Abstract
The genus Erythrolamprus Boie (1826) comprises six species of Central and South American false coral snakes (Peters & Orejas-Miranda 1970; Zaher 1999; Curcio et al. 2009). It is traditionally allocated in the tribe Xenodontini (subfamily Xenodontinae), along with the genera Liophis, Lystrophis, Umbrivaga, Waglerophis and Xenodon (sensu Dixon 1980; Cadle 1984; Myers 1986; Ferrarezzi 1994; Zaher 1999). Although Xenodontini is supported by morphological and molecular evidence, phylogenetic relationships and classification within the tribe have been the subject of recent debate. Molecular phylogenetic studies have recovered clades with Erythrolamprus nested within some representatives of the genus Liophis (Vidal et al. 2000; Zaher et al. 2009), partly corroborating previous hypotheses based on morphology (e.g. Dixon 1980).
References
Boie, F. (1826) Generluebersicht der Familien und Gattungen der Ophidier. Isis von Oken, Leipzig, 19: 981–982.
Cadle, J.E. (1984) Molecular systematics of Neotropical xenodontine snakes: I. South American xenodontine snakes. Herpetologica, 40, 8–20.
Curcio, F.F., Sánchez-Pacheco, S.J., Mueses-Cisneros, J.J. & Rodrigues, M.T. (2009) Notes on distribution, variation and characterization of Erythrolamprus pseudocorallus Roze, 1959 (Serpentes: Colubridae) with the first records from Colombia. Zootaxa, Auckland, 2045, 33–42.
Dixon, J.R. (1980) The Neotropical colubrid snake genus Liophis. The generic concept. Contributions in Biology and Geology, Milwaukee Public Museum, 31, 1–40.
Dixon, J.R. (1983) The Liophis cobella group of the Neotropical colubrid snake genus Liophis. Journal of Herpetology, 17, 149–165.
Donnelly, M.A. & Myers, C.W. (1991) Herpetological results of the 1990 Venezuelan expedition to the summit of Cerro Guaiquinima, with new Tepui reptiles. American Museum Novitates, 3057, 1–54.
Fernandes, D.S., Germano, V.J., Fernandes, R. & Franco, F.L. (2002) Taxonomic status and geographic distribution of the lowland species of the Liophis cobella group with comments on the species from the Venezuelan tepuis (Serpentes, Colubridae). Boletim do Museu Nacional, Nova série Zoologia, 481, 1–14.
Fernandes, D.S., Passos, P., Franco, F.L. & Germano, V.J. (2003) Liophis atraventer Dixon & Thomas, 1985 (Serpentes: Colubridae): New localities, pholidosis variation, and notes on natural history. Herpetological Review 34, 317–320.
Ferrarezzi, H. (1994) Uma sinopse dos gêneros e classificação das serpentes (Squamata) II. Família Colubridae. In: Nascimento L.B., Bernardes A.T. & Cotta, G.A. (Eds), Herpetologia no Brasil, I. Fundação Biodiversitas e Fundação Ezequiel Dias, PUC-MG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, pp 81–91.
ICZN [International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature]. (1999) International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Fourth Edition. The International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature, Padova, xxix + 306 pp.
Myers, C.W. (1986) An enigmatic new snake from the Peruvian Andes, with notes on the Xenodontini (Colubridae: Xenodontinae). American Museum Novitates, 2853, 1–12.
Peters, J.A. & Orejas-Miranda, B. 1970. Catalogue of the Neotropical Squamata. Part I. Snakes. United States National Museum Bulletin, 297: 1–347.
Vidal, N., Kindl S.G., Wong, A. & Hedges, B. 2000. Phylogenetic relationships of xenodontine snakes inferred from 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 15, 389–402.
Wagler, J. (1830) Natürliches System der Amphibien, mit voragehender Classification der Säugthiere un Vögel. München. Cotta, J.G. Stuttgart und Tübingen. vi+354 pp., 9 pls.
Williams, K.L. & Wallach, V. (1989) Snakes of the World. Volume I. Synopsis of snake generic names. Krieger Publishing Comany, Malabar, Florida. 234 pp.
Zaher, H. (1999) Hemipenial morphology of the South American Xenodontine snakes, with a proposal for a monophyletic Xenodontinae and a reappraisal of Colubroid hemipenes. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 240, 1–168.
Zaher, H., Grazziotin, F.G., Cadle, J.E, Murphy, R.W., Moura-Leite, J.C. de & Bonatto, S.L. (2009) Molecular phylogeny of advanced snakes (Serpentes, Caenophidia) with an emphasis on South American Xenodontines: a revised classification and descriptions of new taxa. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, 49, 115–153.