REPTILIA: SERPENTES: COLUBRIDAE 



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253 



PSEUDOBOA 



Prepared by Joseph R. Bailey, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 

 PSEUDOBOA Schneider 



1801 Pseudoboa Schneider. Hist. Amphib., 2: 286. Type-species: Pseudoboa coronata Schneider. 

 1859 Olisthenes Cope. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1855: 256. Type-species: Olisthenes euphaeus 

 Cope. 



Distribution: South America east of Andes to Santa Catarlna, Brazil and central Bolivia; west of 

 Andes In Colombia and western Panama; Tobago and Grenada Islands. 



Content: Two species groups, containing a total of four currently recognized species, as well as 

 several as yet undescribed taxa. 



Key to the species 



Dorsal scales in I5 rows; upper labials usually 



eight (except seven in haas i ) 2 



Dorsal scales in I7 rows; upper labials seven — 



coronata 



Upper labials usually eight; body lighter 

 dorsally than dark nape blotch or with rostral 

 scale modified; subcaudals IJ-IOJ in males, 

 66-57 '" females (counts overlapping those of 

 haas i occur only in northern South America) — 3 



Upper labials usually seven; body dark brown 

 dorsally even in juveniles; rostral scale 

 normal; subcaudals 83 in one male, 73 oi" fewer 

 i n females haas i 



Loreal short, highest posteriorly; rostral 

 elevated from adjacent scales at edges, blunt 

 as viewed from above; body coloration 

 variable, wholly dark dorsally, with large 

 irregular white blotches, or with no dark 

 markings behind nape blotch; nasal bones fused 

 along m i dl i ne n i qra 



Loreal long with parallel horizontal edges; 

 rostral normal (or prominent and pointed in 

 large adults); body coloration fairly 

 constant; salmon red above in juveniles becom- 

 ing brown dorsally in adults, but remaining 

 lighter than nape blotch; nasal bones separa- 

 ted by suture neuw i ed I i 



Clave de especies 



1. Escamas dorsales en I5 filas; usualmente ocho 



labiates superiores (excepto en haas i que 



tiene siete) 2 



Escamas dorsales en I7 filas; siete labiates 

 super i ores coronata 



2. Usualmente ocho labiates superiores; cuerpo mas 



claro dorsalmente que la mancha nucal o con la 

 escama rostral modificada; subcaudales T)-10^ 

 en machos, 66-57 s" hembras (las cifras que 

 sobremontan estas son de haas i y solo en el 



norte de America del Sur) 3 



Usualmente siete labiates superiores; cuerpo 

 dorsalmente pardo oscuro, aun en juveniles; 

 escama rostral normal; 83 subcaudales en un 

 macho y 73 ° menos en hembras haas i 



3. Loreal corta, mas alta poster i ormente; rostral 



elevada en los hordes de las escamas adya- 

 centes, redondeado como se ve de encima; colo- 

 racion del cuerpo variable; totalmente oscuro 

 dorsalmente con grandes e irregulares manchas 

 blancas o sin ninguna marca detras de la nu- 

 cal; huesos nasales fusionados en la I'nea 



med ia n i qra 



Loreal larga con hordes horizontales paralelos; 

 rostral normal (o prominente y puntiaguda en 

 adultos); coloracion del cuerpo mas menos 

 constante; rojo salmon arriba en juveniles, en 

 adultos pardo manteniendo la clara mancha 



nucal; huesos nasales separados por sutura 



neuw i ed i i 



PSEUDOBOA CORONATA Schneider 



1801 Pseudoboa coronata Schneider, Hist. Amphib., 2: 286. Type-locality: America. 

 I856 Oxyrhopus coronatus — Soulenger, Cat. Sn. Brit. Mus., 3' 111. 



Distribution: Guianas; Amazonian watershed in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. 



PSEUDOBOA HAAS I (Boettger) 

 coronata group 



1505 Oxyrhopus haasi Boettger, Zool. Anz., 25: 37*- Type-locality: Campos de Palmas, Parana, Brazil. 

 1526 Pseudoboa haasi — Amaral, Rev. Mus. Paulista, I5: IO5. 



Distribution: Arucaria forests of Parana and northern Santa Catarina, Brazil. 



