Adelophis copei
Adelophis copei is a vulnerable species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species was originally described by Alfredo Dugès in 1897, and is endemic to Mexico.[1][4] It is the type species of the genus Adelophis Dugès, 1879.[4]
| Adelophis copei | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Adelophis |
| Species: | A. copei |
| Binomial name | |
| Adelophis copei Dugès, 1879 | |
 | |
| Geographic range of Adelophis copei | |
| Synonyms[2][3] | |
Etymology
The generic name, Adelophis, is from the Greek words adēlos meaning "uncertain" or "obscure" and ophis meaning "snake", together referring to Dugès' uncertainty of the taxonomic placement of the genus.[3] The specific name, copei, is in honor of American herpetologist and paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope.[4][5]
Description
Adelophis copei is a small and moderately slender snake that has a maximum total length (including tail) of 392 mm (15.4 in). The tail is about one fifth of the total length.[3]
Habitat and geographic range
Adelophis copei lives in the wetlands of west-central Mexico, in such areas in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, and northern Morelos.[1]
Conservation status
Adelophis copei is threatened by habitat loss due to agriculture and human settlement. Mexico has placed national laws protecting the species, and the species is being researched for more ways to protect it. It is protected in the Sierra Los Huicholes reserve.[1]
References
- Ponce-Campos P, García Aguayo A (2007). "Adelophis copei ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2007: e.T63727A12711203. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63727A12711203.en.
- Boulenger GA (1893). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I., Containing the Families ... Colubridæ Aglyphæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I-XXVIII. (Ischnognathus copii, p. 289).
- Rossman DA, Wallach V (1987). "Adelophis Dugès", Mountain Meadow Snakes". Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (408): 1-2.
- Adelophis copei at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 6 February 2015.
- 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. (Adelophis copei, p. 59).
Further reading
Dugès A (1879). In: Cope ED (1879). "Eleventh Contribution to the Herpetology of Tropical America". Proc. American Philosoph. Soc. 18: 261-277. (Adelophis copei, new species, pp. 265–266).