Morphological analysis of the endemic Peruvian species Bothrops pictus and its relationship with Bothrops roedingeri

Silva W.; Cabrejos J.; Vivas-Ruiz D.; Yarlequé A. · Revista de Investigaciones Veterinarias del Peru (2026) · DOI: 10.15381/rivep.v37i2.33296

Resumen

Snakes of the genus Bothrops exhibit remarkable morphological variability, making their taxonomic delimitation difficult, especially in cryptic species. Bothrops pictus and Bothrops roedingeri, considered endemic to the central and southern coast of Peru, have been the subject of taxonomic debate due to their morphological similarities and possible geographic overlap. This study evaluated the morphological variability between both species through lepidosis analysis and morphometrics in museum specimens. The results indicated that most morphological characters are conserved, with significant differences only in head length, rostrum-vent, and some supralabial scales. Discriminant analysis revealed little differentiation, and Box's M statistic suggests that both populations share structural similarities. These findings reinforce the hypothesis that B. roedingeri may represent only a population variation of B. pictus, highlighting the need for further osteological, genetic and biogeographic studies to fully clarify its taxonomic status. ©Los autores. Este artículo es publicado por la Rev Inv Vet Perú de la Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos