REPTILIA: SERPENTES: COLUBRIDAE 



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117 

 GEOPHIS 



GEOPHIS Wagler 



I83O Catostoma Wagler, Nat. Syst. Amphib.: l')i. Type-species: Catostotna chalybeum Wagler. 



I83O Geoph i s Wagler, Nat. Syst. Amphib.: 3^2. Substitute name for Catostoma Wagler, I83O, to prevent 



confusion with Qa t n?;tnmii.s Lesueur, I8I7, a fish; Type-species: Catostoma chalybeum Waaler. 

 I853 Rabdosoma Oumeril, Mem. Acad. Sc i . , 2J: 440. Type-species: Rabdosoma sem idol iatum Dumeril, 



Bibron, and Dumeril. 

 I855 Coloboqnathus Peters, Monats. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1859= 275- Type-species: Coloboqnathus 



Hoffmann i Peters. 

 I86I Geoph idium Peters, Monats. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1861: 523- Type-species; Geophidium dubium 



Peters. 

 1868 Colophrys Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc i . Phila., 1868: I3O. Type-species: Colophrys rhodoqaster 



Cope. 

 I883 Paraqeoph is Bocourt, Miss. Sc i . Mex., Rept.: 53*' Type-species: Rabdosoma sem idol iatum Dumeril, 



Bibron, and Dumeril. 

 I894 Pi rosema Boule^ger, Cat. Sn. Brit. Mus., 2: 298. Type-species: Geoph i 5 b icolor Gunther. 



Distribution: Tamaulipas and Chihuahua, Mexico to northwestern Colombia. 



Content: 3* species arranged in seven species-groups, according to the most recent revision by 

 Downs, Misc. Publ. Mus. Zool. Univ. Mich., I3I, 1967' 22 species are extral im i tal, all in 

 Mex ico. 



Key to the species 



1. Dorsal scales in I7 rows- 

 Dorsal scales in I5 rows- 



2. Dorsal scales distinctly keeled on at least 



posterior half of body 3 



Dorsal scales smooth, or keeled only above the 

 vent region 4 



3. Dorsum unicolor brownish to blackish nasal i s 



Dorsum light with dark blotches or saddles 



dunn i 



4. Supraocular present, frontal not in orbit 5 



Supraocular absent, frontal in orbit (Fig. l) — 



rhodoqaster 



Clave de especies 



1. Escamas dorsales en I7 filas 2 



Escamas dorsales en I5 filas 6 



2. Escamas dorsales dist intamente quilladas a lo 



menos en la mitad posterior del cuerpo 3 



Escamas dorsales lisas, quilladas solo sobre 

 la region anal 4 



3. Dorse unicolor pardo negruzco nasal is 



Dorso claro con manchas oscuras, con sin 



forma de silla de montar dunn i 



4. Supraoculares presentes; frontal no conforma 



la orbita 5 



Supraoculares ausentes; frontal conforma la 

 orbita (Fig. l) rhodoqaster 



Fig. 1. 



rhodoqaster (all figures in Geoph i s after Downs, I967) 



Dorsum un icolor immacula tus 



Dorsum with light lateral blotches on dark 

 ground col 01 f ul voout ta tus 



Supraocular present; parietal not in orbit 

 (Fig. 2); color of rostral and prenasals 

 similar to adjacent scales 7 



Supraocular absent; parietal enters orbit 

 (f^'G' 3); rostral and prenasals whitish, 

 contrasting with adjacent head scales 



qodman i 



5. Dorso unicolor immaculatus 



Dorso con manchas claras lateralmente, sobre 



f ondo oscuro f ul voqu t ta tus 



6. Supraocular presente; parietal no conforma la 



orbita (Fig. 2); rostral y prenasales de color 



similar al de las escamas adyacentes ] 



Supraocular ausente; parietal conforma la 

 orbita (Fig. 3); rostral y prenasales blanque- 

 cinas, contrastando con las escamas 

 adyacentes qodman i 



