A cryptic palm-pitviper species (Squamata: Viperidae: Bothriechis) from the Costa Rican highlands, with notes on the variation within B. nigroviridis

A new cryptic species of palm-pitviper, Bothriechis nubestris, has been identified within the previously recognized B. nigroviridis complex in the Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves/La Amistad National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Genetic and morphological analyses revealed two deeply divergent lineages: one restricted to the northern and central Cordillera Talamanca, and another widespread across the Central, Tilarán, and Talamanca Cordilleras. These lineages exhibit distinct morphological traits, including previously unrecognized differences in scale characters. The study sheds light on the biogeographic history of Bothriechis, contributing to our understanding of speciation in Middle American cloud forests—a region renowned for its biodiversity and endemic species.

DOAN, T. M., MASON, A. J., CASTOE, T. A., SASA, M., & PARKINSON, C. L. (2016). A cryptic palm-pitviper species (Squamata: Viperidae: Bothriechis) from the Costa Rican highlands, with notes on the variation within B. nigroviridis . Zootaxa, 4138(2). https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4138.2.3