Liophis

Liophis
Liophis reginae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Subfamily:	Xenodontinae
Genus:	Liophis Wagler, 1830[1]
Species
Numerous, see text

Liophis is a genus of New World colubrid snakes.^[2] They have a wide range of nondescript and local names, among these "water snakes", "mapepires", "corals" or "racers".

Taxonomy and systematics

The status of the genus Liophis on the mainland of South America is highly uncertain, and some authorities assign some species to the genera Dromicus, Leimadophis, Lygophis, and Philodryas. Others consider Dromicus and Leimadophis to be synonyms of Liophis.^[3]

Selected species

Liophis almadensis (Wagler, 1824) Liophis amarali Wettstein, 1930 Liophis anomalus (Günther, 1858) Liophis atraventer Dixon & Thomas, 1965 Liophis breviceps Cope, 1861 Liophis carajasensis Cunha, Nascimento & Ávila-Pires, 1985 Liophis cobella (Linnaeus, 1758) - (American) mangrove snake Liophis cursor (Lacépède, 1789) Liophis epinephelus Cope, 1862 Liophis dilepis (Cope, 1862) Liophis festae (Peracca, 1897) Liophis flavifrenatus (Cope, 1862) Liophis frenatus (Werner, 1909) Liophis jaegeri (Günther, 1858) Liophis janaleeae Dixon, 2000 Liophis leucogaster Jan, 1863 Liophis lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758) Liophis maryellenae Dixon, 1985 Liophis melanotus (Shaw, 1802) Liophis melanotus melanotus (Shaw, 1802) Liophis melanotus nesos Dixon & Michaud, 1992

Liophis meridionalis (Schenkel, 1901) Liophis miliaris (Linnaeus, 1758) Liophis mossoroensis Hoge & Lima-Verde, 1972 Liophis ornatus (Garman, 1887) - Saint Lucia racer Liophis paucidens (Hoge, 1953) Liophis perfuscus Cope, 1862 - Barbados racer Liophis poecilogyrus (Wied, 1824) Liophis reginae (Linnaeus, 1758) - high woods coral Liophis reginae reginae (Linnaeus, 1758) Liophis reginae zweifeli (Roze, 1959) Liophis sagittifer (Jan, 1863) Liophis taeniogaster Jan, 1863 Liophis triscalis (Linnaeus, 1758) - kolebra or three-scaled ground snake Liophis typhlus (Linnaeus, 1758) Liophis viridis Günther, 1862 Liophis vitti Dixon, 2000

References

1. ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). www.itis.gov.
2. Dixon, J.R. 1980. The Neotropical colubrid snake genus Liophis: The generic concept. Milwaukee Public Museum. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 40 pp. ISBN 089326055X (paperback).
3. Freiberg, M. 1982 Snakes of South America. T.F.H. Publications. Hong Kong. 189 pp. ISBN 0-87666-912-7. ("Note" on pp. 94-95.)

Further reading

• Wagler J. 1830. Natürliches System der Amphibien, mit vorangehender Classification des Säugthiere und Vögel. Ein Beitrag zur vergleichenden Zoologie. J.G. Cotta. Munich, Stuttgart, and Tübingen. (Genus Liophis, pp. 187–188.)