Pseudaspididae

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Pseudaspididae
Pseudaspis cana.JPG
Pseudaspis cana
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Superfamily: Elapoidea
Family: Pseudaspididae
Cope, 1893
Genera

Pseudaspididae is a small family of elapoid snakes, containing only two species (each in their own monotypic genus) from sub-Saharan Africa. They were formerly placed as a subfamily of the Lamprophiidae, but have been more recently identified as a distinct family. [1] However, some authors continue to place them as a subfamily of the Lamprophiidae. [2]

The Asian mock vipers in the genus Psammodynastes were previously placed as disjunct members of this family, but more recent studies support them being a significantly older lineage belonging to their own family, Psammodynastidae. [2] [3]

Genera

The family contains two species in two genera. [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colubridae</span> Family of snakes

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.

Gonionotophis is a genus of snakes, known commonly as African ground snakes and file snakes, in the family Lamprophiidae. The genus is endemic to Central Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alethinophidia</span> Clade of snakes

The Alethinophidia are an infraorder of snakes that includes all snakes other than blind snakes and thread snakes. Snakes have long been grouped into families within Alethinophidia based on their morphology, especially that of their teeth. More modern phylogenetic hypotheses using genetic data support the recognition of 19 extant families, although the taxonomy of alethinophidian snakes has long been debated, and ultimately the decision whether to assign a particular clade to a particular Linnaean rank is arbitrary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pseudoxyrhophiidae</span> Subfamily of snakes

The Pseudoxyrhophiidae is a family of elapoid snakes, found mostly in Madagascar. They were formerly placed as a subfamily of the Lamprophiidae, but have been more recently identified as a distinct family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psammophiidae</span> Family of snakes

Psammophiidae is a family of elapoid snakes. They were formerly placed as a subfamily of the Lamprophiidae, but have been more recently identified as a distinct family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mole snake</span> Species of snake

The mole snake is a species of snake. It has been placed in the family Lamprophiidae, and more recently in the family Pseudaspididae, along with the genus Pythonodipsas. It is native to much of southern Africa, and is the only member of the genus Pseudaspis. A study showed that P. cana is caught and consumed by the honey badger, among other species. Remains of the mole snake were found in the faeces, and suggest the consumed individuals were larger specimens.

<i>Boaedon</i> Genus of snakes

Boaedon is a genus of African lamprophiids consisting of the "brown" house snakes. The genus was originally described by Duméril but the species contained were reclassified as Lamprophis by Fitzinger in 1843, this taxonomy remained widely accepted until November 2010 when a phylogenetic study was published by C.M.R Kelly et al. who resurrected the Boaedon clade. Although commonly regarded as belonging to the Colubridae, primary literature usually lists them and related species as belonging to the family Lamprophiidae within the superfamily Elapoidea, which includes the venomous cobras and mambas.

<i>Xylophis</i> Genus of snakes

Xylophis is a small genus of snakes in the family Pareidae. The genus contains five species, all of which are endemic to the Western Ghats in southern India. They constitute the monotypic subfamily Xylophiinae. They are the only pareid snakes found in India and the only snakes in the family found outside Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamprophiidae</span> Family of snakes

The Lamprophiidae are a family of snakes found throughout much of Africa, including the Seychelles. There are 89 species as of July 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colubroidea</span> Superfamily of snakes

Colubroidea is a superfamily of snakes in the clade Colubroides that includes Colubridae, with some studies splitting Colubridae into multiple families that make up Colubroidea. Historically, Colubroidea also included other caenophidian snakes such as cobras and vipers, as these snakes form a clade. However these groups are now divided into several distinct, but related, families. Zaher et al. (2009) proposed to redefine Colubroidea for colubrids and related families, while designating Colubroides as the group containing vipers and cobras as well as colubroids. The ReptileDatabase considers Colubroidea to be composed of Colubridae and the members of its sister group, Elapoidea, and does not recognize the division of Colubridae into multiple families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dipsadinae</span> Subfamily of snakes

Dipsadinae is a large subfamily of colubroid snakes, sometimes referred to as a family (Dipsadidae). Species of the subfamily Dipsadinae are found in most of the Americas, including the West Indies, and are most diverse in South America. There are more than 700 member species.

<i>Psammodynastes</i> Genus of snakes

Psammodynastes is a genus of elapoid snakes, containing two species native to tropical and subtropical Asia. It is the only member of the family Psammodynastiidae. They are also known as mock vipers due to their superficial resemblance to true vipers. Their Batesian mimicry of vipers extends to them having a fake venom fang at the front of the mouth revealed during threat displays, although they are actually rear-fanged snakes with weak venom meant for small animals.

<i>Prosymna</i> (snake) Genus of snakes

Prosymna is a genus of elapoid snake. It is the only genus in the family Prosymnidae. They were formerly placed as a subfamily of the Lamprophiidae, but have been more recently identified as a distinct family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamprophiinae</span> Subfamily of snakes

Lamprophiinae is a subfamily of lamprophiid snakes, a large group of mostly African snakes, most of which were formerly classified as colubrids but which we now know are actually more closely related to elapids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sibynophiinae</span> Subfamily of snakes

Sibynophiinae is a small subfamily of colubroid snakes, sometimes referred to as a family (Sibynophiidae). This group has also been called Scaphiodontophiinae but since the name Sibynophiinae is older, it has priority. They are commonly called hinged-teeth snakes.

<i>Oligodon huahin</i> Species of snake

Oligodon huahin, the Hua Hin kukri snake, is a species of kukri snakes in the genus Oligodon. The species was first discovered and described in late 2016, and the article was published July 13, 2017. It is only known from its type locality but its range is likely to be more extensive. O. huahin is thought to be very secretive, similar to other species of the genus Oligodon. This theory is supported by the type specimen, which all were males, suggesting that it was found during the mating season where males are out and actively search for females to reproduce. This may also explain why this species had not yet been discovered

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyclocoridae</span> Family of snakes

Cyclocoridae is a family of elapoid snakes endemic to the Philippines.

The western keeled snake is a species of snake in the family Pseudaspididae. It is native to western Namibia, southwestern Angola, and southwestern Zambia, and is the only member of the genus Pythonodipsas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black file snake</span> Species of snake

The black file snake, also known commonly as the dwarf file snake or the Nyassa file snake, is a species of snake in the subfamily Lamprophiinae of the family Lamprophiidae. The species is endemic to Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elapoidea</span> Superfamily of snakes

The Elapoidea are a superfamily of snakes in the clade Colubroides, traditionally comprising the families Lamprophiidae and Elapidae. Advanced genomic sequence studies, however, have found lamprophiids to be paraphyletic in respect to elapids, and anywhere between four and nine families are now recognized.

References

  1. Zaher H, Murphy RW, Arredondo JC, Graboski R, Machado-Filho PR, Mahlow K, et al. (2019-05-10). "Large-scale molecular phylogeny, morphology, divergence-time estimation, and the fossil record of advanced caenophidian snakes (Squamata: Serpentes)". PLOS ONE. 14 (5): e0216148. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1416148Z. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216148 . PMC   6512042 . PMID   31075128.
  2. 1 2 3 Das, Sunandan; Greenbaum, Eli; Brecko, Jonathan; Pauwels, Olivier S. G.; Ruane, Sara; Pirro, Stacy; Merilä, Juha (2024-04-25). "Phylogenomics of Psammodynastes and Buhoma (Elapoidea: Serpentes), with the description of a new Asian snake family". Scientific Reports. 14 (1): 9489. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-60215-2. ISSN   2045-2322.
  3. 1 2 Uetz P, Freed P, Hošek J (eds.). "Pseudaspididae". The Reptile Database . Retrieved 11 May 2021.