NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Hidden Snail-eating Snake
Dipsas aparatiritos Ray, Sánchez-Martínez, Batista, Mulcahy, Sheehy Iii, Smith, Pyron & Arteaga, 2023
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Dipsas aparatiritos, also known as the hidden snail-eating snake, is a non-venomous snake found in Panama. Formally described in 2023, its name is derived from a Greek word meaning 'unnoticed', referring to the species occurring at a well-studied herpetological study site for over 40 years before being discovered.
It is found on both the Atlantic and Pacific slopes of the Cordillera Central in western Panama, with an additional population in Chagres National Park. It inhabits inhabit mid-elevation, premontane cloud-forest and has been recorded at elevations of 597–1002 m. It feeds on snails and oligochaetes. The authors of the study describing the species recommended that the species be considered near-threatened due to its rather limited range that suffers from high levels of deforestation.
Wikipedia contributors, Dipsas aparatiritos; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T11:21:54.838070+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Dipsas aparatiritos Ray, Sánchez-Martínez, Batista, Mulcahy, Sheehy Iii, Smith, Pyron & Arteaga, 2023
- Name authority
- Ray, Sánchez-Martínez, Batista, Mulcahy, Sheehy Iii, Smith, Pyron & Arteaga, 2023
- Common name
- Hidden Snail-eating Snake
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Colubridae
- Genus
- Dipsas
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderSerpentes Linnaeus, 1758
- infraorderAlethinophidia Nopcsa, 1923
- familyColubridae
- subfamilyDipsadinae
- genusDipsas
- speciesDipsas aparatiritos Ray, Sánchez-Martínez, Batista, Mulcahy, Sheehy Iii, Smith, Pyron & Arteaga, 2023
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Dipsas. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| American Snail-eaterDipsas articulata (Cope, 1868) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Neotropical Snail-eaterDipsas bucephala (Shaw, 1802) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Catesby's Snail-eaterDipsas catesbyi (Sentzen, 1796) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Dipsas chaparensis Reynolds & Foster, 1992 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Dipsas copei (Günther, 1872) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Dipsas ellipsifera (Boulenger, 1898) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Graceful Snail-eaterDipsas gracilis (Boulenger, 1902) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Jan's Snail-eaterDipsas incerta (Jan, 1863) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Werner's Thirst SnakeDipsas maxillaris (Werner, 1910) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Variegated Snail-eaterDipsas variegata (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Vermiculate Snail-eaterDipsas vermiculata Peters, 1960 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Tropical Snail-eaterDipsas sanctijoannis (Boulenger, 1911) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Dipsas&species=aparatiritos Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:C6W9C. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.