Geophis godmani, also known commonly as Godman's earth snake, the yellow-bellied earth snake, and la culebra minadora de Godman in American Spanish, is a species of snake in the Family Colubridae. The species is native to Central America.

Geophis godmani
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Geophis
Species:
G. godmani
Binomial name
Geophis godmani
Boulenger, 1894
Synonyms[2]

Etymology

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The specific name, godmani, is in honor of British naturalist Frederick DuCane Godman.[3]

Geographic range

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G. godmani is found in Costa Rica and Panama.[1][2]

Habitat

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The preferred natural habitat of G. godmani is forest, at altitudes of 1,100–2,100 m (3,600–6,900 ft), but is also found in forest clearings used as pasture.[1]

Description

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G. godmani is brownish black dorsally, and yellow ventrally. It may attain a total length of 40 cm (16 in), which includes a tail 5.5 cm (2.2 in) long. Its dorsal scales are completely smooth, and they are arranged in 15 rows at midbody.[4]

Behavior

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G. godmani is terrestrial and secretive, hiding under rocks and logs.[1]

Reproduction

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G. godmani is oviparous.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Acosta Chaves, V.; Batista, A.; García Rodríguez, A.; Saborío, G.; Vargas Álvarez, J. (2013). Geophis godmani. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013. Accessed on 10 August 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Species Geophis godmani at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Geophis godmani, p. 102).
  4. ^ Boulenger GA (1894).

Further reading

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  • Amaral A (1929). "Estudos sobre ophídios neotropicos, XVIII – Lista remissiva dos ophídios da região neotropica". Memórias do Istituto Butantan (São Paulo) 4: 126–271. (Catastoma godmani, new combination, p. 192). (in Portuguese).
  • Boulenger GA (1894). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xi + 382 pp. + Plates I–XX. (Geophis godmani, new species, p. 322 + Plate XVI, figure 4, three views of head).
  • Santamaría Martínez, Jerson Arturo; Mora, José Manuel; Alpízar Rodríguez, Jorge; Rodríguez Rojas, Emmanuel; Ramírez Alvarado, Jasdiel; Torres Medina, Ruth (2021). "Albinism in a Yellow-bellied Earth Snake (Geophis godmani Boulenger, 1894) (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from Central Costa Rica". Caribbean Journal of Science 51 (1): 14–19.
  • Savage JM (2002). The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between Two Continents, between Two Seas. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. xx + 945 pp. ISBN 0-226-73537-0.