SOBRE EL ESTATUS TAXONÓMICO DE Apostolepis roncadori LEMA, 2016 Y Apostolepis vittata (COPE, 1887) (SERPENTES: DIPSADIDAE)

Abstract

Apostolepis Cope, 1862 is a particularly speciose Dipsadid snake genus; several species are still known from small series of individuals, with most species still lacking basic information on their morphological variation, ecology, systematics, and conservation, which has resulted in a particularly difficult taxonomic history for the group. In this study, i revisit the taxonomic status of the recently described Apostolepis roncadori Lema, 2016, being considered herein as a junior synonym of Apostolepis vittata Cope, 1887, considering that most of the proposed diagnosis to the former species is under overlap with the latter, or can be attributable to intraspecific variation.