A New Snake of the Genus Geophis From Chihuahua, Mexico

In the summer of 1957 a university field party trekked through the foothills near Creel, Chihuahua, searching for vertebrates among pine‑oak forests and rocky streams. After twelve days of night‑time searches, they uncovered two small, smooth‑scaled snakes that matched no known description. The find sparked a collaboration with a fellow herpetologist who had collected additional specimens nearby, leading to a careful taxonomic study.

The new snake measures about 33 cm in body length with a 9 cm tail and is adorned with alternating black and white rings that encircle its slender silhouette. Its distinctive scalation—15 rows of smooth scales, unusually high ventral and subcaudal counts, and fused supralabial scales—sets it apart from related species. Known only from three isolated sites in Chihuahua’s Pacific drainage, the discovery underscores the region’s hidden biodiversity. Listeners will hear the meticulous process of documenting, illustrating, and naming a species fresh from the field.