Helicops angulatus

Helicops angulatus can be distinguished from all its congeners, except H. scalaris and H. apiaka by having subcaudal keels, 17–20 dorsal scale rows at mid-body (compared to 19 in H. gomesi; 21–27 in H. hagmanni; 23–25 in H. pastazae) and 103–123 ventrals (compared to 125–132 in H. gomesi; 117–138 in H. hagmanni). From H. scalaris, it differs in having no intergenials (for information on references, see Suppl. material 3; for summarised pholidosis information of the examined specimens, see Tables 1, 2). For differentiation from H. apiaka, see identification of H. apiaka.

The distribution of H. angulatus extends over nearly the complete northern part of South America. As shown in Fig. 1a, the distribution range extends from Columbia to the east coast of Brazil and from Venezuela and offshore islands to the Brazilian Province of Sao Paulo and Bolivia.