Eryx (snake)

Eryx; Temporal range: Miocene–recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Javelin sand boa, E. jaculus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Boidae
Subfamily:	Erycinae
Genus:	Eryx ; Daudin, 1803
Synonyms
	ClothoniaDaudin, 1803; Cusoria Gray, 1849; Cursoria Günther, 1864; Pseudogongylophis; Tokar, 1989;

Last updated March 24, 2024

Eryx is a genus of nonvenomous snakes, commonly known as Old World sand boas, in the subfamily Erycinae of the family Boidae.^[2] Species of the genus are found in southeastern Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, and southwestern Asia. Thirteen species are recognized as being valid.^[2]

Description

The genus Eryx has the following characters. The head is not distinct from the neck. The dorsal surface of the head is covered with small scales. The rostral is large. The eyes range from small to very small, and the pupils are vertical. The anterior maxillary teeth and anterior mandibular teeth are longer than the posterior ones. The body is almost cylindrical. The dorsal scales are smooth or keeled. The tail is very short, either not prehensile or only slightly prehensile. The subcaudals are undivided.^[3]

Distribution and habitat

Species of snakes of the genus Eryx are found in southeastern Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, and southwestern Asia.^[1]

Species

Nota bene : In the list below, a taxon author in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Eryx.

Species^[2]	Taxon author^[2]	Subspecies*^[2]	Common name	Geographic range^[1]
Eryx borrii ^[4]	Lanza & Nistri, 2005	0	Borri's sand boa	Somalia
Eryx colubrinus	(Linnaeus, 1758)	2	Egyptian sand boa, Kenyan sand boa	Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia
Eryx conicus	(Schneider, 1801)	0	Rough-tailed sand boa, common sand boa	Pakistan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka
Eryx elegans	(Gray, 1849)	0	Central Asian sand boa	Southern Turkmenistan, northern Iran (the Kopet Dag Mountains in the northeast and the Azerbaijan region in the northwest) and Afghanistan
Eryx jaculus	(Linnaeus, 1758)	0	Javelin sand boa	Southern Italy, Eastern Europe in Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Albania and Greece (including Corfu and the Cyclades). The Caucasus. The Middle East in Syria, Israel, northeastern Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran. Africa north of the Sahara Desert from Morocco to Egypt.
Eryx jayakari	Boulenger, 1888	0	Arabian sand boa	From the east and south of the Arabian Peninsula north to Khūzestān Province in Iran
Eryx johnii	(Russell, 1801)	0	Indian sand boa	From Iran through Pakistan into northwestern and southern India
Eryx miliaris	(Pallas, 1773)	0	Dwarf sand boa	From the northern Caucasus and the north coast of the Caspian Sea east through Kazakhstan to the north coast of the Aral Sea and Lake Balkhash, though the Zaysan Valley to Sinkiang in China and southern Mongolia. Also in northern and eastern Iran, Afghanistan and western Pakistan.
Eryx muelleri	(Boulenger, 1892)	1	Müller’s sand boa	Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic
Eryx sistanensis	Eskandarzadeh, N. Rastegar-Pouyani, E. Rastegar-Pouyani, Zargan, Hajinourmohamadi, Nazarov, Sami, Rajabizadeh, Nabizadeh & Navaian, 2020	0	Sistan sand boa	Iran
Eryx somalicus	Scortecci, 1939	0	Somali sand boa	Somalia
Eryx vittatus	(Chernov, 1959)	0		Northern Iran, Tajikistan, northern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and eastern China
Eryx whitakeri	Das, 1991	0	Whitaker's sand boa	Southwestern coastal India in Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and southern Maharashtra

) Not including the nominate subspecies.

^T) Type species.^[1]

Fossil taxa

Two fossil species are known. The earliest is E. linxiaensis from the Miocene of Gansu, China, which appears to be the sister species to Eryx colubrinus , suggesting several intercontinental dispersals from Africa to Eurasia during the Miocene. E. primitivus is known from the middle Pliocene of Spain, and appears to be an early offshoot of the main Eryx lineage.^[5]^[6]

Related Research Articles

The Boidae, commonly known as boas or boids, are a family of nonvenomous snakes primarily found in the Americas, as well as Africa, Europe, Asia, and some Pacific islands. Boas include some of the world's largest snakes, with the green anaconda of South America being the heaviest and second-longest snake known; in general, adults are medium to large in size, with females usually larger than the males. Six subfamilies comprising 15 genera and 54 species are currently recognized.

Corallus, the neotropical tree boas, are a genus of boas found in Central America, South America and the West Indies. Nine extant species are recognized as of 2017.

The Bolyeriidae are a family of snakes native to Mauritius and a few islands around it, especially Round Island. They also used to be found on the island of Mauritius, but were extirpated there due to human influence and foraging pigs in particular. These snakes used to be placed in the Boidae, but are now classed as a separate family. Two monotypic genera are recognized, but only a single species is extant. Bolyeriidae appear to be most closely related to the Asian genus Xenophidion.

Children's python is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is named after John George Children. It is a nocturnal species occurring in the northern half of Australia and generally found on the ground, although it often climbs trees. Usually growing to about 1.0 m (3 ft) in length or more depending on the polymorphic variant, it is typically a reddish-brown colour, darker on the upper surface, and with many darker blotches, especially on younger specimens. The Stimson's python variant has much stronger and more variable colours; often being adorned with reddish-brown to chocolate blotches against lighter tan. It feeds mostly on small mammals and birds, and as with other pythons, it constricts its prey before swallowing it whole. It is a popular pet among reptile enthusiasts.

Eryx johnii is a species of nonvenomous snake in the subfamily Erycinae of the family Boidae. The species is endemic to Iran, Pakistan, and India. There are no subspecies which are recognized as being valid.

Eryx whitakeri, also commonly known as Whitaker's sand boa or Whitaker's boa, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the subfamily Erycinae of the family Boidae. The species is endemic to India. No subspecies are recognized.

Eryx conicus, also known as Russell's sand boa, the Common sand boa or the rough-tailed sand boa, is a species of non-venomous snake in the subfamily Erycinae of the family Boidae. The species is native to Southern Asia. No subspecies are recognised.

The Erycinae, also known as the Old World sand boas, are a subfamily of nonvenomous snakes in the family Boidae. Species of the subfamily Erycinae are found in Europe, Asia Minor, Africa, Arabia, central and southwestern Asia, India, Sri Lanka, and western North America. Four genera comprising 18 species are currently recognized as being valid.

Eryx elegans is a boa species endemic to western Central Asia. Like all other boas, it is not venomous. No subspecies are recognized.

The Round Island burrowing boa is an extinct species of snake, in the monotypic genus Bolyeria, in the family Bolyeriidae. The species, which was endemic to Mauritius, was last seen on Round Island in 1975. There are no recognized subspecies.

Corallus cookii, also known as Cook's tree boa or Cooke's tree boa, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Boidae. The species is endemic to the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean. There are no recognized subspecies.

Cyclotyphlops deharvengi, or Deharveng’s blind snake, is a species of blind snake placed in the monotypic genus Cyclotyphlops. It is found in southeastern Sulawesi, Indonesia. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Eryx colubrinus, the Egyptian or Kenyan sand boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae. The species is endemic to Northern and Eastern Africa. Three subspecies are recognized.

The olive python is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is endemic to Australia. Two subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

Tropidophis battersbyi, also known commonly as Battersby's dwarf boa and the Ecuadorian dwarf boa, is a species of snake in the family Tropidophiidae. The species is endemic to Ecuador.

<i>Chilabothrus fordii</i> Species of snake endemic to Hispaniola

Chilabothrus fordii, also known commonly as Ford's boa and the Haitian ground boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae. There are three recognized subspecies.

Cross's beaked snake is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is native to West Africa.

Eryx jaculus, known commonly as the javelin sand boa, is a species of snake in the Boidae family. It is the type species of the genus Eryx.

Eryx jayakari, known commonly as the Arabian sand boa or Jayakar's sand boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae. The species is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula and Iran where it spends the day buried in the sand.

Eryx muelleri, known commonly as Müller's sand boa or the Saharan sand boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae. The species is endemic to Africa. They are kept fairly regularly in the pet industry due to their docile nature and easy care.

References

1 2 3 4 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
1 2 3 4 5 "Eryx". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 7 July 2008.
↑ Boulenger GA (1893). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I., Containing the Families ... Boidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I-XXVIII. (Genus Eryx, p. 122-123, Figure 7).
↑ Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Eryx borrii, p. 32).
↑ Shi, Jingsong; Li, Qiang; Stidham, Thomas A.; Zhang, Chi; Jiangzuo, Qigao; Chen, Mo; Ni, Xijun (2023-05-01). "Evolutionary and biogeographic implications of an Erycine snake (Serpentes, Erycidae, Eryx) from the Upper Miocene of the Linxia Basin, Gansu Province, China". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 617: 111491. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111491. ISSN 0031-0182.
↑ Szyndlar, Zbigniew; Schleich, Hans-Hermann (1994-01-01). "Two species of the genus Eryx (Serpentes; Boidae; Erycinae) from the Spanish Neogene with comments on the past distribution of the genus in Europe". Amphibia-Reptilia. 15 (3): 233–248. doi:10.1163/156853894X00010. ISSN 1568-5381.

External links

Eryx at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 7 July 2008.

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[McD99-1] 1 2 3 4 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).

[ITIS-2] 1 2 3 4 5 "Eryx". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 7 July 2008.

[3] Boulenger GA (1893). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I., Containing the Families ... Boidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I-XXVIII. (Genus Eryx, p. 122-123, Figure 7).

[4] Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Eryx borrii, p. 32).

[5] Shi, Jingsong; Li, Qiang; Stidham, Thomas A.; Zhang, Chi; Jiangzuo, Qigao; Chen, Mo; Ni, Xijun (2023-05-01). "Evolutionary and biogeographic implications of an Erycine snake (Serpentes, Erycidae, Eryx) from the Upper Miocene of the Linxia Basin, Gansu Province, China". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 617: 111491. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111491. ISSN 0031-0182.

[6] Szyndlar, Zbigniew; Schleich, Hans-Hermann (1994-01-01). "Two species of the genus Eryx (Serpentes; Boidae; Erycinae) from the Spanish Neogene with comments on the past distribution of the genus in Europe". Amphibia-Reptilia. 15 (3): 233–248. doi:10.1163/156853894X00010. ISSN 1568-5381.

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