Epicrates Wagler, 1830

Szyndlar, Zbigniew & Georgalis, Georgios L., 2023, An illustrated atlas of the vertebral morphology of extant non-caenophidian snakes, with special emphasis on the cloacal and caudal portions of the column, Vertebrate Zoology 73, pp. 717-886 : 717

Epicrates Wagler, 1830

Material examined.

Epicrates cenchria (Linnaeus, 1758) (ISEZ R/437; ISEZ R/458 [juvenile]; ISEZ R/459; SMF PH 25; SMF PH 26).

Description (Figs 89-91).

Trunk vertebrae. Centrum much shorter than wide; cotyle and condyle orbicular; neural arch moderately vaulted; posterior median notch of the neural arch deep (but not as deep as in Corallus or Sanziniidae ); neural spine distinctly taller than long in lateral view and rather thick in dorsal view, occasionally with a distinct bifurcation in its anterior and/or posterior edges; prezygapophyseal accessory processes vestigial; hypapophyses disappearing between around the 50th and 60th vertebrae; haemal keel well developed, ridge-like; subcentral grooves deep; paracotylar foramina absent.

Trunk / caudal transition. The last trunk vertebrae possess a moderately developed hypapophysis; the cloacal vertebrae are provided with a prominent haemal keel produced caudally into a distinct spur. Paired haemapophyses first appear on the second caudal vertebra (two specimens examined) or the first caudal vertebra (one specimen examined), or the haemapophyses even appear on the last cloacal vertebra (two specimens examined).

Number of vertebrae (all for Epicrates cenchria ): SMF PH 25: 310 (254+5+51); SMF PH 26: 295 (243+4+48); ISEZ R/437: 289 (235+4+50, including a final fusion); ISEZ R/458: 285 (235+3+47, including a final fusion); ISEZ R/459: 291 (234+4+53).

Data from literature: Epicrates alvarezi Abalos, Baez & Nader, 1964: 249 trunk vertebrae plus 5 cloacal vertebrae plus 49 caudal vertebrae ( Machado-Filho 2020); Epicrates assissi Machado, 1944: 270 trunk vertebrae plus 5 cloacal vertebrae plus 54 caudal vertebrae ( Machado-Filho 2020); Epicrates cenchria : 235-283 trunk vertebrae plus 4-5 cloacal vertebrae plus 41-60 caudal vertebrae ( Machado-Filho 2020); Epicrates cenchria : 272 trunk vertebrae plus 6 cloacal vertebrae plus unknown number of caudal vertebrae ( Gasc 1974); Epicrates cenchria : 265 trunk vertebrae plus 64 cloacal and caudal vertebrae ( Polly et al. 2001); Epicrates cenchria : 261 trunk vertebrae plus unknown number of cloacal and caudal vertebrae ( Teixeira 2013); Epicrates crassus Cope, 1862: 231-236 trunk vertebrae plus 4 cloacal vertebrae plus 40-49+ caudal vertebrae ( Machado-Filho 2020); Epicrates crassus : 230 trunk vertebrae plus unknown number of cloacal and caudal vertebrae ( Teixeira 2013); Epicrates maurus Gray, 1849: 235 trunk vertebrae plus 4 cloacal vertebrae plus 52 caudal vertebrae ( Machado-Filho 2020).