| Leptophis | |
|---|---|
|   | |
| Leptophis ahaetulla | |
|  Scientific classification   | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia | 
| Phylum: | Chordata | 
| Class: | Reptilia | 
| Order: | Squamata | 
| Suborder: | Serpentes | 
| Family: | Colubridae | 
| Subfamily: | Colubrinae | 
| Genus: |  Leptophis  Bell, 1825  | 
| Species | |
  | |
Leptophis is a genus of colubrid snakes, commonly known as parrot snakes. The species within this genus are widely distributed throughout Mexico, Central and South America. [1]
The genus Leptophis belongs to the subfamily Colubrinae, of the family Colubridae. The species relationships within Leptophis can be shown in the cladogram below, with possible paraphyletic species identified: [2]
  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Snakes of the genus Leptophis are slender with a long tail. The body is cylindrical or slightly laterally compressed. The head is elongated and distinct from the neck. The eye is large with a round pupil. The dorsal scales are arranged in 15 rows at midbody. The maxillary teeth, which number 20–32, are in a continuous series without any interspace, and are longest posteriorly. Conversely, the mandibular teeth are longest anteriorly. [3]
The following species and subspecies are currently recognized as being valid:
Nota bene : A binomial authority or trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species or subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Leptophis.