Galapagos racer

Galapagos racer
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Dipsadidae
Genus: Pseudalsophis
Species: P. biserialis
Binomial name
Pseudalsophis biserialis
(Günther, 1860)

The Galápagos racer (Pseudalsophis biserialis or Philodryas biserialis) is a Colubrid snake in the genus Pseudalsophis which is endemic to the Galápagos Islands. It is a constrictor and only mildly venomous and is considered non-aggressive and harmless to humans. There are two subspecies: the Eastern and Western racer, the latter being larger, longer and darker than the Eastern variety. The Western subspecies also specializes in hunting fish, while both subspecies eat small reptiles, eggs, rodents and bird hatchlings. The Galapagos racer is endangered due to recently introduced species that feed on snake eggs, including pigs, goats, and cats.[1][2]" It is one of only three species of snakes on the Galápagos Islands, and it was first described in 1860.[3][4] In November 2016 a video clip from the BBC series Planet Earth II showing a nest of Galápagos racers hunting marine iguana hatchlings became viral.[5]

References

  1. ↑ http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Pseudalsophis&species=biserialis
  2. ↑ http://galapagosconservation.org.uk/wildlife/galapagos-racer/
  3. ↑ Günther,A. 1860. On a new snake from the Galapagos islands. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3) 6: 78-79
  4. ↑ Thomas, Robert A 1997. Galapagos terrestrial snakes: biogeography and systematics. Herpetological Natural History 5 (1): 19-40
  5. ↑ http://www.sciencealert.com/in-defence-of-racer-snakes-the-demons-of-planet-earth-ii?perpetual=yes&limitstart=1
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