A Revision of Snakes of the Genus Conophis (Family Colubridae, from Middle America)Wellman, John
Science
A Revision of Snakes of the Genus Conophis (Family Colubridae, from Middle America)
Wellman, John
Conophis; Snakes -- Central America
posteriorly, whereas the ventral surface is gently rounded along its
length, except that there is a high median crest. The pterygoid teeth
are situated in shallow sockets along this crest. The teeth diminish
in size posteriorly.
[Illustration: FIG. 8. The left mandible and associated
quadrate of _Conophis lineatus concolor_ (UMMZ S-788) showing
(A) lateral and (B) medial views. × 3. Teeth shown by means of
broken lines were represented only by their sockets.]
_Mandible._--The dentary (fig. 8) is compressed laterally and rounded
below. The teeth, which are longest about one-third of the way from
the anterior end of the dentary, are set in sockets on the medial side
of the bone. The posterior half of the dentary overlies the fused
surangular-prearticular part of the articular. Ventrally, the
posterior part of the dentary underlies the splenial, which is set in
a median trench within the dentary. Near the common suture of the
dentary and the splenial is the large inferior alveolar foramen;
completely within the splenial and ventral to the inferior alveolar
foramen is the anterior mylohyoid foramen. Posterior to the splenial
and also forming a part of the ventral surface of the mandible is the
wedge-shaped angular, which lies directly beneath the fused
surangular-prearticular. As has been implied, the articular, the
surangular, and the prearticular are fused. The prearticular part of
this bone forms a part of Meckel's canal. In the surangular part,
immediately posterior to the end of the dentary, is the large
surangular foramen. Lying in a longitudinal axis along the medial
surface of the articular is a high crest, dorsal to which is a deep
hollow. The lateral wall of the articular above this hollow is thin
and rounded dorsally; the ventral surface is uniformly round and
slightly curved dorsally, except that it ends with a short tympanic
crest, which projects beyond the articulation with the quadrate. Where
the quadrate articulates with the dorsolateral surface of the
posterior portion of the squamosal, the former is broad and has a high
mid-lateral crest, which extends about one-third of the distance down
the quadrate before disappearing. The columellar process (the place of
fusion of the columella) is about two-thirds of the way down the
medial surface of the quadrate. Ventrally the quadrate has a narrow
neck dorsal to its articulation with the articular. The articulation
is formed by two lateral flanges of the quadrate that fit over a
medial ridge formed by the articular.
Dentition
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