Synophis lasallei ( Niceforo-Maria , 1950)

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 : 128

Taxon classification Animalia Squamata Colubridae

Synophis lasallei ( Niceforo-Maria, 1950)

Diaphorolepis lasallei Nicéforo-Maria, 1950

Holotype.

MLS/CJSP uncat., from N of Albán, cen. Cundinamarca Dept., cen. Colombia.

Etymology.

After the Instituto de La Salle, in Bogotá ( Nicéforo-Maria 1950).

Description.

Smaller (~300mm SVL) dipsadine snakes of the Amazonian versant of the Andes of Ecuador and Colombia, diagnosable by 24 maxillary teeth, 10 or 11 infralabials, 7-9 supralabials, fused prefrontals, internasals in contact, loreal present, 1 or 2 postoculars, nuchal collar absent, 144-165 ventrals, 101-126 subcaudals, dorsal scales in (19 –23)-(19–22)-(17– 21) strongly keeled rows even on head and neck, venter dark in some populations, neural spines expanded and flattened, and laterally expanded zygapophyses. Known from low to high elevations (~500-2000m) along the Amazonian versant of the Andes from central Colombia to central Ecuador. Nothing is known of diet or reproduction.

Notes.

The hemipenes are very similar to both Diaphorolepis and Synophis bicolor ( Bogert 1964; Zaher 1999; Martinez 2011). Much like Synophis bicolor , this species as currently described has a large geographic and elevational range, with wide variation in phenotype. There is significant variation in the number of dorsal scale rows and reduction thereof. One specimen from Ecuador (MCZ R-156873) has only one postocular and 7 supralabials, but otherwise matches the species. All other specimens have 2 and 8, respectively. Another specimen from Ecuador (MECN 2220) has 165 ventrals and 117 subcaudals with 19-19-17 scale rows, and is thus indistinguishable from Synophis aff. bicolor , with the exception of the strong keels on the nuchal scales and geographic distance from the nearest highland populations of Synophis aff. bicolor . All other specimens of Synophis lasallei have 144-156 ventrals, and most have (21 –23)-(21–22)-(19– 21) dorsal scale rows. Thus, it seems exceptionally likely that this is a species complex, possibly divided between highland and lowland, or northern and southern populations.