Xylophis | |
---|---|
Xylophis mosaicus from Munnar | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Pareidae |
Subfamily: | Xylophiinae Deepak, Ruane & Gower, 2019 [1] |
Genus: | Xylophis Beddome, 1878 |
Type species | |
Geophis stenorhynchus Günther, 1875 |
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. [2] [3] All five species are non-venomous. 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. [1]
The following five species are recognized as being valid: [2] [4]
Ahaetulla perroteti, known commonly as the bronze-headed vine snake, Perrotet's vine snake, or the Western Ghats bronzeback, is a species of mildly venomous, rear-fanged snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats in South India.
Brown-speckled whipsnake or brown vine snake is a species of colubrid vine snake endemic to Sri Lanka.
Rhabdops olivaceus, the olive trapezoid snake or olive forest snake, is a snake endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Following the description of populations in Goa, northernmost Karnataka, and southern Maharashtra as a new species, Rhabdops aquaticus, the known range of Rhabdops olivaceus is from Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in Kerala north to Kottigehara in Karnataka, and possibly slightly further.
Xylophis perroteti, commonly known as Perrotet's mountain snake and the striped narrow-headed snake, is a species of snake in the family Pareidae. The species, which has no lethal potential as it has a non-venomous bite, is endemic to the Western Ghats of India.
Xylophis stenorhynchus is a non-venomous species of snake found in the Western Ghats of India.
Uropeltis ocellata is a species of non-venomous shieldtail snake in the family Uropeltidae. The species is indigenous to southern India. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.
Uropeltis pulneyensis, commonly known as the Indian earth snake and the Palni shieldtail, is a species of snake in the family Uropeltidae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats of India.
Ahaetulla, commonly referred to as Asian vine snakes or Asian whip snakes, is a genus of colubrid snakes distributed throughout tropical Asia. They are considered by some scientists to be mildly venomous and are what is commonly termed as 'rear-fanged' or more appropriately, opisthoglyphous, meaning their enlarged teeth or fangs, intended to aid in venom delivery, are located in the back of the upper jaw, instead of in the front as they are in vipers or cobras. As colubrids, Ahaetulla do not possess a true venom gland or a sophisticated venom delivery system. The Duvernoy's gland of this genus, homologous to the venom gland of true venomous snakes, produces a secretion which, though not well studied, is considered not to be medically significant to humans.
The Natricinae are a subfamily of colubroid snakes, sometimes referred to as a family (Natricidae). The subfamily comprises 36 genera. Members include many very common snake species, such as the European grass snakes, and the North American water snakes and garter snakes. Some Old World members of the subfamily are known as keelbacks, because their dorsal scales exhibit strong keeling.
Rhinophis is a genus of nonvenomous shield-tail snakes found in Sri Lanka and South India. Currently, 24 species are recognized in this genus. Of the 24 species, 18 are endemic to Sri Lanka, while six are endemic to South India.
Captain's wood snake, also known commonly as Captain's xylophis, is a species of snake in the family Pareidae. The species is endemic to India.
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.
Rhabdops is a genus of snakes in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The genus is endemic to the Western Ghats of India.
Ahaetulla laudankia, known as the Laudankia vine snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. It is endemic to India and while being a rare species, it has a relatively large range, extending from the Eastern Ghats through Central India west to eastern Rajasthan. Its name derives from the Odia term laudanka, which translates to "dried stems of bottle gourd, as the snake closely resembles them with its thin body and brownish color.
Smithophis is a genus of snakes in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae; the one species that was known prior to 2019 had been classified under the genus Rhabdops, but was removed in the process of erecting the new genus Smithophis. The genus is endemic to Asia. It is named for Malcolm Arthur Smith, a British herpetologist who was active in Indian herpetology.
Xylophis mosaicus, the Anamalai wood snake, is a species of snake in the family Pareidae. The species is non-venomous and endemic to the Western Ghats of India.
Cyrtodactylus aravindi is a species of gecko endemic to the Western Ghats of India. It has been given the common name Aravind’s ground gecko.
Sahyadriophis is a genus of snakes in the family Colubridae. The genus is endemic to the Western Ghats of India.