Contributions to ophiology in Zootaxa 2001–2020: patterns and trends

There are currently 3,900 recognized, extant snake species belonging to 529 genera globally (Uetz et al. 2021; this study), making snakes one of the most diverse major groups squamates. Of 665 recognized that were described between 2001 and 2020 (a ~17% increase in total species), ~34% these (226 species) Zootaxa. This number does not include resurrected from synonymy. The other ~66% (439) 105 journals, bulletins or books (Fig.1a). Overall, new every year is gradually increasing, 40% since 2011 published Following Zootaxa, second ranked journal, with 37 2001, Herpetologica (Fig. 2). Anecdotally, choice Zootaxa as a publication outlet for descriptions by authors based on speed post-acceptance, free charge, relatively unconstrained papers per year, manuscript length, expert section editors reviewers, consolidated scientometric parameters.