Leptophis diplotropis

{{Speciesbox

| name = Leptophis diplotropis

| image = Leptophis diplotropis.jpg

| image_caption = Original illustration by G.H. Ford in Günther, 1872

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Ponce-Campos, P. |author-link=species:Paulino Ponce-Campos |author2=García Aguayo, A. |author2-link=species:Andrés García Aguayo |date=2007 |title=Leptophis diplotropis |volume=2007 |page=e.T63840A12721094 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63840A12721094.en |access-date=20 November 2021}}

| genus = Leptophis

| species = diplotropis

| authority = (Günther, 1872)

| synonyms = *Ahætulla diplotropis
{{small|Günther, 1872}}

Hapsidophrys diplotropis
{{small|— Cope, 1886}}
Leptophis diplotropis
{{small|— Boulenger, 1894}}
Thalerophis diplotropis
{{small|— Oliver, 1947}}
Leptophis diplotropis
{{small|Álvarez del Toro & H.M. Smith, 1956}}

| synonyms_ref = Boulenger GA (1894). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xi + 382 pp. + Plates I–XX. (Leptophis diplotropis, pp. 110–111).

}}

Leptophis diplotropis, commonly known as the Pacific Coast parrot snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae.{{ITIS|id=585925|taxon=Leptophis diplotropis |accessdate=8 May 2011}} The species is endemic to Mexico.

Geographic range

The geographic range of L. diplotropis in Mexico extends from southwestern Chihuahua and southern Sonora to southeastern Oaxaca.

Description

Dorsally, L. diplotropis is green (which fades to blue in alcohol) with black and white striping. Ventrally, it is white. Males may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of {{cvt|90|cm|in}} plus a tail length of {{cvt|51|cm|in}}. Females, which are smaller, may attain {{cvt|73|cm|in}} SVL plus a {{cvt|37|cm|in}} tail. It has on average 19 maxillary teeth, of which the rearmost two are strongly enlarged.Oliver JA (1948). "The Relationships and Zoogeography of the Genus Thalerophis Oliver". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 92 (4): 157–280. (Thalerophis diplotropis, pp. 207–211).

Subspecies

There are two recognized subspecies, including the nominate race.

Leptophis diplotropis diplotropis {{small|(Günther, 1872)}}
Leptophis diplotropis forreri {{small|H.M. Smith, 1943}}

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Leptophis.

Etymology

The subspecific name, forreri, is in honor of Alphonse Forrer (1836–1899), an English-born collector of zoological specimens in Mexico for the British Museum.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0135-5}}. (Leptophis diplotropis forreri, p. 92).

Habitat

L. diplotropis is found in tropical dry forest, semi-deciduous forest, mangrove forest, oak forest and wet forest, from sea level up to {{convert|1600|m|ft|abbr=on}}. It is a highly adaptable species, which is also found in disturbed areas.

Behavior

L. diplotropis is diurnal and mostly arboreal.

Diet

L. diplotropis preys predominately upon frogs (genera Agalychnis, Lithobates, Smilisca, Tlalocohyla, Trachycephalus) and lizards (genus Phyllodactylus).Escalante-Pasos, Jorge Armín; Olguín-Hernández, Licet; Vernouillet, Alizée; Verdugo-Molina, Javier Edgar; López-Castillo, José Ramón (2017). "Leptophis diplotropis (Günther, 1872). Diet". Mesoamerican Herpetology 4 (2): 433–435.

Reproduction

L. diplotropis is oviparous.{{EMBL species|genus=Leptophis|species=diplotropis}} www.reptile-database.org.