IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION: Conopsis megalodon is found only in the highlands of the Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero and Oaxaca, as well as the mountains surrounding Ciudad Oaxaca and Cerro San Felipe, Oaxaca, Mexico. It’s elevational distribution is between 1730 and 3200 m.

HABITAT: This species is found in and [...]]]> SAN FELIPE GROUND SNAKE
Conopsis megalodon – Taylor & Smith 1942

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION:
Conopsis megalodon is found only in the highlands of the Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero and Oaxaca, as well as the mountains surrounding Ciudad Oaxaca and Cerro San Felipe, Oaxaca, Mexico. It’s elevational distribution is between 1730 and 3200 m.

HABITAT:
This species is found in and at the edges of clearings, meadows, and grazed hillsides within pine, oak, pine-oak and deciduous forests. It is most commonly encountered beneath rocks, logs, and trash.

NATURAL HISTORY:
Like other members of the Genus Conopsis, this fossorial snake is probably a common inhabitant throughout it’s geographic range. It is probably diurnal, and seasonally nocturnal but is rarely found abroad during daylight hours. Prey items are likely invertebrates and lizards (particularly the Genus Eumeces). Small frogs (such as Eleutherodactylus) and young rodents may also be consumed. C. amphisticha appears to be most active during the summer rainy season (June-September).This species is Ovoviviparous, and probably gives birth to a small litter during the summer rainy season (July/August).

TAXONOMY:
Goyenechea & Flores-Villela (2006) synonomized the Genus Toluca with Conopsis. Synonomies include Toluca conica.

TYPE:
Described as Toluca megalodon by Taylor & Smith (1942). Holotype: EHT-HMS 23640. Type-locality: Cerro San Felipe, Oaxaca, Mexico.

PERSONAL NOTES:

CONSERVATION STATUS:
This species is probably in no danger of local or wide-spread population decline; it is adaptable and may be found thriving in human-altered habitats.

REFERENCES:
Goyenechea, I., and Flores-Villela, O. (2006) Taxonomic summary of Conopsis, Gunther, 1858 (Serpentes: Colubridae). Zootaxa 1271:1-27.
Taylor, E. H., and Smith, H. M. (1942) The snake genera Conopsis and Toluca. Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 28(15):325-363.

LINED TOLUCAN GROUND SNAKE Conopsis lineata – Kennicott 1859

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION: Conopsis lineata is a wide-ranging species; it is found from Durango and San Luis Potosí south through the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental (respectively) to the Mexican Plateau and Cordillera Volcanica and as far south as the highlands of northwestern [...]]]>
Adult, El Chico Parque Nacional, Hidalgo, Mexico

LINED TOLUCAN GROUND SNAKE
Conopsis lineata – Kennicott 1859

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION:
Conopsis lineata is a wide-ranging species; it is found from Durango and San Luis Potosí south through the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental (respectively) to the Mexican Plateau and Cordillera Volcanica and as far south as the highlands of northwestern Oaxaca. Elevational distribution is from 1750-3100 m.

HABITAT:
Conopsis lineata is found in a wide-variety of habitats, from xeric desert mountains to pine, oak, pine-oak, fir, and montane cloud forests. It is most often encountered beneath rocks, logs and discarded trash but may also be found crossing roads.

Habitat, Hidalgo, Mexico

Rock Quarry Habitat, Hidalgo, Mexico

Rocky Roadside Habitat, Hidalgo, Mexico

NATURAL HISTORY:
Like other members of the Genus Conopsis, this fossorial snake is abundant throughout it’s geographic range. It is diurnal, and seasonally nocturnal but is rarely found abroad during daylight hours. Prey items are likely invertebrates and lizards (particularly the Genus Eumeces). Small frogs (such as Hyla) and young rodents may also be consumed. C. lineata appears to be most active during the summer rainy season (June-September).This species is Ovoviviparous, and probably gives birth to a small litter during the summer rainy season (July/August).

TAXONOMY:
Goyenechea & Flores-Villela (2006) synonomized the Genus Toluca with Conopsis. Conopsis lineata includes the defunct subspecies varians as a junior synonym.

TYPE:
Described as Toluca lineata by Kennicott (1859). Holotype: USNM 2103. Type-locality: Valley of Mexico.

PERSONAL NOTES:
My first experience with this snake was within the boundaries of Parque Nacional El Chico, in eastern Hidalgo. On the night we arrived at El Chico a cold hard rain began to fall and during the course of road cruising we happened upon two DOR Conopsis within feet of one-another. Figuring this meant a healthy population of snakes occured there, we returned the following morning to flip roadside rock and asphalt. We were rewarded with two adult and two neonate Conopsis lineata. Even during June, the nighttime lows hovered just above freezing. The snakes were found only on the south-facing roadbanks.
In 2006, my friend Jesse and I found a single juvenile Conopsis lineata in a clearing within pine forest in the vicinity of Pinal de Amoles, Queretaro.

CONSERVATION STATUS:
Conopsis lineata is an abundant, wide-ranging and adaptable snake and is in no need of protection.

REFERENCES:
Goyenechea, I., and Flores-Villela, O. (2006) Taxonomic summary of Conopsis, Gunther, 1858 (Serpentes: Colubridae). Zootaxa 1271:1-27.
Taylor, E. H., and Smith, H. M. (1942) The snake genera Conopsis and Toluca. Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 28(15):325-363.

SPOTTED GROUND SNAKE Conopsis acuta – Cope 1886

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION: Conopsis acuta is distributed in the highlands of northern Oaxaca, southern Puebla and adjacent Veracruz (in the vicinity of los Cumbres de Acultzingo), Mexico at elevations of 1800-2600 m.

HABITAT: Conopsis acuta is found in a wide variety of habitats, including xeric desert mountains, [...]]]>
Adult, 5,800′, Puebla, Mexico

Adult, 7,000′, Puebla, Mexico

SPOTTED GROUND SNAKE
Conopsis acuta – Cope 1886

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION:
Conopsis acuta is distributed in the highlands of northern Oaxaca, southern Puebla and adjacent Veracruz (in the vicinity of los Cumbres de Acultzingo), Mexico at elevations of 1800-2600 m.

HABITAT:
Conopsis acuta is found in a wide variety of habitats, including xeric desert mountains, pine, pine-oak and wet fir forests.

Habitat, 5,800′, Puebla, Mexico

Arid Mountain Habitat, 7,000′, Puebla, Mexico

Microhabitat, 7,000′, Puebla, Mexico

NATURAL HISTORY:
This fossorial snake seems to be abundant throughout it’s range. It is diurnal, and seasonally nocturnal but is rarely found abroad during daylight hours. Prey items are primarily invertebrates and lizards (particularly the Genus Eumeces). Small frogs (such as Eleutherodactylus) and young rodents are probably also occasionally consumed. C. acuta appears to be most active during the summer rainy season (June-September).This species is Ovoviviparous, giving birth to a small litter during the summer rainy season, normally in July/August.

TAXONOMY:
Until recently, Conopsis acuta was known as Toluca lineata acuta. Goyenechea & Flores-Villela (2006) synonomized Toluca with Conopsis and elevated acuta to specific level, including the old subspecies Toluca lineata wetmorei as a junior synonym.

TYPE:
Described as Ogmius acutus by Cope (1886). Holotype: USNM 30552. Type-locality: “…Tuchitan, on the Pacific side of the isthmus of Tehuantepec.” Restricted to “Juchitán, Oaxaca, Mexico” by Smith & Taylor (1950). Furthermore, Goyenechea & Flores-Villela propose to restrict the type-locality for this species to “2 millas E Ixtlán de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico (AMNH 91054).”

PERSONAL NOTES:
I have found this species on several occasions. The first was discovered in July, 2005 beneath a large limestone rock on a north-facing hillside at an elevation of around 5,800′ in the arid highlands of southwestern Puebla; the soil beneath all of the rocks was very moist, indicative of the daily afternoon thunderstorms recieved that time of year. I also found this species in Puebla, near the Veracruz border while searching for Xenosaurus (knob-scaled lizards) on an arid hillside (pictured above). All three Conopsis encountered at this locality were found along or just above an unused dirt canal at the base of the hillside, where the soil seemed to be retaining the most moisture from local thundershower activity. It is interesting to note that while the animal pictured above is typical of the old subspecies varians, two other Conopsis found in microsympatry displayed pattern characters more consistant with C. lineata. A photo of one of these individuals will be up shortly.

CONSERVATION STATUS:

REFERENCES:
Cope, E. T. (1886) In: Ferrari Perez, F. Catalogue of animals collected by the geographical and exploring commission of the Republic of Mexico. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 9:125-199.
Goyenechea, I., and Flores-Villela, O. (2006) Taxonomic summary of Conopsis, Gunther, 1858 (Serpentes: Colubridae). Zootaxa 1271:1-27.
Taylor, E. H., and Smith, H. M. (1942) The snake genera Conopsis and Toluca. Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 28(15):325-363.

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION: Conopsis biserialis is distributed along the southern edge of the Mexican Plateau and Cordillera Volcanica from Jalisco, eastward through the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Estado de Mexico, Morelos, Distrito Federal, Hidalgo and Puebla (possible Tlaxcala as well). This snake occurs as far north as southwestern Queretaro [...]]]> TWO-LINED MEXICO EARTH SNAKE
Conopsis biserialis – Taylor & Smith 1942

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION:
Conopsis biserialis is distributed along the southern edge of the Mexican Plateau and Cordillera Volcanica from Jalisco, eastward through the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Estado de Mexico, Morelos, Distrito Federal, Hidalgo and Puebla (possible Tlaxcala as well). This snake occurs as far north as southwestern Queretaro but has yet to be officially recorded there. Elevational distribution from 1700-3080 m.

HABITAT:
This species is found in rocky plateau, pine forest, oak forest and even montane cloud forest from 1700-3080 m elevation. It is most common in clearings, open areas, and meadows. Most often this snake is discovered beneath surface objects such as rocks, logs and trash.

Plateau Habitat, 3,500′, Michoacan, Mexico

NATURAL HISTORY:
This fossorial snake seems to be abundant throughout it’s range. It is primarily diurnal, but is rarely found abroad during daylight hours; during the summer it may also be active on warmer evenings. Prey items are primarily invertebrates and lizards (particularly the Genus Eumeces). Small frogs (such as Hyla) and young rodents are probably also consumed. This species is Ovoviviparous, giving birth to a small litter during the summer rainy season, normally in July/August. Conopsis is preyed upon by Diadophis regalis.

TAXONOMY:
Goyenechea & Flores-Villela (2006) synonomized the Genus Toluca with Conopsis.

TYPE:
Described as Conopsis biserialis by Taylor & Smith (1942). Holotype: FMNH 100062. Type-locality: 10 miles W Villa Victoria, Estado de Mexico, Mexico.

PERSONAL NOTES:
I have seen this species in northwestern Michoacán on several occasions. The first was a DOR individual found on a cold night in August; one Crotalus polystictus was also seen on this night. In July, 2005 I found several of these snakes beneath rocks in a grazed field on a warm day. Other common snakes found in this habitat were: Diadophis dugesi, Lampropeltis ruthveni, Crotalus aquilus, Crotalus polystictus, Crotalus basiliscus, Salvadora bairdi and Thamnophis eques eques. Unfortunately at the time I was under the impression these snakes represented Conopsis nasus, and I failed to take any photographs.

CONSERVATION STATUS:
This species appears not to be in any small or large-scale decline despite the fact that a large portion of it’s habitat has been altered by human activity. It is abundant and adaptable.

REFERENCES:
Goyenechea, I., and Flores-Villela, O. (2006) Taxonomic summary of Conopsis, Gunther, 1858 (Serpentes: Colubridae). Zootaxa 1271:1-27.
Taylor, E. H., and Smith, H. M. (1942) The snake genera Conopsis and Toluca. Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 28(15):325-363.

PLATEAU EARTH SNAKE Conopsis nasus – Gunther 1858

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION: This wide-ranging species is found throughout north-central Mexico. It occurs throughout the highlands of the Sierra Madre Occidental from eastern Sonora and southern Chihuahua south through Durango and Zacatecas to Jalisco (and probably Nayarit on the Mesa del Nayar); in the [...]]]>
Adult, 6,500′, Chihuahua, Mexico

Adult, Southwestern Mexico

Venter of Above-Pictured Animal

PLATEAU EARTH SNAKE
Conopsis nasus – Gunther 1858

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION:
This wide-ranging species is found throughout north-central Mexico. It occurs throughout the highlands of the Sierra Madre Occidental from eastern Sonora and southern Chihuahua south through Durango and Zacatecas to Jalisco (and probably Nayarit on the Mesa del Nayar); in the Sierra Madre Oriental it occurs from central San Luis Potosí south through Queretaro and Hidalgo then west into the Mexican Plateau where it reaches as far south as Morelos and Distrito Federal and as far west as Michoacán and Colima.

HABITAT:
Conopsis nasus is found throughout a wide-range of mid-high elevation habitats including rocky plateau, pine, oak, pine-oak and fir forests. Habitat in Chihuahua and Sonora is high-elevation Pine and Pine-Oak Forest. Conopsis nasus appears to be found most commonly in meadows and open areas along streams with abundant rock cover.

Habitat, 6,500′, Chihuahua, Mexico

Montane Habitat, Southern Mexico

NATURAL HISTORY:
This fossorial snake seems to be abundant throughout it’s range. It is diurnal, and seasonally nocturnal but is rarely found abroad during daylight hours. Prey items are primarily invertebrates and lizards (particularly the Genus Eumeces). Small frogs (such as Hyla) and young rodents are probably also occasionally consumed. Conopsis nasus appears most abundant during the summer rainy season (June-September). This species is Ovoviviparous, giving birth to a small litter during the summer rainy season, normally in July/August. Conopsis is preyed upon by Diadophis regalis.

TAXONOMY:
Conopsis nasus labialis Tanner is now considered a junior synonym of Conopsis nasus. Conopsis is closely allied to Gyalopion, Ficimia and Chionactis.

TYPE:
Described as Conopsis nasus by Gunther (1858). Neotype: BMNH 83.4.16.38 Type-locality: Milpas, Durango, Mexico.

PERSONAL NOTES:
The Chihuahuan snake depicted above was discovered in April beneath a small, flat rock in an open area of a Pine-Oak forest at around 6500′ elevation. She was gravid, and was using a flat rock to thermoregulate against (her posterior half was placed up against the rock surface to warm her developing eggs, while the rest of her body lay within an earthen cavity).
In El Salto, Durango I found three neonate C. nasus beneath adjacent scattered rocks along a stream in August; they were no more than a few days old and beginning their first skin-shed cycle. Thamnophis eques virgatenuis and Thamnophis nigronuchalis were abundant here as well.

CONSERVATION STATUS:
Abundant and adaptable, Conopsis nasus is in no danger of wide-scale decline.

REFERENCES:
Goyenechea, I., and Flores-Villela, O. (2006) Taxonomic summary of Conopsis, Gunther, 1858 (Serpentes: Colubridae). Zootaxa 1271:1-27.
Gunther, A. (1858) Catalogue of colubrine snakes in the collection of the British Museum. Alden & Mowbray Ltd. Alden Press, Oxford, 281 p.
Taylor, E. H., and Smith, H. M. (1942) The snake genera Conopsis and Toluca. Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 28(15):325-363.

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION: Conopsis amphisticha is known only from the Sierra Mixe, Oaxaca, Mexico. It’s known elevational distribution is from 1700-3080 m.

HABITAT: This species is found in pine, oak and cloud forest in the Sierra Mixe. It is probably most common in or along the edges of clearings and [...]]]> SIERRA MIXE GROUND SNAKE
Conopsis amphisticha – Smith & Laufe 1945

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION:
Conopsis amphisticha is known only from the Sierra Mixe, Oaxaca, Mexico. It’s known elevational distribution is from 1700-3080 m.

HABITAT:
This species is found in pine, oak and cloud forest in the Sierra Mixe. It is probably most common in or along the edges of clearings and meadows. Like other Conopsis it is most often encountered beneath surface objects such as rocks, logs and trash.

NATURAL HISTORY:
Like other members of the Genus Conopsis, this fossorial snake is probably a common inhabitant throughout it’s geographic range. It is probably diurnal, and seasonally nocturnal but is rarely found abroad during daylight hours. Prey items are likely invertebrates and lizards (particularly the Genus Eumeces). Small frogs (such as Eleutherodactylus) and young rodents may also be consumed. C. amphisticha appears to be most active during the summer rainy season (June-September).This species is Ovoviviparous, and probably gives birth to a small litter during the summer rainy season (July/August).

TAXONOMY:
Goyenechea & Flores-Villela (2006) synonomized the Genus Toluca with Conopsis.

TYPE:
Described as Toluca amphisticha by Smith & Laufe (1945). Holotype: USNM 120950. Type-locality: Xuimygopk, between Ayutla and Cacalotepec, Oaxaca, Mexico.

PERSONAL NOTES:
I have no experience with this species.

CONSERVATION STATUS:
While the geographical distribution of this species may be limited, it is probably extremely common within it’s range and able to persist in human-modified environs. It is unlikely this species is declining, or will do so in the near future.

REFERENCES:
Goyenechea, I., and Flores-Villela, O. (2006) Taxonomic summary of Conopsis, Gunther, 1858 (Serpentes: Colubridae). Zootaxa 1271:1-27.
Smith, H. M., and Laufe, L. E. (1945) Notes on a herpetological collection from Oaxaca. Herpetologica (3):19.