Aparallactus

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Aparallactus
Aparallactus modestus.jpg
Aparallactus modestus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Atractaspididae
Subfamily: Aparallactinae
Genus: Aparallactus
A. Smith, 1849
Common name: centipede eaters.

Aparallactus is a genus of rear-fanged mildly venomous snakes in the family Atractaspididae. The genus is endemic to Africa. 11 species are recognized as being valid. [1]

Contents

Description

Species in the genus Aparallactus have a short maxilla, with 6-9 small teeth followed by a large grooved fang situated below the eye. The anterior mandibular teeth are the longest. The head is small, not distinct from the neck. The eye is small, with a round pupil. The nasal is entire or divided. There is no loreal scale. The body is cylindrical. The tail is moderate or short. The dorsal scales are smooth, without pits, and are arranged in 15 rows. The ventrals are rounded. The subcaudals are single (not divided nor paired). [2]

Species

Genus Aparallactus -- 11 species
Species [1] Taxon author [1] Subspecies* [1] Common name [3] Geographic range [3]
A. capensis T A. Smith, 1849bocagei
luebberti
punctatolineatus
Cape centipede-eater Republic of South Africa, Eswatini, 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, Eswatini, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana to Eritrea, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Somalia, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Botswana, Tanzania.
A. modestus (Günther, 1859)ubangensiswestern 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-eaterSouth Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A. niger Boulenger, 1897———— Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast.
A. nigriceps (W. Peters, 1854)————Mozambique centipede-eaterSouth eastern Mozambique around Inhambane.
A. turneri Loveridge, 1935————Malindi centipede-eaterCoastal Kenya.
A. werneri Boulenger, 1895————Usambara centipede-eaterEastern Tanzania, Usambara and Uluguru Mountains.

*) Not including the nominate subspecies.T) Type species.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Aparallactus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 5 September 2007.
  2. Boulenger GA (1896). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ) .... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I–XXV. (Genus Aparallactus, pp. 255–256).
  3. 1 2 Aparallactus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 7 May 2009.

Further reading