Phalotris

Phalotris
Phalotris matogrossensis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Subfamily:	Dipsadinae
Genus:	Phalotris Cope, 1862

Phalotris is a genus of snakes in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae. All species of the genus Phalotris are native to South America. ^[1] The specific name, mertensi, is in honor of German herpetologist Robert Mertens. ^[2] The specific name, normanscotti, is in honor of Norman Scott, Jr., in recognition of his contribution to the knowledge of the herpetofauna of Paraguay. ^[3]

Venom

The venom of the genus Phalotris was poorly characterized, due to the low amount produced by snakes of the family Colubridae. A more detailed characterization of particularly interesting proteins could only be viable by obtaining recombinant proteins. However, there is a report of an incident of snakebite by a Phalotris, which resulted in headache, local and oral mucosa hemorrhage, edema, and renal failure. Another incident report occurred with a 37-year-old biologist, whose symptoms were immediate local pain, bleeding, and edema. A few hours later, there was headache, systemic hemorrhage, fever, myalgia, and dark urine. A study of the venom of Phalotris mertensi showed a myotoxic action three times greater than Bothrops jararaca . ^{[4] [5]}

Species

The following 19 species are recognized as being valid. ^[1]

• Phalotris bilineatus (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) – Dumeril's diadem snake
• Phalotris concolor Ferrarezzi, 1993
• Phalotris cuyanus (Cei, 1984)
• Phalotris illustrator Scrocchi, Giraudo & Nenda, 2022
• Phalotris labiomaculatus de Lema, 2002
• Phalotris lativittatus Ferrarezzi, 1993
• Phalotris lemniscatus (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) – Duméril's diadem snake, Pampeana black headed snake
• Phalotris matogrossensis de Lema, D'Agostini & Cappellari, 2005 – Mato Grosso burrowing snake
• Phalotris mertensi (Hoge, 1955)
• Phalotris multipunctatus Puorto & Ferrarezzi, 1993
• Phalotris nasutus (Gomes, 1915)
• Phalotris nigrilatus Ferrarezzi, 1993
• Phalotris normanscotti Cabral & Cacciali, 2015 – Chaco burrowing snake
• Phalotris reticulatus (W. Peters, 1860)
• Phalotris sansebastiani Jansen & G. Köhler, 2008
• Phalotris shawnella P. Smith, Brouard & Cacciali, 2022 ^[6]
• Phalotris spegazzinii (Boulenger, 1913)
• Phalotris suspectus (Amaral, 1924) – Dumeril's diadem snake
• Phalotris tricolor (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) – tricolored burrowing snake

Nota bene : A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Phalotris.

References

1. Genus Phalotris at The Reptile Database.
2. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5. (Phalotris mertensi, p. 176).
3. Species Phalotris normanscotti at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
4. "O27-Envenomation by Phalotris trilineatus in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A case report". www.jvat.org.br. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
5. "Trends in the Evolution of Snake Toxins Underscored by an Integrative Omics Approach to Profile the Venom of the Colubrid Phalotris mertensi ".
6. Smith, Paul; Brouard, Jean-Paul; Cacciali, Pier (2022). "A new species of Phalotris (Serpentes, Colubridae, Elapomorphini) from Paraguay". Zoosystematics and Evolution. 98 (1): 77–85. doi: 10.3897/zse.98.61064 . Retrieved 2022-05-23.

Further reading

• Cope ED (1862). "Observations upon certain Cyprinoid fish in Pennsylvania; on Elapomorphus, Sympholis, and Coniophanes ". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia13: 522–524. (Phalotris, new genus, p. 524).
• Cacciali, Pier; Mee, George; Plettenberg Laing, Anthony; Krause, Danilo; Mclaughlin, Chloe; Montgomery, Ryan; Smith, Paul (2020). "Morphological Re-Examination of the Endemic Paraguayan Snake Phalotris nigrilatus Ferrarezzi, 1993 (Serpentes: Colubridae: Elapomorphini), with Notes on Its Ecology and Conservation Status." Current Herpetology39 (1): 28–37. www.herpco.com.