Calamaria lovii

Calamaria lovii
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Calamaria
Species:	C. lovii
Binomial name
Calamaria lovii Boulenger, 1887

Calamaria lovii, also known commonly as Lovi's reed snake, Low's reed snake, and Lowi's reed snake, is a species of snake in the subfamily Calamariinae of the family, Colubridae. The species is native to Southeast Asia. There are four recognized subspecies.

Description

A small species, Calamaria lovii may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about 30 cm (12 in), plus a tail length of about 2 cm (0.79 in). ^[2] Dorsally, it is dark brown; ventrally, it is yellow. ^[3]

Geographic range

Calamaria lovii is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. ^[3]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of Calamaria lovii is forest, at altitudes from sea level to 750 m (2,460 ft). ^[1]

Behavior

Calamaria lovii is terrestrial and fossorial. ^[1]

Reproduction

Calamaria lovii is oviparous. ^{[1] [3]}

Subspecies

Four subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies. ^[3]

• Calamaria lovii gimletti Boulenger, 1905
• Calamaria lovii ingermarxorum Darevsky & Orlov, 1992
• Calamaria lovii loviiBoulenger, 1887
• Calamaria lovii wermuthi Inger & Marx, 1965

Etymology

The specific name, lovii, is in honor of British colonial administrator Hugh Brooke Low, who was an amateur naturalist. ^{[4] : 161}

References

1. Grismer, L. (2012). "Calamaria lovii ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T192202A2054902. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T192202A2054902.en .
2. Darevsky, I.S.; Orlov, N.L. (1992). "A New Subspecies of the Dwarf Snake Calamaria lowi ingermarxi ssp. nov. (Serpentes, Colubridae) from Southern Vietnam". Asiatic Herpetological Research. 4: 13–17. doi: 10.5962/bhl.part.6176 .
3. Species Calamaria lovii at The Reptile Database
4. Beolens, B.; Watkins, M.; Grayson, M. (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. xiii + 296. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5.

Further reading

• Boulenger, G.A. (1887). "Description of a new Snake, of the Genus Calamaria, from Borneo". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. Fifth Series. 19 (111): 169–170. doi:10.1080/00222938709460222. (Calamaria lovii, new species).
• Boulenger, G.A. (1905). "Descriptions of new Snakes in the Collection of the British Museum". Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. Seventh Series. 15: 453–456. doi:10.1080/03745480509442832. (Calamaria gimlettii, new species, p. 456).
• Das, I. (2006). A Photographic Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Borneo. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. ISBN   0-88359-061-1. 144 pp. (Calamaria lovii, p. 9).
• Inger, R.F.; Marx, H. (1965). "The Systematics and Evolution of the Oriental Colubrid Snakes of the Genus Calamaria". Fieldiana: Zoology. 49: 1–304. (Calamaria lovii wermuthi, new subspecies, pp. 225–226).
• Michels, J.P.; Bauer, A.M. (2004). "Some corrections to the scientific names of amphibians and reptiles". Bonner Zoologische Beiträge. 52: 83–94. (Calamaria lovii ingermarxorum, corrected name).