Homalopsinae

Homalopsidae
New Guinea Bockadam
Cerberus rynchops
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Diapsida
Infraclass: Lepidosauromorpha
Superorder: Lepidosauria
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Infraorder: Alethinophidia
Family: Homalopsidae
Genera

Bitia
Brachyorrhos
Calamophis
Cantoria
Cerberus
Dieurostus
Djokoiskandarus
Enhydris
Erpeton
Ferania
Fordonia
Gerarda
Gyiophis
Heurnia
Homalophis
Homalopsis
Hypsiscopus
Karnsophis
Kualatahan
Mintonophis
Miralia
Myron
Myrrophis
Phytolopsis
Pseudoferania
Raclitia
Subsessor
Sumatranus

Common name: water snakes, Indo-Australian water snakes, mudsnakes, bockadam, ular air (Indonesian).

The Homalopsidae are a family of snakes which contains about 28 genera and more than 50 species. They are typically stout-bodied water snakes, and all are mildly venomous. Two monotypic genera are notable for their unusual morphology: Erpeton possesses a pair of short, fleshy appendages protruding from the front of the snout, and Bitia has uniquely enlarged palatine teeth. Cerberus species have been noted to use sidewinding to cross slick mud flats during low tide. Fordonia and Gerarda are the only snakes known to tear their prey apart before eating it, pulling soft-shelled crabs through their coils to rip them apart prior to ingestion.[1]

References

  1. Jayne, B.C.; Voris, H.K.; Ng, P.K.L. (2002), "Herpetology: Snake circumvents constraints on prey size", Nature 418 (6894): 143, doi:10.1038/418143a, PMID 12110878

External links


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