| Iwasaki's snail-eater | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Pareidae |
| Genus: | Pareas |
| Species: | P. iwasakii |
| Binomial name | |
| Pareas iwasakii (Maki, 1937) | |
| Synonyms | |
Iwasaki's snail-eater (Pareas iwasakii) is a species of snake in the family Pareidae. The species is endemic to the Yaeyama Islands in the southern Ryukyu Islands, Japan. [2]
The specific name, iwasakii, is in honor of Japanese meteorologist Takuji Iwasaki. [3]
The preferred natural habitats of P. iwasakii are forest, shrubland, and grassland. [1]
P. iwasakii is a snail-eating specialist; [4] even newly hatched individuals feed on snails. [5] It has asymmetric dentition on its jaws, with more teeth on the right mandible (about 25 teeth compared to 15 teeth on the left mandible) which facilitates feeding on snails with dextral (clockwise coiled) shells. [6] A consequence of this asymmetry is that P. iwasakii is much less adept at preying on sinistral (counterclockwise coiled) snails. [7] It systematically directs its attack on snails from the right in order to insert its lower jaw into the shell opening.
The selection pressure of this predator on snails of the genus Satsuma has led to a significant increase in the proportion of snails with left-facing shells, known as levogyres, compared to snails with right-facing shells, known as dextrogyres, because the two forms have difficulty mating with each other. This proportion is a local originality, the levorotatory form being very rare on a worldwide scale. [7]
Originally described as the subspecies Amblycephalus formosensis iwasakii by Moichirō Maki, [8] it was placed in the genus Pareas and elevated to the species P. iwasakii by Tetsuo Takara in 1962. [9]
Colubridae is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest fossil species of the family date back to the Late Eocene epoch, with earlier origins suspected. Colubrid snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica.
Indotyphlops braminus, commonly known as the brahminy blind snake and other names, is a non-venomous blind snake species found mostly in Africa and Asia, but has been introduced in many other parts of the world. They are completely fossorial reptiles, with habits and appearance similar to earthworms, for which they are often mistaken, although close examination reveals tiny scales and eyes rather than the annular segments characteristic of true earthworms. The species is parthenogenetic and all known specimens have been female. The specific name is a Latinized form of the word Brahmin. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Pfeffer's reed snake is a species of dwarf snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Japan.
The Sakishima green snake is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Yaeyama Islands in the southern Ryukyu Islands of Japan.
Kikuzato's brook snake, also known commonly as Kikuzato's stream snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Ryukyu Islands (Japan).
Pareas is a genus of Asian snakes in the family Pareidae. All species in the genus Pareas are harmless to humans.
Trimeresurus gracilis, commonly known as the Taiwan pit viper or Taiwan mountain pitviper, is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Taiwan. No subspecies are currently recognized. The species is known as kikushi habu in Japanese.
Lepidodactylus lugubris, known as the mourning gecko or common smooth-scaled gecko, is a species of lizard, a gecko of the family Gekkonidae.
Sinomicrurus is a genus of venomous elapid snakes, one of several genera commonly known as Asian coral snakes or oriental coral snakes. The genus includes 9 subtropical species found in Asia. Molecular and morphological analysis suggest this new genus is part of the family Elapidae.
Takuji Iwasaki was a Japanese meteorologist, biologist, ethnologist historian. He was a meteorologist at the Ishigaki Weather Station, Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture. Initially, when weather forecasting was in its infancy, he had been badly criticized by local people when his forecast of a typhoon was incorrect. Nevertheless, his work as a meteorologist was better understood by locals later in his career, which endeared him to people.
Lycodon rufozonatus is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to East Asia. It is medium-sized, nocturnal, and is considered non-venomous. Two subspecies are recognised, one of which, L. r. walli, is restricted to the Ryukyu Archipelago.
Formosa slug snake or Taiwan slug snake is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Pareatidae. It is endemic to Taiwan.
Lycodon alcalai, also known commonly as Alcala's wolf snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Philippines.
Achalinus formosanus, common name Formosan odd-scaled snake or Taiwan burrowing snake, is a non-venomous snake in family Xenodermidae that is found in Taiwan and in the southern Ryukyu Islands (Japan).
Emydocephalus ijimae, commonly known as Ijima's sea snake and turtlehead sea snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species occurs in East Asia, in the shallow coastal waters of the north-western Pacific Ocean. E. ijimae feeds exclusively on the eggs of coral reef fishes, which makes it an important predator for maintaining a healthy coral reef ecosystem.
Pareidae is a small family of snakes found largely in southeast Asia, with an isolated subfamily endemic to southwestern India. It encompasses 42 species in four genera divided into two subfamilies: Pareinae and Xylophiinae. Both families are thought to have diverged from one another during the early-mid Eocene, about 40-50 million years ago.
