Geophis blanchardi explained

Geophis blanchardi, also known commonly as Blanchard's earth snake and la minadora de Blanchard in Mexican Spanish, is a species of snake in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Mexico.^[1]

Etymology

The specific name, blanchardi, is in honor of American herpetologist Frank N. Blanchard.^[2]

Geographic range

G. blanchardi is found in eastern Mexico, in the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Puebla, and Veracruz.^[1]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of G. blanchardi is forest, at altitudes of .^[1]

Description

Dorsally, G. blanchardi is bluish-gray to brownish-black. Ventrally, it is checkered yellowish-orange and black. It has smooth dorsal scales, which are arranged in 17 rows throughout the length of the body, and do not have apical pits. It has seven lower labials, one postocular, and no anterior temporal. It may attain a total length (including tail) of about . The tail length is about 17% of the total length in males, about 13% in females.^[3]

Behavior

G. blanchardi is terrestrial.

Reproduction

G. blanchardi is oviparous.^[1]

Further reading

• Heimes P (2016). Snakes of Mexico: Herpetofauna Mexicana Vol. I. Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Edition Chimaira. 572 pp. .
• Mata-Silva V, Johnson JD, Wilson LD, García-Padilla E (2015). "The herpetofauna of Oaxaca Mexico: composition, physiographic distribution, and conservation status". Mesoamerican Herpetology 2 (1): 6–62.
• Taylor EH, Smith HM (1939). "Miscellaneous Notes on Mexican Snakes". University of Kansas Science Bulletin 25 (13): 239–258. (Geophis blanchardi, new species, pp. 245–247, Figure 2, A–D).
• Wilson LD, Townsend JH (2007). "A checklist and key to the snakes of the genus Geophis (Squamata: Colubridae: Dipsadinae), with commentary on distribution and conservation". Zootaxa 1395: 1–31. (Geophis blanchardi, p. 6).

Notes and References

1. www.reptile-database.org.
2. [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens B]
3. [species:Floyd Leslie Downs|Downs FL]