The Liophis cobella Group of the Neotropical Colubrid Snake Genus Liophis

Abstract

The Liophis cobella group consists of four species, L. breviceps, L. cobella, L. frenatus, and L. longiventris. The color pattern of the species in this group consists of a dark brown to black ground color with narrow light bands. The banding may be obscure in old adults, but the venter is consistently banded or checkered with black and coral red marks. The average number of dorsal bands, ventrals, subcaudals, maxillary teeth and tail length as a percentage of total length among the species of the group varies from 30-90, 138-189, 50-59, 15-22, and 17.0-20.0 respectively. Num- bers of scale rows are invariably 17-17-15, scales smooth, without apical pits. A brief history of the names of some species and keys to the species and subspecies are presented for the group. The group previously was thought to consist of eight species among 14 named forms, but addi- tional material from other localities have shown overlap of features between some taxa previously regarded as full species, resulting in the reduction to subspecific status of L. canaimus and L. trebbaui; the recognition of L. taeniogaster as a valid subspecies; the description of a new subspecies; and the placement of the currently recognized species L. brazili and L. ingeri as junior subjective synonyms of L. frenatus and L. cobella, respectively. One form, Coluber cinereus Linnaeus, cannot be allocated to any currently recognized colubrid genus.