Geophis zeledoni Taylor
Creators: name: Wilson, Larry David
name: Townsend, Josiah H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2007
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy

description: 46. Geophis zeledoni Taylor
Geophis zeledoni Taylor 1954: 693.
Holotype. University of Kansas Natural History Museum & Biodiversity Research Center (KU) 31992, collected 24 July 1952 by E.H. Taylor.
Type­locality. Finca Zeledón, ca. 1829 m elevation, between Volcán Barba and Volcán Poás, Costa Rica. Distribution. Known from the Cordillera Central, Costa Rica, ca. 1829­2100 m elevation. Species group. sieboldi (Downs 1967).
Systematic references. Taylor (1954), Downs (1967).
1 Anterior temporal present ............................................................................................................................ 2
­ Anterior temporal absent ............................................................................................................................. 7
2 Dorsal scales in 15 rows throughout body................................................................................................... 3
­ Dorsal scales in 17 rows throughout body................................................................................................... 4
3 Ventrals immaculate ................................................................................................................ G. maculiferus
­ Ventrals each divided into dark anterior portion and pale posterior portion ............................ G. incomptus
4 Postoculars 2................................................................................................................................................ 5
­ Postocular single.......................................................................................................................................... 6
5 Dorsum pinkish yellow with series of irregular, transverse brown spots; venter pale with numerous red­ dish brown spots ......................................................................................................................... G. isthmicus
­ Dorsum reddish brown with narrow pale crossbands; venter immaculate creamy white .... G. omiltemanus
6 Venter of body white to cream anteriorly grading posteriorly to grayish brown with pale posterior borders on ventrals ............................................................................................................................... G. latifrontalis
­ Venter of body black, checkered with red or yellow blotches in juvenile .............................. G. mutitorques
7 Dorsal scales in 17 rows throughout body................................................................................................... 8
­ Dorsal scales in 15 rows throughout body................................................................................................. 23
8 Postoculars absent........................................................................................................................................ 9
­ Postoculars 1 or 2....................................................................................................................................... 10
9 Dorsum slate black ................................................................................................................... G. anocularis
­ Dorsum red or white with large black dorsal saddles ................................................................ G. duellmani
10 Postoculars 2 .................................................................................................................................. G. bicolor
­ Postocular single........................................................................................................................................ 11
11 Dorsal scales smooth throughout body or smooth except above vent, where faintly keeled .................... 12
­ Dorsal scales distinctly keeled on portions of body ranging from posterior portion of body to all of body except nape ................................................................................................................................................ 18
12 Venter immaculate white, cream, or yellow, except perhaps for darkly pigmented lateral edges............. 13
­ Venter checkered or banded....................................................................................................................... 17
13 Internasal scales usually fused with prefrontal scales .................................................................... G. dubius
­ Internasal scales not fused with prefrontal scales...................................................................................... 14
14 No supraocular scale present, frontal scale enters orbit ......................................................... G. rhodogaster
­ Supraocular scale usually present, usually distinct from postocular, frontal scale does not enter orbit.... 15
15 Dorsum brown, with scales in lateral rows spotted cream ........................................................ G. chalybeus
­ Dorsum gray, brown, or blackish with pale gray to brick­red dorsal or lateral blotches or partial bands. 16
16 135–157 ventral scales, 171–181 ventrals + subcaudals ...................................................... G. fulvoguttatus
­ 120–138 ventral scales, 149–160 ventrals + subcaudals ..................................................... G. nephodrymus
17 Venter checkered with yellowish orange and black .................................................................. G. blanchardi
­ Ventrals pale brown anteriorly and yellowish white posteriorly .......................................... G. immaculatus
18 Dorsal scales keeled except on neck.......................................................................................................... 19
­ Dorsal scales keeled only on the posterior portion of body....................................................................... 20
19 Dorsum yellowish with dark brown crossbands ............................................................................... G. dunni
­ Dorsum dark brown or gray without markings ............................................................................... G. nasalis
20 Ventral scales brownish black anteriorly, yellowish white posteriorly ...................................... G. carinosus
­ Ventral surface immaculate........................................................................................................................ 21
21 Ventrals 124 or fewer ...................................................................................................................... G. juarezi
­ Ventrals 126 or more.................................................................................................................................. 22
22 Ventrals 132 or fewer; dorsum uniform gray ................................................................................ G. rostralis
­ Ventrals 132 or more; dorsum brown, scales of first row with yellow centers ............................. G. sieboldi
23 Postoculars 2 ............................................................................................................................ G. betaniensis
­ Postocular single or absent ........................................................................................................................ 24
24 Dorsal scales weakly to distinctly keeled on portions of body ranging from posterior one­half to all except neck............................................................................................................................................................ 25
­ Dorsal scales smooth throughout body or smooth except above vent....................................................... 33
25 Postocular scale absent ................................................................................................................... G. downsi
­ Postocular scale single............................................................................................................................... 26
26 Dorsal body scales weakly to distinctly keeled except on neck ................................................................ 27
­ Dorsal body scales weakly to distinctly keeled only on posterior portion ................................................ 29
27 Venter with dark pigment usually present along anterior edges of at least some ventrals; dorsum often with pale lateral blotches, crossbands, or stripes ...................................................................... G. brachycephalus
­ Venter yellowish white, although some ventrals may have brownish pigment along anterior edges; dorsum without pale lateral blotches, crossbands, or stripes.................................................................................. 28
28 Pale nuchal collar absent ................................................................................................................. G. sallaei
­ Broad white nuchal collar present ........................................................................................... G. laticollaris
29 Dorsal and ventral surfaces uniformly dark ..................................................................................... G. bellus
­ Coloration not as above ............................................................................................................................. 30
30 Anterior edge of each ventral dark brown or black, posterior edge white .................................... G. ruthveni
­ Ventral coloration not as above.................................................................................................................. 31
31 Supraocular and postocular scales separated from one another by anterior projection of parietal scale ...... .................................................................................................................................................. G. nigroalbus
­ Supraocular and postocular scales in contact with one another................................................................. 32
32 Dorsum reddish brown with irregular black crossbars ................................................................. G. russatus
­ Dorsum uniform dark gray to black ........................................................................................ G. talamancae
33 Supralabials 5............................................................................................................................................. 34
­ Supralabials 6............................................................................................................................................. 35
34 Dorsum with dark dorsal crossbands separated by pale interspaces ..................................... G. semidoliatus
­ Dorsum dark brown or grayish black ........................................................................................ G. hoffmanni
35 Venter black with scattered, irregular pale blotches or mottled areas ....................................................... 36
­ Venter not colored as above....................................................................................................................... 37
36 Dorsum blackish with well­defined yellowish­red crossbands ................................................ G. laticinctus
­ Dorsum uniform gray or black, sometimes with pale lateral stripe and narrow light bands ........ G. zeledoni
37 Dorsum patterned....................................................................................................................................... 38
­ Dorsum patternless .................................................................................................................................... 44
38 Dorsum of body dark with pale markings ................................................................................................. 39
­ Dorsum of body pale with dark markings ................................................................................................. 40
39 Dorsum of body dark gray with reddish orange crossbands or lateral blotches ........................... G. damiani
­ Dorsum brown or black, with narrow pale crossbands on anterior portion of body ..................... G. dugesii
40 Venter immaculate white or cream ............................................................................................................ 41
­ Venter not as above.................................................................................................................................... 42
41 Dorsum cream with reddish brown crossbands ....................................................................... G.cancellatus
­ Dorsum red with black crossbands ................................................................................................... G. juliai
42 Venter black with scattered pale blotches ................................................................................. G. laticinctus
­ Venter white with black spots .................................................................................................................... 43
43 Dorsum with narrow dark crossbands on a gray­brown ground color .................................. G. nigrocinctus
­ Dorsum with irregular dark markings on head and neck, remainder of body dark brown or black ............. ..................................................................................................................................................... G. t a r a s c a e
44 Supraocular absent, parietal scale in contact with prefrontal scale ............................................. G. godmani
­ Supraocular scale present, parietal scale not in contact with prefrontal scale........................................... 45
45 Venter banded, anterior edge brown, posterior edge white ....................................................... G. championi
­ Venter immaculate white to creamy white................................................................................................. 46
46 Ventrals plus subcaudals 171 or fewer .......................................................................................... G. pyburni
­ Ventrals plus subcaudals 175 or more ............................................................................................ G. petersii
description: Published as part of Wilson, Larry David & Townsend, Josiah H., 2007, A checklist and key to the snakes of the genus Geophis (Squamata: Colubridae: Dipsadinae), with commentary on distribution and conservation, pp. 1-31 in Zootaxa 1395 on pages 19-22, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.273681