Conopsis amphisticha ( Smith and Laufe 1945 )

Goyenechea, Irene & Flores-Villela, Oscar, 2006, Taxonomic summary of Conopsis, Günther, 1858 (Serpentes: Colubridae), Zootaxa 1271, pp. 1-27 : 7-8

Conopsis amphisticha ( Smith and Laufe 1945)

Toluca amphisticha Smith and Laufe, 1945:5 .

Type specimen: U.S. N.M. 120950.

Type locality: Xuimygopk, between Ayutla and Cacalotepec, Oaxaca.

Diagnosis: This species is characterized by the following combination of characters: divided internasals and prefrontals; dorsal coloration usually of two series of dots on the anterior third and a tessellated pattern of spots afterwards, or a tessellated pattern of spots along body over brown color. Venter is yellowish with paired black dots along the belly. Conopsis amphisticha shares its characteristic dorsal pattern of spots with Conopsis biserialis , with which it can be confused, but their geographic ranges do not overlap.

Description: A species with divided prefrontals and internasals; loreal scale on each side of head; a pointed rostral; nasal pierced by nostril on each side of head; a preocular and two postoculars; hexagonal frontal, contacting prefrontals; temporal formula 1+2; 7 upper labials, 6 lower labials; 2.5 upper labials before eye; genial shields separated by one scale; a mean of 124.19 mm (116–132); and subcaudals 33.12 mm (26–41); 17 rows of smooth scales at midbody; dorsum brown, with two lines of dots along body, or a tessellated pattern of spots; vennter yellowish with a series of paired dots.

Measurements: Adults of Conopsis amphisticha average 195.9 mm in snout­vent length (110–235 mm); 233.81 mm in total length (120–290 mm), diameter of body 7.7 mm.

Variation: Loreal scale may be present on both sides of head (65%), completely absent (5%), or may be present only one side of head (30%). Upper labials usually 7–7 (79.2%), but some have 7/6 (16.5%) or 7/5 (4.3%). Upper labials before eye from 2.5 (95.9%) to 3/2.5 (4.1%). Lower labials from 6 (79.2%), 7/6 (8.3%), 6/5 (8.3%) to 5 on each side of head (4.1%). First pair of genial shields separated by one or two scales (70.8%), or may be in contact (29.2%). Dorsal coloration is brown (62.5%), cinnamon (20.9%), or dark brown (16.6%), with a pattern of dorsal spots in two rows on the anterior third of the body, turning into a tessellated pattern afterwards (83.3%), or a tessellated pattern (10.2%), or two vertebral rows of spots along the body (6.5%). Ventral coloration creamy (87.3%) to yellow (12.7%), with ventral spots that may be in paired rows of dots (53.3%), dots along the edge of the ventral scale (16.6%), a row of intercalated dots (25.9%), or immaculate (4.2%).

Distribution: Conopsis amphisticha occurs in southern Mexico (fig. 3), in the state of Oaxaca between 1700 and 3080 m, in pine forest and oak forest, mainly, there are some records from montane cloud forest. It has been collected under rocks and logs during January, and from June to August.