Argentinian snakes

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Distribution: Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Corrientes, Chaco, Entre Ríos and Santa Fe. Also in Uruguay and Rio
Grande do Sul, Brazil (Dixon, 1989; Achával & Olmos, 1997; Giraudo & Quaini, 1997). Pampeana, Espinal
and Chaqueña provinces.
Comments: Reported from Salta (Dixon, 1989), but in the same study, the author questioned that locality.
Similarly, this species was reported from Formosa for the first time by Yanosky (1989), then later rectified as
Liophis almadensis (Yanosky et al. 1993). Gallardo (1986) reported this species from Misiones. However, all
the specimens from the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, where Gallardo worked are Liophis
almadensis, a species that Gallardo did not included in the fauna of Misiones.
Liophis ceii Dixon 1991
Liophis ceii Dixon, 1991. Texas J. Sci. 43 (3): 230.
Type locality: Near Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
Distribution: Catamarca, Jujuy, Salta and Tucumán. Also in Santa Cruz and Tarija Departments, Bolivia.
Typical of theYungas province.
Comments: Until the time of their description, this species was considered, and referred to, by many
authors, as Liophis poecilogyrus.
Liophis dilepis (Cope, 1862)
Lygophis dilepis Cope, 1862. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 13: 81.
Aporophis dilepis Cope, 1885. Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. 22: 191.
Aporophis lineatus Boulenger, 1894. Cat. Sn. Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. 2: 158.
Lygophis lineatus Amaral, 1929. Mem. Inst. Butantan 4: 87.
Lygophis lineatus dilepis Hoge, 1953. Mem. Inst. Butantan 24(2): 251.
Liophis lineatus dilepis Dixon, 1980. Milwaukee Publ. Mus. Contr. in Bio. and Geo. 31: 7.
Liophis dilepis Michaud & Dixon, 1987. Milwaukee Publ. Mus. Contr. in Bio. and Geo. 71: 7.
Type locality: Paraguay.
Distribution: Chaco, Formosa, Corrientes and Santa Fe (Bergna & Alvarez, 1990; Bergna et al. 1992;
Yanosky et al. 1993; Giraudo, 1997; Giraudo & Quaini, 1997). The species has a disjunt distribution in
northeastern Brazil and southern Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina (Michaud & Dixon, 1987; Lema
1989). Chaqueña province (mainly Chaco Oriental district).
Comments: According to Giraudo (1997), the revision of a great number of specimens in Argentinian
Museums revealed considerable misunderstanding regarding the identification of the Argentinian species of
the L. lineatus group (L. dilepis, L. flavifrenatus and L. meridionalis). The same occurs in the literature.
Keeping in mind this problem, here we correct the distribution of these taxa in Argentina.
Liophis elegantissimus (Koslowsky, 1895)
Rhadinaea elegantissima Koslowsky, 1895. Rev. Mus. La Plata 7: 155.
Liophis anomalus (partim) Amaral 1926. Rev. Mus. Paulista 14: 17.
Rhadinaea elegantissima Cranwell, 1942. Rev. Arg. Zoogeogr. 2 (3): 143.
Liophis anomalus elegantissima Gallardo, 1977. Reptiles de los Alrededores de Buenos Aires,
EUDEBA: 182.
Liophis elegantissima Miranda, Couturier & Williams, 1982. Guía Ofid. Bonaerenses, Asoc. Coop.
J. Zool. La Plata: 32.
Liophis elegantissimus Dixon, 1985. Copeia 1985 (3): 571.
Type locality: Sierra de la Ventana, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Distribution: Endemic in Sierra de la Ventana. Pampeana province (Pampeano Austral district).
Liophis flavifrenatus (Cope 1862)
Lygophis flavifrenatus Cope, 1862. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia: 80.
Dromicus amabilis Jan & Sordelli, 1867. Icon. Gén Ophid. Tome 2, livr. 24.
Aporophis flavifrenatus Boulenger, 1894. Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. 2: 158.
Lygophis flavifrenatus Serié, 1936. Inst. Mus. Univ. La Plata Obra Cincuentenario: 42.
Liophis flavifrenatus Dixon, 1980. Milwaukee Public. Mus., Contr. Biol. & Geol. 31: 8.
Type locality: Bermejo River region.