| Poecilopholis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Atractaspididae or Colubridae |
| Genus: | Poecilopholis Boulenger, 1903 |
| Species: | P. cameronensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Poecilopholis cameronensis Boulenger, 1903 |
|
Poecilopholis is a monotypic genus created for the fangless venomous snake species, Poecilopholis cameronensis, which is endemic to Africa.
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As the specific name implies, Poecilopholis cameronensis is found in Cameroon.[1]
Maxillary with about ten small subequal teeth. Head small, not distinct from neck. Eye small, with round pupil. Nostril pierced in a single nasal. No internasals. Only one prefrontal, in contact with the rostral. No loreal, preocular in contact with the nasal. Body cylindrical; tail short. Dorsal scales smooth, without apical pits, in 15 rows. Subcaudals in two rows.[2]
Dorsally blackish olive, the lateral scales with whitish centers. Upper lip and a triangular patch from behind the upper labials to the outer border of the parietal white. Ventrally white, the ventral scales edged with dark olive.
The type specimen is 52 cm (20½ inches) in total length, with a tail 43 mm (1⅝ inch) long.
Dorsal scales smooth, without apical pits, in 15 rows. Ventrals 178; anal plate divided; subcaudals also divided.
Snout rounded. Rostral bent over the snout between the rather large nasals, forming a suture with the single prefrontal. Prefrontal twice as broad as long. Frontal slightly longer than broad, slightly longer than the prefrontal, ⅔ the length of the parietals. One preocular, and two postoculars. An elongate anterior temporal. Five upper labials, third entering the eye. Three lower labials in contact with the anterior chin shield. Two pairs of small chin shields, the anterior pair slightly shorter than the posterior pair.[3]
No subspecies are currently recognized.[4]