Emmochliophis miops (Boulenger, 1898)

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 : 120

Taxon classification Animalia Squamata Colubridae

Emmochliophis miops (Boulenger, 1898)

Synophis miops Boulenger, 1898

Holotype.

BMNH 1946.1.12.30, Paramba, Ecuador (=Parambas, Imbabura fide Lynch and Duellman 1997)

Etymology.

None given by Boulenger (1898); likely from the Greek miops for “myopia,” in reference the species’ small eyes, given as diagnostic by Boulenger.

Description.

Relatively small-sized (~250mm SVL) terrestrial snake from the Pacific Andean slopes of NW Ecuador, diagnosable by 13 maxillary teeth, 8 infralabials, 8 supralabials, 1 postocular, internasals in contact, loreal absent, nuchal collar present, 145 ventrals, 93 subcaudals, dorsal scales in 19 rows without reduction, strong keels, and lateral expansion of the zygapophyses. Type locality is humid subtropical lower montane forest. Little else is known about the habits or habitat of the species. Stomach of type specimen contains remains of a gymnophthalmid lizard ( Sheil 1998).

Notes.

Known only from the type specimen, a female, collected by W. F. H. Rosenberg in October 1897. The type specimen was re-described in great detail by Sheil (1998).