14 



Chironius quadricarinatiis maculoventris Dixon, Wiest & Cei, 1993 



Chironius bicarinatus Peters & Orejas Miranda, 1970 (partim). Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. 297 (1): 59. 



Chironius quadricarinatiis maculoventris Dixon, Wiest & Cei, 1993. Mus. reg. Sci. nat. Torino. Monog 

 XllI: 228. 



Type locality: Corrientes province, Argentina. 



Distribution: Chaco, Corrientes, Entre Rios, Formosa, Salta and Santa Fe. Also in western Paraguay (Dixon 

 et al., 1993; Giraudo, 1997; Giraudo & Quaini, 1997). Chaquena province and bordering areas of Paranaense 

 province (Campos district) and Espinal province (Nandubay district). 



D//75a5 Laurenti, 1768 

 Dipsas Laurenti, 1768. Synops. Rept.: 89. 



Bungarus Oppel 1810 (partim, not Bungarus Daudin 1803). Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, 13: 391. 

 Pholidolaemus Fitzinger, 1843. Syst. Rept. 1: 27. 

 Dipsadomorus Dumeril, 1853. Mem. Acad. Sci., Paris. 23: 467. 



Leptognathus Dumeril, 1853 (not Leptognathus Swainson 1839). Mem. Acad. Sci., Paris. 23: 467. 

 Stremmatognathus Dumeril, 1853. Mem. Acad. Sci., Paris. 23: 468. 

 Neopareas Gunther, 1895. Biol. Centr. Amer. Rept.: 178. 

 Heterorhachis Amaral, 1923. Proc. New Engl. Zool. Club 8: 94. 

 Type species: Dipsas indica Laurenti, 1768. Synops. Rept.: 90. 



Comments: Dipsas indica bucephala is the only taxon mentioned in Misiones, Argentina (Serie, 1915; 

 Peters, 1960; Cei, 1993). Its taxonomic status is currently being studied by Ronaldo Femandes (pers. comm) 

 and Marcovan Porto. Sazima & Haddad (1992) stated that the Dipsas indica bucephala populations are 

 clearly different from others and should be raised to specific status. Porto (unpublished data) arrived at the 

 same conclusion. Because we have no comparative material for other subspecies, no data from the areas of 

 intergradation, and Sazima & Haddad s (1992) data seem insufficient, we follow the classification of Peters 

 (1960). 



Dipsas indica bucephala (Shaw, 1802) 

 Coluber bucephalus Shaw, 1802. Gen. Zool. 3: 422. 



Dipsas bucephala Boulenger, 1896. Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. 3: 422. 

 Dipsas indica Serie, 1915. An. Mus. Nac. Bs. As. 27: 105. 



Dipsas indica bucephala Peters, 1960. Misc. Publ. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan 1 14: 73. 

 Type locality: "Ceylon" 



Distribution: Misiones. Also in southeastern Brazil and east of Paraguay (Amaral, 1929; Bertoni, 1939; 

 Canevari et al. 1989; Gallardo, 1986; Giraudo, 1997; Serie, 1915, 1921, 1936; Talbot, 1979). Paranaense 

 province. 



Comments: Williams & Francini (1991), mentioned that the presence of this taxon in Argentina is doutbful 

 because, until now, it is only known from Serie's reference (op. cit.). Recent works (Giraudo & Abramson, 

 1994; Giraudo, 1997) mention several records throughout Misiones despite the nocturnal habits of this 

 species that make it difficult to collect. Peters (1960) mentioned that the specimen of Serie (1915) should be 

 re-examined because it could be cisticeps, based on its distribution. Serie states that all characters coincide 

 with the description of Shaw, and we were able to corroborate this with the examination of Serie's specimen, 

 a few specimens from Misiones and one from northeastern Paraguay (Refugio de Vida Silvestre Mbaracayii, 

 Saltos del Guayra, Canindeyu) (Giraudo, 1997). 



Dipsas indica cisticeps (Boettger, 1885) 



Leptognathus (Dipsadomorus) cisticeps Boettger, 1885. Zeit. Naturwiss., 58: 237. 



Dipsas cisticeps Bertoni, 1914. Descr. Fis. Econom. Paraguay 59: 29. 



Dipsas indica cisticeps Peters, 1960. Misc. Publ. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan 1 14: 78. 

 Type locality: "Paraguay". 



Distribution: Chaco. Also in Bolivia and Paraguay (Peters, 1960). Chaquena province (Chaquefio Oriental 

 district). 



Comments: An individual from Chaco (UNNEC 533) cited by Alvarez et al. (1996) as Dipsas indica, was 

 studied by us and it shows differences in coloration from specimens of Dipsas indica bucephala from 



