Redescription and validation of Bothriechis supraciliaris (Serpentes: Viperidae)

Abstract

The populations of pit vipers from South West CostaRica, have traditionally been identified as Bothriechis schlegelii(Berthold). However, in 1954 E. H. Taylor described one specimen fromthe area as a new subspecies, B. schlegelii supraciliaris. Wermanreturned supraciliaris to synonymy with schlegelii four decadeslater. However, morphometric and color pattern in a SW Costa Ricapopulation (25 specimens) differ from those of specimens (N=57) fromother parts of Costa Rica and from descriptions a South Americanspecimens. Here the epithet Bothriechis schlegelii supraciliarisTaylor 1954, is reestablished as a valid taxon and elevated tospecific rank as B. supraciliaris stat.nov. It is closely related toB. schlegelii from which it differs by its color patterns based on auniform ground color with polymorphic dorsal designs and its lowercounts of ventral and caudal scales.Las poblaciones de toboba de pestañas o bocaracá delsuroeste de Costa Rica han sido denominadas tradicionalmente Bothriechis schlegelii supraciliaris Taylor 1954. Sin embargo, lamorfometría y el patrón de coloración sugierenque es una especie aparte, que aquí se propone como Bothriechis supraciliaris stat.nov.

Keywords

• Bothriechis
• Viperidae
• Serpentes
• pitvipers
• neotropical
• Costa Rica
• Pleistocene refugia
• taxonomy