Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Suborder Serpentes Higher classification Adelophis | |
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Similar Fox's mountain meadow, Dary's burrowing snake, Afronatrix, Adelphicos, Amphiesmoides ornaticeps | ||
Adelophis copei is a vulnerable species of colubrid snake described by Alfredo Dugès in 1897. The species is endemic to Mexico. It is the type species of genus Adelophis .
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Etymology
The generic name, Adelophis, is from the Greek words adēlos meaning "uncertain" or "obscure" and ophis meaning "snake", together referring to Dugès' uncertainty of the taxonomic placement of the genus. The specific name, copei, is in honor of American herpetologist and paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope.
Description
Adelophis copei is small and moderately slender snake that has a maximum total length of 392 mm (15.4 in). Tail is about one fifth of total length.
Habitat and geographic range
Adelophis copei lives in the wetlands of west-central Mexico, in such areas in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, and northern Morelos.
Conservation status
Adelophis copei is threatened by habitat loss due to agriculture and human settlement. Mexico has placed national laws protecting the species, and the species is being researched for more ways to protect it. It is protected in the Sierra Los Huicholes reserve.