Eryx johnii

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Indian Sand Boa

Red Sand Boa (Eryx johnii) from India.

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Boidae
Genus:	Eryx
Species:	E. johnii

Binomial name

Eryx johnii
(Russell, 1801)

Synonyms

Boa Johnii - Russell, 1801
[Boa] Anguiformis - Schneider, 1801
Clothonia anguiformis - Daudin, 1803
[Tortrix] eryx indicus - Schlegel, 1837
Clothonia Johnii - Gray, 1842
Eryx Johnii — A.M.C Duméril & Bibron, 1844
Eryx maculatus - Hallowell, 1849
Eryx johnii - Boulenger, 1890
Eryx jaculus var. johnii - Ingoldby, 1923
Eryx johnii johnii - Stull, 1935
[Eryx] johnii - Kluge, 1993^[1]

Eryx johnii, commonly called the Red Sand Boa, Brown Sand Boa or Indian Sand Boa, is a species of snake found in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and western India. Because of the resemblance of the tail to its head, and, it's habit, when alarmed, of coiling up and raising the tail as if it were the head, the Red Sand Boa is called Do-muha (meaning two-headed) in Hindi in Rajasthan, India.

Both ends of Red Sand Boa (Eryx johnii) from India to show the resemblance.

Identification Presence of a mental groove, a pronounced angular ridge on the muzzle, a blunt tail and costal scales over 53.

Food Mainly mammals such as rats, mice and other small rodents which are killed by constriction.

Breeding Ovoviviparous with up to fourteen young born at a time.

Head of E. johnii

[edit] References

^ McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).

[edit] Further reading

Hallowell, E. 1848, Description of a species of Eryx, from Madras. Proc. Acad. nat. Sci., Philadelphia, 1848: 184
Russell 1801, A continuation of an account of Indian serpents: containing descriptions and figures from specimens and drawings, transmitted from various parts of India to the hon. Court of Directors of the East Indian Company. Volume 2. London, W. Bulmer and Co., 53 pp.
Daniel, J.C. The book of reptiles and amphibians. Oxford University Press.