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Amphibians, Reptiles, & Natural History

Recent Projects

A new species of Brachyorrhos from Seram, Indonesia, and notes on fangless homalopsids (Squamata, Serpentes)

Murphy, John C., and Harold K. Voris. “A new species of Brachyorrhos from Seram, Indonesia and notes on fangless homalopsids (Squamata, Serpentes).” Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology 14.2 (2020).

Unraveling unique island colonization events in Elachistocleis frogs: Phylogeography, cryptic divergence, and taxonomic implications

Jowers MJ, Othman SN, Borzée A, Rivas GA, Sánchez-Ramírez S, Auguste RJ, Downie JR, Read M, Murphy JC. Unraveling unique island colonization events in Elachistocleis frogs: phylogeography, cryptic divergence, and taxonomical implications. Organisms Diversity & Evolution. 2021 Mar;21(1):189-206.

Evidence for cryptic diversity in the Neotropical water snake Helicops angulatus (Linnaeus 1758) (Dipsadidae, Hydropsini) with comments on its ecology, facultative reproduction, and conservation

Murphy JC, Muñoz-Mérida A, Auguste RJ, Lasso-Alcala O, Rivas GA, Jowers MJ. Evidence for cryptic diversity in the Neotropical water snake, Helicops angulatus (Linnaeus, 1758)(Dipsadidae, Hydropsini), with comments on its ecology, facultative reproductive mode, and conservation. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation. 2020 Jan 1;14(3):138-55.

Systematics of the Brown Vine Snake

Jadin RC, Blair C, Jowers MJ, Carmona A, Murphy JC. Hiding in the lianas of the tree of life: molecular phylogenetics and species delimitation reveal considerable cryptic diversity of New World Vine Snakes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 2019 May 1;134:61-5.

Jadin RC, Blair C, Orlofske SA, Jowers MJ, Rivas GA, Vitt LJ, Ray JM, Smith EN, Murphy JC. Not withering on the evolutionary vine: systematic revision of the Brown Vine Snake (Reptilia: Squamata: Oxybelis) from its northern distribution. Organisms Diversity & Evolution. 2020 Dec;20(4):723-46.

Jadin RC, Jowers MJ, Orlofske SA, Duellman WE, Blair C, Murphy JC. A new vine snake (Reptilia, Colubridae, Oxybelis) from Peru and redescription of O. acuminatus.

The Three-lined Snake , Atractus trilineatus

Murphy JC, Salvi D, Braswell AL, Jowers MJ. Phylogenetic Position and Biogeography of Three-Lined Snakes (Atractus trilineatus: Squamata, Dipsadidae) in the Eastern Caribbean. Herpetologica. 2019 Sep 1;75(3):247-53.

Bachia, lizards with reduced limbs

Bachia trinitatis, formerly considered a subspecies of Bachia heteropa.

Murphy JC, Salvi D, Santos JL, Braswell AL, Charles SP, Borzée A, Jowers MJ. The reduced limbed lizards of the genus Bachia (Reptilia, Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae); biogeography, cryptic diversity, and morphological convergence in the eastern Caribbean. Organisms Diversity & Evolution. 2019:1-20.

An new Erythrolamprus from Tobago

Erythrolamprus pseudoreginae. Formerly considered an undescribed subspecies of Liophis reginae.

Murphy JC, Braswell AL, Charles SP, Auguste RJ, Rivas GA. A new species of Erythrolamprus from the oceanic island of Tobago (Squamata, Dipsadidae). ZooKeys. 2019(817):131.

Rhinella Systematics

Murphy JC, Sierra TA, Downie JR, Jowers MJ. Toads, tall mountains and taxonomy: the Rhinella granulosa group (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae) on both sides of the Andes. Salamandra. 2017 May 15;53(2):267-78.

Resurrection of an old name for a neglected species of Polychrus

Murphy JC, Lehtinen RM, Charles SP, Wasserman D, Anton T, Brennan PJ. Cryptic multicolored lizards in the Polychrus marmoratus Group (Squamata: Sauria: Polychrotidae) and the status of Leiolepis auduboni Hallowell. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation, 1(1), 1-16 (e132).

A look at the systematics of the largest Neotropical Teiids, Tupinambis

Murphy JC, Jowers MJ, Lehtinen RM, Charles SP, Colli GR, Peres Jr AK, Hendry CR, Pyron RA. Cryptic, sympatric diversity in tegu lizards of the Tupinambis teguixin group (Squamata, Sauria, Teiidae) and the description of three new species. PLoS One. 2016 Aug 3;11(8):e0158542.

Treerunners on Trinidad and the Caribbean Coast Range are different from those on the Guyana Shield

Murphy JC, Jowers MJ. Treerunners, cryptic lizards of the Plica plica group (Squamata, Sauria, Tropiduridae) of northern South America. ZooKeys. 2013 Nov 25(355):49.

A Parrot Snake endemic to Tobago

Murphy JC, Charles SP, Lehtinen RM, Koeller KL. A molecular and morphological characterization of Oliver’s parrot snake, Leptophis coeruleodorsus (Squamata: Serpentes: Colubridae) with the description of a new species from Tobago. Zootaxa. 2013 Oct 9;3718(6):561-74.

Cerberus systematics

Murphy JC, Voris HK, Karns DR. The dog-faced water snakes, a revision of the genus Cerberus Cuvier, (Squamata, Serpentes, Homalopsidae), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa. 2012 Sep 14;3484(1):1-34.

Cerberus dunsoni. Murphy JC, Voris HK, & Karns DR (2012). The dog-faced water snakes, a revision of the genus Cerberus Cuvier, (Squamata, Serpentes, Homalopsidae), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa (3484):1–34.

Enhydris subtaeniata systematics

VORIS HK, MURPHY JC, KARNS DR, KREMER E, O’CONNELL KA. Differences among populations of the Mekong mud snake (Enhydris subtaeniata: Serpentes: Homalopsidae) in Indochina. Tropical Natural History. 2012 Oct 1;12(2):175-88.

A water snake endemic to the Bangkok area

To the left: Enhydris chanardi, a species probably restricted to the vicinity of Bangkok, Thailand. Originally described in: Murphy JC, Voris HK. A new Thai Enhydris (Serpentes: Colubridae: Homalopsinae). (2005) Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 53(1):143-7.

A new species of homalopsid from Borneo

Homalophis gyii and H. doriae, both endemic to Borneo. Murphy JC, Voris HK, Auliya M. (2005) A new species of Enhydris (Serpentes: Colubridae: Homalopsinae) from the Kapuas river system, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 2005;53(2):115-9.

Short-tailed snakes of the Moluccas

Murphy JC, Lang RD, Gower DJ, Sanders KL. The Moluccan short-tailed snakes of the genus Brachyorrhos Kuhl (Squamata: Serpentes: Homalopsidae), and the status of Calamophis Meyer. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 2012 Aug 31;60(2).

Short-tailed Snakes from Western Papua’s Bird’s Head Region

Murphy JC. SYNONYMISED AND FORGOTTEN, THE BIRD’S HEAD STOUT-TAILED SNAKES, CALAMOPHIS MEYER (SQUAMATA: SERPENTES: HOMALOPSIDAE). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 2012 Aug 31;60(2).

Murphy JC, Lang RD, Gower DJ, Sanders KL. The Moluccan short-tailed snakes of the genus Brachyorrhos Kuhl (Squamata: Serpentes: Homalopsidae), and the status of Calamophis Meyer. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 2012 Aug 31;60(2).

An unusual homalopsid from Sumatra

Murphy JC, Voris HK. An unusual, fangless short-tailed snake (Squamata, Serpentes, Homalopsidae) from Sumatra, Indonesia. Asian Herpetological Research. 2013 Jun 25;4(2):140-6.

New species of Myron from Australia and the Aru Islands

The Australasian genus Myron was monotypic. We described two new species: one from the Aru islands, Myron karnsi, which is a melanistic form, and M. resatari from northwestern Australia. These dwarf homalopsids are marine and brackish water snakes. Murphy JC. 2011. The Nomenclature and Systematics of some Australasian Homalopsid Snakes (Squamata: Serpentes: Homalopsidae). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 2011. 59(2).

The Systematics of the genus Enhydris

Karns DR, Lukoschek V, Osterhage J, Murphy JC, Voris HK. Phylogeny and biogeography of the Enhydris clade (Serpentes: Homalopsidae). Zootaxa. 2010 May 12;2452(1):18-30.

A new species of homalopsid from Myanmar

Murphy JC. A review of Enhydris maculosa (Blanford, 1879) and the description of a related species (Serpentes, Homalopsidae). HAMADRYAD-MADRAS-. 2007;31(2):281.