %, SVL / TTL = 70.8 %, and TL / TTL = 29.2 %.</p><p>Morphological features include: loreals 1 / 1 (square-shaped with a dominant cranial-caudal axis, longer than tall), preoculars 1 / 1 (with the dorsal half markedly exceeding the half of the loreal), postoculars 2 / 2, temporals 1 + 2 / 1 + 2 (the first temporal is long, with the height representing 35 % of the scale length), supralabials 7 (3, 4) / 7 (3, 4) with the 5 th and 6 th being larger than the others (Fig. 3 C), infralabials 9 (5) / 9 (5) (Figs 3 C, 3 I), and external border of the supraocular straight or slightly expanded laterally in dorsal view (Fig. 3 F). Dorsal scales 19–19 – 15, smooth, with single apical pits (Figs 4 C, 5 C). There are 176 ventral scales and 104 subcaudal scales, anal and subcaudals are divided.</p><p>In preservative, the dorsal surfaces of the head and neck are olive brown, closely matching the colouration of the dorsal body (Fig. 12). The ventral surface of the head is beige-white, with the dorsal-ventral colour transition occurring at the midpoint of the supralabials (Fig. 3 C). The dorsal head scales lack dark markings and exhibit fine black interscale sutures (Fig. 3 F). Paravertebral lines evident, the dorsal scales display dark spots at their anterior and posterior ends, which converge between adjacent scales to form a single dot (Figs 4 C, 5 C, 12). Many dorsal scales have lost their outermost layer, resulting in a lighter, pale lavender appearance (Fig. 12). Ventral scales are beige-white, each separated by a continuous black interscale line (Fig. 6 C), which becomes blurred along the subcaudal region (Fig. 12).</p><p>The hemipenes of the holotype of P. pseudomamba sp. nov. are long and bilobed, with the lobes comprising approximately one-third of the total hemipenial length. The maximum width occurs at the level of the lobes and corresponds to 3.1 times the hemipenial length. The branches of the spermatic groove bifurcate near the base of the hemipenis and run in close parallel before diverging at approximately the midpoint of the organ. The sulcate and asulcate faces bear longitudinal rows of enlarged spines that increase in height distally. On the asulcate face, the spine configuration is 5 / 6, and on the sulcate face, 6 / 6 (Fig. 7 E, F). The counts of the sulcate face begin at the bifurcation point of the spermatic groove toward the distal end (i. e., spines posterior to this point were considered spinules). Two longitudinal rows of large calyces are on the asulcate surface, covering the middle and distal portions of the body and lobes. These calyces are associated with a profuse reticulation of the lobes and randomly distributed patches of spinules. Overall, the hemipenial morphology of the holotype resembles that described by Zaher (1999), Melo-Sampaio et al. (2021: fig. 2 C), and Scrocchi et al. (2024) for specimens whose geographic distribution corresponds to P. pseudomamba sp. nov.</p><p>Variation.</p><p>In adult males, TTL ranges from 618 to 1207 mm (mean: 954.3 ± 138.8 mm), HL from 21.1 to 33.1 mm (mean: 28 ± 3.1 mm), SVL from 435 to 871 mm (mean: 678.5 ± 104.5 mm), and TL from 183 to 343 mm (mean: 275.7 ± 43.3 mm); in adult females, TTL ranges from 672 to 1552 mm (mean: 1135 ± 191.9 mm), HL from 22.9 to 39.4 mm (mean: 32 ± 4.3 mm), SVL from 497 to 1170 mm (mean: 849.7 ± 142.9 mm), and TL from 175 to 382 mm (mean: 285.2 ± 52.1 mm). Tables 2 and 3 summarise variations in pholidosis and measurements.</p><p>The colouration in life (Fig. 11 C) is less variable than that observed in P. patagoniensis . A consistent difference in colouration exists between the head and neck compared to the rest of the body. Depending on the individual, the dorsum and laterals of the head and neck range from ochre to orange. The body dorsum is typically olive but may also appear as mint green or olive green. Each dorsal scale bears a subtle dark spot at its anterior and posterior ends, with the anterior spot being less pronounced than in P. patagoniensis . These spots on adjacent scales converge to form a single dot, rather than a maculation as seen in P. patagoniensis, except in juveniles. The aggregation of these dots along the same dorsal scale row forms oblique lines oriented ventro-dorsally and cranially-caudally. In both dorsal and lateral views, these oblique lines give the dorsal scales a pectinated appearance on either side of the mid-vertebral line. Continuous paravertebral lines formed between subsequent scales are more frequently observed than in P. patagoniensis .</p><p>The ventral colouration of the head and body is pale yellow. The boundary between the dorsal ochre and the ventral pale-yellow lies below the midpoint of the supralabials. The black pigmentation along the sutures of the head scales is more delicate than in P. patagoniensis, particularly in the parietals, frontal, and supraoculars, which also lack the irregular dark markings characteristic of P. patagoniensis . The pale yellow ventral colouration is occasionally interrupted by black lines between successive ventral scales. Each of these lines is typically continuous, although they may less frequently be interrupted at the mid-ventral region. In the subcaudal region, this pattern becomes progressively blurred. The tongue is bicoloured, displaying a red base and a black fork.</p><p>In preservative, the colouration resembles that observed in life, except in poorly preserved specimens. Adequately fixed and well-preserved specimens appear pale compared to live specimens. For example, the ventral scales often fade from pale yellow to beige or white, and the contrast between the head and dorsal body colouration becomes less distinct. Although melanistic specimens are frequently found in collections (e. g., MACN 10228 or MACN 39619), we did not encounter melanism during our fieldwork. Typical head and body patterns are entirely or partially obscured in these melanistic specimens. Furthermore, black rings surrounding dorsal scales are present in some specimens and appear more frequently than in P. patagoniensis (e. g., MACN 7841, MACN 48179).</p><p>The other specimen examined for hemipenial morphology differed from the holotype in a single aspect: it exhibited a 5 / 5 configuration of the elongated spines on the sulcate and asulcate faces.</p><p>Comparison.</p><p>The dorsal scale rows distinguish Philodryas pseudomamba sp. nov. (19–19 – 15) from P. agassizii (13–13 – 13), P. varia (17–17 – 13 to 19–17 – 13; Thomas 1976), P. livida (17–17 – 15), P. boliviana (15–17 – 13 to 17–17 – 13; Thomas 1976), P. baroni (ranging from 21–21 – 17 to 23–23 – 17; Thomas 1976), P. nattereri (from 21–21 – 15 to 21–22 – 17; Thomas 1976), and P. trilineata (21–23 – 17 to 26–23 – 17; Thomas 1976). The absence of a dorsal colour that shifts from green in the anterior half of the body to brown in the posterior part distinguishes P. pseudomamba sp. nov. from P. erlandi and P. mattogrossensis, which exhibit a dorsal colour shift between the mid and posterior body. The lack of well-defined broad stripes on the body distinguishes P. pseudomamba sp. nov. from P. chamissonis and P. psammophidea, both of which possess stripes. Both P. aestiva and P. olfersii display a uniform green colouration on the dorsum and flanges of the body and tail, which is absent in P. pseudomamba sp. nov. Additionally, P. aestiva differs in having keeled dorsal scales (smooth dorsal scales in P. pseudomamba sp. nov.), while P. olfersii typically features a black ocular stripe, which is always absent in P. pseudomamba sp. nov. The rare P. cordata can be distinguished from P. pseudomamba sp. nov. by its entirely black tongue (bicoloured in P. pseudomamba sp. nov., with a red base and black fork), and its hemipenial features, which are markedly divergent from those described in all Philodryas species. Certain body proportions are useful to distinguish between P. pseudomamba sp. nov. and P. arnaldoi (Amaral 1932) . In P. pseudomamba sp. nov., the tail is shorter (mean TL / TTL &lt;27 % for both sexes) than in P. arnaldoi (&gt; 46 %).</p><p>Lastly, P. pseudomamba sp. nov. differs from P. patagoniensis by (character states of the former in parenthesis): (1) head and body shorter (larger), (2) short tail (large), (3) subcaudal scales 57–109 and ventral scales 159–193 (high number in both cases: 81–124 subcaudal scales and 166–199 ventral scales), (4) loreal scale markedly quadrate with no dominant axis, and the dorsal half of the preocular barely exceeds the posterior margin of the loreal (loreal scale is rectangular, longer than tall, with the dorsal half of the preocular markedly exceeding the posterior margin of the loreal), (5) external border of the supraocular concave in dorsal view (straight in dorsal view), (6) first temporal scale shorter, with the height representing more than 45 % of the length (longer than it is tall, with the height being less than 40 % of the length), (7) parietal, frontal, and supraocular scales brown, irregularly spotted with black, and bordered with wide black margins (completely immaculate olive colouration featuring tiny black scale margins), (8) dorsal scales exhibit a maculated pattern (not maculated), (9) lateral black spots present in the ventral scales (absent), (10) vomerine processes of the premaxilla sub-parallel (slightly divergent), (11) dorsal lamina of the nasal robust with non-concave posterolateral flange (dorsal lamina of the nasal slender with concave posterolateral flange), (12) three pointed and double-notched anterior ends of the parabasisphenoid (two pointed and single median-notched), and (13) rounded maxillary process of the palatine (triangular).</p><p>Distribution.</p><p>See Fig. 1. Philodryas pseudomamba sp. nov. is distributed across five countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. In Argentina, the species occurs in 12 provinces: Buenos Aires, Chaco, Córdoba, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Formosa, Misiones, San Luis, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán, and Jujuy. It inhabits nine ecoregions (Delta and Islands of the Paraná and Uruguay Rivers, Dry Chaco, Espinal, Fields and Weeds, Humid Chaco, Ibera’s Marshlands, Pampa, Paranaense Forest, and Yungas Forest), and 33 regional complexes (sensu Morello et al. 2012).</p><p>In Uruguay, P. pseudomamba has been recorded in seven departments: Artigas, Cerro Largo, Paysandú, Río Negro, Rivera, Salto, and Tacuarembó. It occurs in four ecozones: Western Sedimentary Basin, Basaltic Slope, Gondwanic Sedimentary Basin, and Eastern Hills (Brazeiro et al. 2012). In Paraguay, this species occurs in six departments: Alto Paraná, Central, Misiones, Ñeembucú, Paraguari, and Presidente Hayes. It inhabits two ecoregions: Alto Paraná and the Atlantic Forest, and the Humid Chaco (Ávila Torres et al. 2018). In Bolivia, the species has been recorded in the Santa Cruz department, and the Gran Chaco and Chiquitano Dry Forest ecoregions (Ibisch et al. 2003). In Brazil, P. pseudomamba sp. nov. occurs in 14 states: Bahia, Distrito Federal, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Paraíba, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Sergipe, and Espírito Santo. Its distribution spans five major Brazilian biomes: Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Cerrado, Pampa, and Pantanal (IBGE 2019).</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D8718B29FA7157DAAEF3209C47A0C148	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Di Pietro, Diego Omar;Sánchez, Julieta;Poljak, Sebastián;Alcalde, Leandro	Di Pietro, Diego Omar, Sánchez, Julieta, Poljak, Sebastián, Alcalde, Leandro (2026): Morphological and molecular variation reveal cryptic diversity in the racer Philodryas patagoniensis (Girard, 1858) (Squamata: Colubridae). Vertebrate Zoology 76: 93-119, DOI: 10.3897/vz.76.e169219
