Conopsis lineata ( Kennicott, 1859 )

Goyenechea, Irene & Flores-Villela, Oscar, 2006, Taxonomic summary of Conopsis, Günther, 1858 (Serpentes: Colubridae), Zootaxa 1271, pp. 1-27 : 10-11

Conopsis lineata ( Kennicott, 1859)

Stenorhina de Filippii Jan, 1857:48 (“ Messico ”; nomen nudum). Toluca lineata Kennicott, 1859:23 –24.

Oxyrhina (Achirina) de Filippii, 1862:54,61,75. Oxyrhina de Filippii Jan, 1863:41

Conopsis lineatus Bocourt, 1883:565 –566. Conopsis lineata Dugès, 1896:413 .

Conopsis nasus Smith, 1939:32 .

Toluca lineata varians Jan, 1862:54 . nov. sin. Stenorhina varians Jan, 1857:48 (nomen nudum). Oxyrhina varians Jan, 1862:54 , 60, 61, 75. Ogmius varians Sumichrast, 1873:249 .

Ogmius (Oxyrhina) varians Sumichrast, 1882:42 . Conopsis varians Bocourt, 1883:566 .

Chionactis varians Cope, 1896:1021 .

Chionactis diasii Cope in Ferrari­Perez, 1886:188 –189. Chionactis diasii diasii Cope, 1898:943 .

Chionactis nasus Ruthven, 1912:231 .

Type specimen: USNM 2103.

Type locality: Valley of Mexico.

Diagnosis: This species is characterized by the following combination of characters: divided internasals and prefrontals; brown dorsal coloration and three to five dark lines along body. Ventrally it is yellowish with no spots. This taxon is the smallest in the genus mean SVL 176.1 mm. It differs from other members of the genus by its characteristic dorsal pattern.

Description: A species with divided internasals and prefrontals; no loreal; pointed rostral; nasal pierced by nostril on each side of head; a preocular and two postoculars; hexagonal frontal, contactimg prefrontals; temporal formula 1+2; 7 upper labials and 6 lower labials; 2.5 upper labials before eye; genial shields separated by one scale; a mean of 126 ventrals (100–140) and 33.3 subcaudals (20–49); 17 rows of smooth scales at midbody; dorsum brown, with three to five dark lines; venter yellowish with no spots, but few specimens show rows of small­paired dots.

Measurements: Adults specimens of Conopsis lineata average 176.1 mm in snoutvent length (100–273 mm), 215.2 in total length (120–320 mm), body diameter 6.7 mm.

Variation: Loreal present (34.4%), absent (51.7%), or it may be present only on one side of head (19.2%). Postoculars from 2 (98.5%) to 1 (1.5%). Upper labials 7 (82.6%), 7/ 6 (5.4%), or 6 (12%). Upper labials before eye from 2.5 (63%) to 3 (27.2%), 2 (2%), 3.5 (0.8%) or 3/2.5 (5%). Lower labials from 7 (67.6%,), to 6 (27%), 7/6 (8%), 7/5 (1%), 6/5 (0.8%), or 6/4 (0.8%). First pair of genial shields separated by one (84.7%), two scales (12%), or in contact (3.3%). Dorsal coloration is brown (55.7%), cinnamon (18.4%), beige (17.5%), olive green (4.5%), or gray (3.9%), with 3 to 5 dark lines along body (61.5%), a vertebral dark line and tessellated below (33.5%), tessellated (5%). Ventral coloration creamy (83%), yellow (14.4%), yellowish­gray (1.3%), or brown (1.3%). The venter has a series row of paired dots (41%), black dots intercalated along venter (18%), or immaculate (41%).

Distribution: Conopsis lineata is distributed in central and southern Mexico (fig. 5); it has been collected in the states of Distrito Federal, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Estado de Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Tlaxcala and Veracruz, from 1750 to 3100 m, in xerophilous underbrush, cactus, pine, oak, pine­oak, fir forests, and montane cloud forest. It is usually under rocks, logs, litter, grass, and in holes during the whole year; being more abundant from July to September.