Aparallactus
| Aparallactus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Atractaspididae |
| Genus: | Aparallactus A. Smith, 1849 |
- Common name: centipede eaters.
Aparallactus is a genus of rear-fanged venomous snakes found in Africa. Currently, 11 species are recognized.[1]
Description
Maxillary short, with 6-9 small teeth followed by a large grooved fang situated below the eye. Anterior mandibular teeth longest. Head small, not distinct from neck. Eye small, with round pupil. Nasal entire or divided; no loreal. Body cylindrical; tail moderate or short. Dorsal scales smooth, without pits, arranged in 15 rows. Ventrals rounded; subcaudals single (not divided or paired).[2]
Species
| Genus Aparallactus -- 11 species | ||||
| Species[1] | Taxon author[1] | Subspecies*[1] | Common name[3] | Geographic range[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. capensisT | A. Smith, 1849 | bocagei luebberti punctatolineatus |
Cape centipede-eater | Republic of South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of the Congo. |
| A. guentheri | Boulenger, 1895 | ———— | black centipede-eater | Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Angola, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zanzibar. |
| A. jacksonii | (Günther, 1888) | ———— | Jackson’s centipede-eater | Ethiopia, north Tanzania, south Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda. |
| A. lineatus | (W. Peters, 1870) | ———— | lined centipede-eater | Guinea, Liberia, Ghana, Cameroon. |
| A. lunulatus | (W. Peters, 1854) | nigrocollaris scortecci |
reticulated centipede-eater | Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Republic of South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana to Eritrea, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Somalia, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Botswana, Tanzania. |
| A. modestus | (Günther, 1859) | ubangensis | western forest centipede-eater | Central African Republic, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Gabon. |
| A. moeruensis | de Witte & Laurent, 1943 | ———— | Zaire centipede-eater | South Democratic Republic of the Congo. |
| A. niger | Boulenger, 1897 | ———— | Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast. | |
| A. nigriceps | (W. Peters, 1854) | ———— | Mozambique centipede-eater | South eastern Mozambique around Inhambane. |
| A. turneri | Loveridge, 1935 | ———— | Malindi centipede-eater | Coastal Kenya. |
| A. werneri | Boulenger, 1895 | ———— | Usambara centipede-eater | Eastern Tanzania, Usambara and Uluguru Mountains. |
*) Not including the nominate subspecies. T) Type species.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Aparallactus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 5 September 2007.
- ↑ Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume III. London. pp. 255-256.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Aparallactus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 7 May 2009.