Taxonomic status of Chironius multiventris and Chironius cochranae (Serpentes)

Abstract

Recently four subspecies of Chironius multiventris were recognized as valid distinct species: C. m. foveatus, C. m. multiventris, C. m. cochranae, and C. m. septentrionalis. Although C. foveatus and C. septentrionalis clearly deserve specific status, a re-evaluation of the characters pointed in the literature as diagnostic of C. multiventris and C. cochranae does not support their recognition as valid distinct taxa. Additionally, our analysis of the scutellation pattern, continuous characters, and hemipenial morphology of 34 specimens, and of the available data in literature, shows that there are no significant differences between them. We therefore suggest that C. cochranae should be synonymized with C. multiventris.