| Brachyophis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Atractaspididae |
| Genus: | Brachyophis Mocquard, 1888 |
| Species: | B. revoili |
| Binomial name | |
| Brachyophis revoili Mocquard, 1888 |
|
Brachyophis is a monotypic genus created for the rear-fanged venomous snake species, B. revoili, found in Africa. Currently, 3 subspecies are recognized.[1]
Contents |
Maxillary very short, with two or three small teeth, followed, after an interspace, by a large grooved fang. Mandibular teeth increasing in length to the third. Head small, not distinct from neck. Snout depressed, sharp-edged. Eye minute, with round pupil. Nostril in a single nasal, which does not touch the rostral, the internasal forming a suture with the first upper labial. No loreal. No temporals. A large azygous occipital shield. Body remarkably short, cylindrical; tail extremely short. Dorsal scales smooth, without pits, in 15 rows. Ventrals obtusely angulate laterally; subcaudals single.[2]
Dorsally Brachyophis revoili is either grayish white with irregular brown crossbands, or dark brown with irregular white crossbands. The ventral scales are broadly edged with brown in front.
One of the type specimens is 25.5 cm (10 inches) in total length, with a tail only 1.5 cm (½ inch) long.
Dorsal scales arranged in 15 rows. Ventrals only 104-115; anal plate divided; subcaudals 11-13, not divided.
Portion of the rostral visible from above at least as long as its distance from the frontal. Rostral wedged in between the internasals, which are shorter than the prefrontals. Frontal hexagonal, longer than broad, longer than its distance from the end of the snout, shorter than the parietals. A large pentagonal occipital, the point of which is wedged between the parietals. A small preocular. Two small postoculars. Seven upper labials, second and third in contact with the prefrontal, third and fourth entering the eye, fifth and sixth largest and in contact with the parietal. Two pairs of large chin shields, separated from each other on the median line by two series of small scales.[3]
| Subspecies[1] | Taxon author[1] | Common name | Geographic range[4] |
|---|---|---|---|
| B. r. cornii | Scortecci, 1932 | coastal central Somalia. | |
| B. r. krameri | Lanza, 1966 | northern end of central Somalia. | |
| B. r. revoili | Mocquard, 1888 | Revoil's short snake | Somalia, Kenya. |
The specific name, revoili, is in honor of Georges Révoil, who collected the type specimen.
The subspecific name, cornii, is in honor of Guido Corni, an Italian explorer and governor of Italian Somalia.
The subspecific name, krameri, is in honor of Eugen Kramer, a Swiss herpetologist and professor.[5]