Round Island burrowing boa

Round Island burrowing boa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Bolyeriidae
Genus: Bolyeria
Gray, 1842
Species: B. multocarinata
Binomial name
Bolyeria multocarinata
(F. Boie, 1827)
Synonyms
  • Bolyeria - Gray, 1842
  • Uroleptes - Fitzinger, 1843
  • Platygaster - A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1844
  • Bolieria - Boulenger, 1893[1]
  • Eryx Multocarinata F. Boie, 1827
  • Tortrix Pseudo-Eryx Schlegel, 1837 (typographical error)
  • Bolyeria Pseudo-Eryx Gray, 1842
  • Platygaster multicarinatus A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1844
  • Bolyeria multicarinata Gray, 1849
  • Bolyeria multicarinata Boulenger, 1893
  • Bolyeria multocarinata Stimson, 1969[1]

The Round Island burrowing boa (Bolyeria multocarinata)[2] is an extinct species of snake in the family Bolyeriidae, in the monotypic genus Bolyeria, which was endemic to Mauritius.[3] The species was last seen on Round Island in 1975. No subspecies are currently recognized.[4]

Description

It reached about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in length, but preserved specimens have reported total lengths of 54–140 cm. Its colour was described as light brown with blackish spots dorsally and pink marbled with blackish ventrally. It had a pointed snout with a cylindrical body and head. Its general body form suggests that the Round Island burrowing boa had fossorial tendencies. This species' closest living relative is the Round Island boa (Casarea dussumieri).

Biology

The diet of the snake is unknown, but it is thought to have eaten lizards.

Geographic range

The boa had an extremely small range of only 1.5 square kilometres (0.58 sq mi). Its habitats were hardwood forests and palm savanna. In the past it was found in Mauritius on Gunner's Quoin, Flat Island, Round Island and Ile de la Passe.[1] It survived the longest on Round Island, where it was last recorded.[1][5] The type locality given is "Port Jackson" (in error).[1]

Conservation status

This species is classified as Extinct (EX) on the IUCN Red List of threatened species (v2.3, 1994).[2] It was already rare by 1949 and was last seen in 1975. Reasons for its extinction are habitat loss caused by soil erosion due to overgrazing by goats and rabbits.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 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).
  2. 1 2 Bolyeria multocarinata at IUCN Red List. Accessed 18 August 2007.
  3. ↑ "Bolyeria". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
  4. ↑ "Bolyeria multocarinata". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
  5. 1 2 Day, D. 1981. The Doomsday Book of Animals. Ebury Press, London. ISBN 0-670-27987-0

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