Abstract

SOLORZANO, Alejandro; GOMEZ, Luis D.; MONGE-NAJERA, Julián  and  CROTHER, Brian I.. Redescription and validation of Bothriechis supraciliaris (Serpentes: Viperidae). Rev. biol. trop [online]. 1998, vol.46, n.2, pp.453-462. ISSN 0034-7744.

The populations of pit vipers from South West CostaRica, have traditionally been identified as Bothriechis schlegelii(Berthold). However, in 1954 E. H. Taylor described one specimen fromthe area as a new subspecies, B. schlegelii supraciliaris. Wermanreturned supraciliaris to synonymy with schlegelii four decadeslater. However, morphometric and color pattern in a SW Costa Ricapopulation (25 specimens) differ from those of specimens (N=57) fromother parts of Costa Rica and from descriptions a South Americanspecimens. Here the epithet Bothriechis schlegelii supraciliarisTaylor 1954, is reestablished as a valid taxon and elevated tospecific rank as B. supraciliaris stat.nov. It is closely related toB. schlegelii from which it differs by its color patterns based on auniform ground color with polymorphic dorsal designs and its lowercounts of ventral and caudal scales.

Keywords : Bothriechis; Viperidae; Serpentes; pitvipers; neotropical; Costa Rica; Pleistocene refugia; taxonomy.