Helminthophis frontalis

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Helminthophis frontalis
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Anomalepididae
Genus: Helminthophis
Species:H. frontalis
Binomial name
Helminthophis frontalis
(Peters, 1860)

Helminthophis frontalis is a species of snake in the family Anomalepididae. [1] It is endemic to Costa Rica and Panama. [2]

Snake wiggling animal without legs

Snakes are elongated, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes. Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more joints than their lizard ancestors, enabling them to swallow prey much larger than their heads with their highly mobile jaws. To accommodate their narrow bodies, snakes' paired organs appear one in front of the other instead of side by side, and most have only one functional lung. Some species retain a pelvic girdle with a pair of vestigial claws on either side of the cloaca. Lizards have evolved elongate bodies without limbs or with greatly reduced limbs about twenty-five times independently via convergent evolution, leading to many lineages of legless lizards. Legless lizards resemble snakes, but several common groups of legless lizards have eyelids and external ears, which snakes lack, although this rule is not universal.

The Anomalepididae are a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Central and South America. They are similar to Typhlopidae, except that some species possess a single tooth in the lower jaw. Currently, 4 genera and 15 species are recognized.

Endemism ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location or habitat

Endemism is the ecological state of a species being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation, country or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. The extreme opposite of endemism is cosmopolitan distribution. An alternative term for a species that is endemic is precinctive, which applies to species that are restricted to a defined geographical area.

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Acrochordidae family of reptiles

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Typhlopidae family of reptiles

The Typhlopidae are a family of blind snakes. They are found mostly in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, the Americas, and all mainland Australia and various islands. The rostral scale overhangs the mouth to form a shovel-like burrowing structure. They live underground in burrows, and since they have no use for vision, their eyes are mostly vestigial. They have light-detecting black eye spots, and teeth occur in the upper jaw. The tail ends with a horn-like scale. Most of these species are oviparous. Currently, 18 genera are recognized containing over 200 species.

Atractaspidinae subfamily of reptiles

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<i>Bothrops lanceolatus</i> species of reptile

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Leptotyphlopidae family of reptiles

The Leptotyphlopidae are a family of snakes found in North America, South America, Africa, & Asia. All are fossorial and adapted to burrowing, feeding on ants and termites. Two subfamilies are recognized.

<i>Anilius</i> species of reptile

The Aniliidae are a monotypic family created for the monotypic genus Anilius that contains the single species A. scytale. Common names include American pipe snake and false coral snake. It is found in South America. This snake possesses a vestigial pelvic girdle that is visible as a pair of cloacal spurs. It is ovoviviparous. It is non-venomous, and its diet consists mainly of amphibians and other reptiles. Currently, two subspecies are recognized, including the typical form described here.

Bolyeriidae family of reptiles

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.

<i>Leptotyphlops</i> genus of reptiles

Leptotyphlops is a genus of nonvenomous blind snakes, commonly known as slender blind snakes and threadsnakes, found throughout Africa. 11 species have been moved to the genus Trilepida, others moved to the genera Epacrophis, Namibiana, Myriopholis, Epictia, Siagonodon, Tricheilostoma, Tetracheilostoma, Mitophis, and Rena.

Boinae subfamily of reptiles

The Boinae are a subfamily of boas found in Central and South America as well as the West Indies. Six genera are currently recognized.

Typhlops is a genus of blind snakes in the family Typhlopidae. The genus is endemic to the West Indies. Some species which were formerly placed in the genus Typhlops have been moved to the genera Afrotyphlops, Amerotyphlops, Anilios, Antillotyphlops, Argyrophis, Cubatyphlops, Indotyphlops, Letheobia, Madatyphlops, Malayotyphlops, and Xerotyphlops.

Helminthophis is a genus of non-venomous blind snakes found in southern Central America and northwestern South America. Currently, 3 monotypic species are recognized.

<i>Chilabothrus</i> genus of reptiles

Chilabothrus is a genus of non-venomous boas found in the West Indies. 13 species are currently recognized.

Helminthophis praeocularis is a species of snake in the Anomalepididae family. It is endemic to Colombia.

Liotyphlops beui is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Anomalepididae. It is found in northeast Argentina, eastern Paraguay, and center-west, southeast, and south Brazil; the Reptile Database restricts its range to Brazil. It is locally common in Brazil. It is sometimes known as the pale-headed blindsnake.

Liotyphlops ternetzii is a species of snake in the family Anomalepididae. The species is endemic to South America.

Big-scaled blind snake species of reptile

The big-scaled blind snake is a species of snake in the family Leptotyphlopidae. It has reported from Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, the Guyanas and Brazil.

Daboia is a genus of venomous vipers.

References

  1. 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. "Helminthophis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 29 August 2007.