Ladder-backed Woodpecker

SCI Name:  Dryobates scalaris
Protonym:  Picus scalaris Isis 22 col.511
Taxonomy:  Piciformes / Picidae / Dryobates
Taxonomy Code:  labwoo
Type Locality:  Mexico, restricted to central Veracruz by Oberholser, antea 1911, p. 142.
Author:  Wagler
Publish Year:  1829
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

DRYOBATES
(Picidae; Ϯ Downy Woodpecker D. pubescens) Gr. δρυς drus, δρυος druos  tree; βατης batēs  walker  < βατεω bateō  to tread  < βαινω bainō  to walk; "XXIX. Fam. Picidae  ...  Dryobates: Picus pubescens Gm. u. s. w." (Boie 1826); “In the 1^st edition of the List and in the Cat. Birds B. M. the generic name Dendrocopus is used. This was first introduced by Koch [Dendrocopos 1816] ...  for the Spotted Woodpeckers. The same name, however, had previously been used by Vieillot [1816] ...  The type of Vieillot’s Dendrocopus is either “le Picucule” or “le Talapiot” of Daubenton, now known respectively as Dendrocolaptes certhia (Bodd.) and Dendroplex picus (Gmel.), both of which belong to the family Dendrocolaptidae. Dendrocopus cannot therefore be used for the Spotted Woodpeckers.” (BOU 1915); "Dryobates Boie, Isis von Oken, 1826, Bd. 2, col. 977. Type, by monotypy, Picus pubescens Linné." (Peters, 1948, VI, p. 180).
Synon. Hyloscopus.

dryobates
Gr. δρυς drus, δρυος druos  tree; βατης batēs  walker  < βατεω bateō  to tread  < βαινω bainō  to walk.

scalaris
L. scalaris  ladder  < scalae  ladder  < scandere  to climb.

SUBSPECIES

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (cactophilus)
SCI Name: Dryobates scalaris cactophilus
cactophila / cactophilus
Botanical genus Cactus Linnaeus, 1753,  cactus  < L. cactus  prickly plant  < Gr. κακτος kaktos  spiny plant, identification uncertain; φιλος philos  loving  < φιλεω phileō  to love  < φιλος philos  lover.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (eremicus)
SCI Name: Dryobates scalaris eremicus
eremicus
Gr. ερημικος erēmikos  living in a desert  < ερημια erēmia  desert.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (lucasanus)
SCI Name: Dryobates scalaris lucasanus
lucasanus
Cape San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (graysoni)
SCI Name: Dryobates scalaris graysoni
graysoni / graysonii
Col. Andrew Jackson Grayson (1819-1869) US Army, ornithologist, bird artist, collector in Mexico 1859-1869 (Amazilia, subsp. Colinus virginianus, subsp. Dryobates scalaris, Icterus, ‡subsp. Micrathene whitneyi, Mimus, subsp. Quiscalus mexicanus, Setophaga, subsp. Turdus rufopalliatus, Zenaida).

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (sinaloensis)
SCI Name: Dryobates scalaris sinaloensis
sinaloa / sinaloae / sinaloensis
Sinaloa, western Mexico.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (scalaris)
SCI Name: Dryobates scalaris scalaris
scalaris
L. scalaris  ladder  < scalae  ladder  < scandere  to climb.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (parvus)
SCI Name: Dryobates scalaris parvus
parvus
L. parvus  small, little, short.
● ex “Barbu du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 746, fig. 2, “Petit Barbu” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Little Barbet” of Latham 1782 (syn. Gymnobucco calvus).

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (leucoptilurus)
SCI Name: Dryobates scalaris leucoptilurus
leucoptilurus
Gr. λευκος leukos  white; πτιλον ptilon  feather; -ουρος -ouros  -tailed  < ουρα oura  tail.