A consolidated phylogeny of snail-eating snakes (Serpentes, Dipsadini), with the description of five new species from Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama

A molecular phylogeny of the Neotropical snail-eating snakes (tribe Dipsadini Bonaparte, 1838) is presented that includes 60 of the 133 species currently recognized. There is morphological and phylogenetic support for four new species of Fitzinger, 1826 and one of Laurenti, 1768, which are described here based on their unique combination of molecular, meristic, and color pattern characteristics. Harvey et al., 2008 is designated as a junior synonym of and additional evidence is presented to support the transfer of the genus Wagler, 1830 to the tribe Dipsadini. Two of the subspecies of (Linnaeus, 1758) are elevated to full species status. Insight into additional undescribed cryptic diversity within the species complex is provided. Evidence that supports the existence of an undescribed species previously confused with is provided, as well as the first country record of Vera-Pérez, 2019 in Ecuador with a comment on the ontogenetic variation of the latter. Finally, photographs of Colombian, Ecuadorian, and Panamanian snail-eating snakes are provided.