Abstract
Leptophis cupreus is redescribed on the basis of 18 specimens, including the holotype. The species is characterized by having a uniformly copper-colored dorsum, which distinguishes it from all other known species of Leptophis. We present photographs of the holotype and a living specimen of L. cupreus, describe and illustrate the everted hemipenis, and plot its known distribution.
Highlights
Leptophis cupreus (Cope 1868) is a rare species of colubrid snake known from a few localities in north‐ western South America
Peters & Or‐ cés‐V (1960) redescribed Leptophis cupreus based on five specimens collected in eastern Ecuador, and to‐ gether with Peters (1960) reported that the holotype of L. cupreus was presumably lost
Ancillary to a revision of Leptophis (Albuquer‐ que, 2008, 2009) we examined 18 specimens of L. cupreus, including the holotype
Summary
Leptophis cupreus (Cope 1868) is a rare species of colubrid snake known from a few localities in north‐ western South America. For some unknown reason, Oliver (1942, 1948) did not include cupreus in his list of names available for species of the genus Thalerophis (= Leptophis), and he did not mention the species in any part of his revision. Ancillary to a revision of Leptophis (Albuquer‐ que, 2008, 2009) we examined 18 specimens of L. cupreus, including the holotype. Examination of these specimens allows us to counter Harding’s (1995) sug‐ gestion that L. cupreus is a nomen dubium and makes possible a more detailed characterization of L. cupreus including within-species variation, distribution, and hemipenial morphology
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