Leptophis diplotropis

Leptophis diplotropis
	Original illustration by G.H. Ford in Günther, 1872
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Leptophis
Species:	L. diplotropis
Binomial name
	Leptophis diplotropis; (Günther, 1872)
Synonyms
	Ahætulla diplotropis ; Günther, 1872; Hapsidophrys diplotropis ; — Cope, 1886; Leptophis diplotropis ; — Boulenger, 1894; Thalerophis diplotropis ; — Oliver, 1947; Leptophis diplotropis ; Álvarez del Toro & H.M. Smith, 1956;

Leptophis diplotropis, commonly known as the Pacific Coast parrot snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae.^[5] The species is endemic to Mexico.^[1]

Geographic range[edit]

The geographic range of L. diplotropis in Mexico extends from southwestern Chihuahua and southern Sonora to southeastern Oaxaca.

Description[edit]

Dorsally, L. diplotropis is green (which fades to blue in alcohol) with black and white striping. Ventrally, it is white. Males may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 90 cm (35 in) plus a tail length of 51 cm (20 in). Females, which are smaller, may attain 73 cm (29 in) SVL plus a 37 cm (15 in) tail. It has on average 19 maxillary teeth, of which the rearmost two are strongly enlarged.^[3]

Subspecies[edit]

There are two recognized subspecies, including the nominate race.

Leptophis diplotropis diplotropis (Günther, 1872)
Leptophis diplotropis forreri H.M. Smith, 1943

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Leptophis.

Etymology[edit]

The subspecific name, forreri, is in honor of Alphonse Forrer (1836–1899), an English-born collecter of zoological specimens in Mexico for the British Museum.^[6]

Habitat[edit]

L. diplotropis is found in tropical dry forest, semi-deciduous forest, mangrove forest, oak forest and wet forest, from sea level up to 1,600 m (5,200 ft). It is a highly adaptable species, which is also found in disturbed areas.^[1]

Behavior[edit]

L. diplotropis is diurnal and mostly arboreal.^[7]

Diet[edit]

L. diplotropis preys predominately upon frogs (genera Agalychnis, Lithobates, Smilisca, Tlalocohyla, Trachycephalus) and lizards (genus Phyllodactylus).^[7]

Reproduction[edit]

L. diplotropis is oviparous.^[4]

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c Ponce-Campos, P.; García Aguayo, A. (2007). "Leptophis diplotropis ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2007: e.T63840A12721094. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63840A12721094.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
^ Boulenger GA (1894). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xi + 382 pp. + Plates I–XX. (Leptophis diplotropis, pp. 110–111).
^ ^a ^b Oliver JA (1948). "The Relationships and Zoogeography of the Genus Thalerophis Oliver". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 92 (4): 157–280. (Thalerophis diplotropis, pp. 207–211).
^ ^a ^b Species Leptophis diplotropis at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
^ "Leptophis diplotropis ". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Leptophis diplotropis forreri, p. 92).
^ ^a ^b Escalante-Pasos, Jorge Armín; Olguín-Hernández, Licet; Vernouillet, Alizée; Verdugo-Molina, Javier Edgar; López-Castillo, José Ramón (2017). "Leptophis diplotropis (Günther, 1872). Diet". Mesoamerican Herpetology 4 (2): 433–435.