Amblyodipsas

Amblyodipsas
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Atractaspididae
Genus: Amblyodipsas
Peters, 1857
Common names: Purple-glossed Snakes.

Amblyodipsas is a genus of snakes found in Africa. Currently, 9 species are recognized.[1] These snakes are often known as glossy snakes. Although rear-fanged, all species are considered harmless, but their venom has not been well studied. They should not be confused with the glossy snakes of the genus Arizona, which are found in North America.[2]

Description

Maxillary very short, with five teeth gradually increasing in size and followed, after an interspace, by a large grooved fang situated below the eye. Mandibular teeth decreasing in size posteriorly. Head small, not distinct from neck; eye minute, with round pupil; nostril in a single very small nasal; no internasals; no loreal; no preocular; no anterior temporal. Body cylindrical. Dorsal scales smooth, without pits. Tail very short, obtuse. Subcaudals in two rows.[3]

Species

Genus Amblyodipsas -- 9 species
Species[1] Taxon author[1] Subspecies*[1] Common name[4] Geographic range[4]
A. concolor (A. Smith, 1849) ———— Natal purple-glossed snake Republic of South Africa, Swaziland.
A. dimidiata (Günther, 1888) ———— Mpwapwa purple-glossed snake North Tanzania.
A. katangensis de Witte & Laurent, 1942 ionidesi Katanga purple-glossed snake Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia.
A. microphthalmaT (Bianconi, 1852) ———— eastern purple-glossed snake Mozambique, Republic of South Africa.
A. polylepis (Bocage, 1873) hildebrandtii common purple-glossed snake Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Republic of South Africa, Tanzania, coastal Kenya, Somalia.
A. rodhaini (de Witte, 1930) ———— Rodhain's purple-glossed snake Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A. teitana Loveridge, 1936 ———— Teitana purple-glossed snake Kenya
A. unicolor (J.T. Reinhardt, 1843) ———— western purple-glossed snake Central African Republic, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad.
A. ventrimaculata (Roux, 1907) ———— Kalahari purple-glossed snake Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia.

*) Not including the nominate subspecies. T) Type species.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 ."Amblyodipsas". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 5 September 2007.
  2. ↑ Smith, H.M. and E.D. Brodie, Jr. Reptiles of North America, A Guide to Field Identification. Golden Press. New York. pp. 182-183.
  3. ↑ Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume III. London. p. 244.
  4. 1 2 Amblyodipsas at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 7 May 2009.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Amblyodipsas.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, November 16, 2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.