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
The fiftieth vertebra of _Conophis vittatus_ (UMMZ 82642) can be
described as follows: The neural spine is elongate, thin and low; the
posterior edge is sharply emarginate, and the anterior edge is only
slightly emarginate. The zygosphene is thin dorsoventrally; in a
ventral or dorsal view the zygosphene has a slightly concave anterior
edge, the flat surface of which is oriented ventrolaterally. The
centrum is elongate and triangular from below; it is widest at the
paradiapophyses and narrowest at the short condylar neck. The condylus
is directed posteriorly. The centrum, when viewed laterally, is
slightly concave and has prominent subcentral ridges that extend from
the median side of the paradiapophysial articular surfaces posteriorly
to the neck of the condylus. The paradiapophysial articular surfaces
are well developed and have two facets. The diapophysial surface is
larger and more spherical than the parapophysial one. The
parapophysial process projects beyond the parapophysial articular
surface and is nearly even with the lip of the cotyle, which is
slightly oval. The neural arch is slightly depressed; its width is
somewhat less than the width of the cotyle. The articular surfaces of
the postzygapophyses are oval and are directed posterolaterally. There
is a strongly developed concave interzygapophysial ridge. A
well-developed accessory spine extends laterally beyond the oval
articular facets of the pre-zygapophysis and forms a slightly
flattened, blunt spine. Excellent drawings of the middle thoracic
vertebra of _Conophis lineatus dunni_ from Honduras were published by
Auffenberg (1958:6).
Hemipenes
The hemipenes of _Conophis_ are moderately caliculate, having spines
covering the surface from the base to near the apex (fig. 9). These
spines are largest near the base and are reduced to small papillate
projections near the apex. The apex terminates in a small disc having
three to five laminae in _C. vittatus_ and one lamina in _C. lineatus
concolor_. The sulcus is bifurcate; the fork is near the base and
almost gives the appearance of two sulci on some specimens. Distally
the apices are widely separated, and the intervening space gives the
hemipenis a slightly bilobed appearance in some species (especially
_C. vittatus_) or a deeply bilobed appearance in others (especially
_C. lineatus concolor_).
[Illustration: FIG. 9. The everted left hemipenis of _Conophis
vittatus_ (UMMZ 82650). × 5.]
The everted hemipenis reaches posteriorly to the eighth subcaudal
scale. The sulcus bifurcates at the third subcaudal scale. The
situation is similar _in situ_ (Cope, 1895:pl. 28, fig. 2).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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