FIFTH RECORD FOR THE ENDEMIC SNAKE OF GUATEMALA: REDISCOVERY OF Tantilla bairdi (SQUAMATA: COLUBRIDAE)

Tantilla bairdi is a snake species from the Colubridae family found exclusively in Guatemala. To date only four records of the species had been documented, creating a significant knowledge gap about it. In the present paper, we present the fifth record of T. bairdi and develop a potential distribution model to predict suitable habitats for the species. Although the models tend to overestimate, they identify cloud forests as the ideal habitat for the species. The distribution of this snake is primarily influenced by variables such as elevation, temperature annual range, annual precipitation, precipitation of the wettest month, and precipitation of the driest quarter. Based on these findings, we recommend conducting targeted searches for the species in the area between Sierra de las Minas Biosphere and Sierra de los Cuchumatanes to expand our understanding of its ecology and distribution.