Nicaragua snake ID

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PatrickV
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Nicaragua snake ID

Post by PatrickV »

Someone I know inquired about an ID on this snake. Found on Isla de Ometepe in Nicaragua.

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Dr. Dark
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Re: Nicaragua snake ID

Post by Dr. Dark »

Leptodeira septentrionalis
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CCarille
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Re: Nicaragua snake ID

Post by CCarille »

I agree 100% with this id:
Dr. Dark wrote:Leptodeira septentrionalis
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Brian Folt
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Re: Nicaragua snake ID

Post by Brian Folt »

Without taking a look at any references, it looks like L. annulata to me.
AsydaBass
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Re: Nicaragua snake ID

Post by AsydaBass »

Leptodeira annulatus. Notice how the stripe on the nape connects to the first dorsal blotch.

-Don
http://www.RainforestDon.com
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Don Cascabel
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Re: Nicaragua snake ID

Post by Don Cascabel »

If it were México, I would call it a Leptodeira septentrionalis polysticta or something related. Not L. annulata... that being said, the two are confusing and I am not sure about C. A.

Cheers,

Don Cascabel
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Jon Wedow
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Re: Nicaragua snake ID

Post by Jon Wedow »

I also thought L. annulata
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CCarille
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Re: Nicaragua snake ID

Post by CCarille »

I apologize for being wrong. Definitely L. annulata.

According to this survey and another I read in Spanish, L. annulata and L. nigrofasciata are the only Leptodiera species to occur on the island.

Here is one of the reports:
http://ometepebiosfera.com/downloads/An ... metepe.pdf
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Brian Folt
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Re: Nicaragua snake ID

Post by Brian Folt »

CCarille wrote:I apologize for being wrong. Definitely L. annulata.

According to this survey and another I read in Spanish, L. annulata and L. nigrofasciata are the only Leptodiera species to occur on the island.
Just because L. septentrionalis is not known from the island, we can't rule it out as the snakes identity. What if septentrionalis occur there but are thus far undetected?

That being said, I was thinking about the color pattern. I think Leptodeira septentrionalis tend to have a higher proportion of connected dorsal splotches than L. annulata.
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CCarille
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Re: Nicaragua snake ID

Post by CCarille »

Brian Folt wrote: Just because L. septentrionalis is not known from the island, we can't rule it out as the snakes identity. What if septentrionalis occur there but are thus far undetected?

That being said, I was thinking about the color pattern. I think Leptodeira septentrionalis tend to have a higher proportion of connected dorsal splotches than L. annulata.
I know not to trust everything 100% just because it's been published, but it's hard to go against a few reports where L. septentrionalis has not been found.

I've always thought L. septentrionalis had less dorsal "striping." My beliefs have been consistent with the several L. septentrionalis and L. annulata I've found. I also keep L. annulata and they have a lot of dorsal striping, which is why my initial guess was for L. septentrionalis.

Maybe the location the snake was found is wrong since it is through a friend of his?
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Don Cascabel
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Re: Nicaragua snake ID

Post by Don Cascabel »

In w. Mexico (can't speak for the whole country, as they look different in the south) the head and nuchal pattern would suggest Leptodeira splendida or Leptodeira "septentrionalis" polysticta... NOT L. annulata. However, last I checked, they decided that polysticta and septentrionalis were different species, and I believe reading that the C.A. septentrionalis were more similar to annulata than other septentrionalis... though I may be wrong on that.

Cheers,

Don Cascabel
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