New York, N.Y. : American Museum of Natural History
Abstract
50 p. : ill., 2 maps ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 48-50)."The widespread Neotropical genus Imantodes (Colubridae) is partially revised in order to determine the relationships of a distinctive new snake discovered on an isolated ridge in eastern Panama. The six species of blunt-headed vine snakes now recognized are equally divided between two monophyletic assemblages - the cenchoa and lentiferus groups - based on hemipenial characters, maxillary dentition, relative tongue (fork) length, and coloration (reduction of pigmentation in the primitive blotched markings) ... From examination of type specimens of old names currently in the synonymy of Imantodes cenchoa, it is concluded that (1) the placement of Himantodes anisolepis and H. platycephalus is correct, (2) Himantodes hemigenius is a junior synonym of I. gemmistratus, and (3) the name Himantodes semifasciatus is a composite of I. cenchoa and I. gemmistratus. A lectotype is designated to keep semifasciatus with cenchoa, but the nominal subspecies Imantodes cenchoa semifasciatus is nonetheless considered invalid. A lectotype also is designated for Imantodes lentiferus"--P. 2-3