Pseudalsophis

Pseudalsophis is a genus of snakes in the family Colubridae. The genus is endemic to South America.

Pseudalsophis
Pseudalsophis dorsalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Subfamily:	Dipsadinae
Genus:	Pseudalsophis Zaher et al., 2009
Species
Seven, see text.
Synonyms
Alsophis, Antillophis

Geographic range

Species in the genus Pseudalsophis are found in Ecuador (particularly the Galápagos) and Peru.

Species

Seven species are recognized as being valid.[1]

• Pseudalsophis biserialis (Günther, 1860) – Galápagos racer, Floreana snake, Española snake, San Cristóbal snake
• Pseudalsophis darwini Zaher et al., 2018[2]
• Pseudalsophis dorsalis (Steindachner, 1876) – Galápagos snake, Fernandina snake, Isabela snake
• Pseudalsophis elegans (Tschudi, 1845)
• Pseudalsophis hephaestus Zaher et al., 2018[2]
• Pseudalsophis hoodensis (Van Denburgh, 1912) – Hood Island snake
• Pseudalsophis occidentalis (Van Denburgh, 1912)
• Pseudalsophis slevini (Van Denburgh, 1912) – banded Galápagos snake, Slevin's snake,
• Pseudalsophis steindachneri (Van Denburgh, 1912) – striped Galápagos snake, Steindachner's snake
• Pseudalsophis thomasi Zaher et al., 2018[2]

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Pseudalsophis.

Etymology

The specific names, slevini and steidachneri, are in honor of American herpetologist Joseph Richard Slevin and Austrian herpetologist Franz Steindachner, respectively.[3]

References

1. Pseudalsophis. The Reptile Database
2. Zaher, Hassam; Yánez-Muños, Mario H.; Rodrigues, Miguel T.; Graboski, Roberta; Machado, Fabio A., Bonatto, Sandro L.; Grazziotin, Felipe G. (2018). "Origin and hidden diversity within the poorly known Galápagos radiation (Serpentes: Dipsadidae)". Systematics and Biodiversity. Published online. (Pseudalsophis darwini, new species; P. hephaestus, n. sp.; P. thomasi, n. sp.).
3. 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. (Antillophis slevini, p. 245; Antillophis steindachneri, p. 252).

Further reading

• Zaher, Hussam; Grazziotin, Felipe Gobbi; Cadle, John E.; Murphy, Robert W.; de Moura-Leite, Julio Cesar; Bonatto, Sandro (2009). "Molecular phylogeny of advanced snakes (Serpentes, Caenophidia) with an emphasis on South American Xenodontines: a revised classification and descriptions of new taxa". Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo) 49 (11): 115–153. (Pseudalsophis, new genus). (in English, with abstracts in English and Portuguese).