Tropidophis 

Tropidophis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Tropidophiidae
Genus: Tropidophis
Bibron In Sagra, 1843
Synonyms
  • Tropidophis - Bibron In Sagra, 1843
  • Leionotus - Bibron In Sagra, 1843
  • Ungalia - Gray, 1842
  • Erycopsis - Fitzinger, 1843
  • Notophis - Hallowell, 1856
  • Ungalia - Cope, 1868[1]

Common names: dwarf boas,[2] West Indian wood snakes,[3] wood snakes.

Tropidophis is a genus of dwarf boas found in the West Indies and South America. Currently, 17 species are recognized.[2]

Contents

Description

Adults grow to between 30 an 60 cm in length. They are secretive and predominately terrestrial, found in a variety of natural habitats including rain forest, swamps, pine woods and scrub, as well as in the vicinity of human habitation. They have a peculiar defensive habit of expelling blood from the mouth, nostrils and eyes when disturbed.

Despite their relatively small size and secretive nature, there is evidence that some species may be susceptible to extirpation, mainly due habitat alteration and introduced feral animals. The Navassa Island dwarf boa, T. bucculentus is not been seen for 100 years and is believed to be extinct.

Geographic range

Found in the West Indies, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador.[1]

Species

Species[2] Taxon author[2] Subsp.*[2] Common name Geographic range[1]
T. battersbyi Laurent, 1949 0 Ecuadorian dwarf boa Ecuador.
T. bucculentus (Cope, 1868) 0 Navassa Island dwarf boa Navassa Island.
T. canus (Cope, 1868) 3 Bahamian dwarf boa The Bahamas.
T. caymanensis Battersby, 1938 2 Cayman Islands dwarf boa Cayman Islands
T. feicki Schwartz, 1957 0 Broad-banded dwarf boa Western Cuba.
T. fuscus Hedges & Garrido, 1992 0 Cuban dusky dwarf boa Northeastern Cuba.
T. greenwayi Barbour & Shreve, 1936 1 Caicos dwarf boa Caicos Islands.
T. haetianus (Cope, 1879) 5 Haitian dwarf boa Eastern Cuba, Hispaniola and adjacent islands, and Jamaica.
T. maculatus (Bibron, 1840) 0 Spotted red dwarf boa Western Cuba.
T. melanurusT (Schlegel, 1837) 2 Cuban giant dwarf boa Cuba and adjacent islands.
T. nigriventris Bailey, 1937 1 Black-bellied dwarf boa Cuba.
T. pardalis (Gundlach, 1840) 0 Leopard dwarf boa Cuba and adjacent islands.
T. paucisquamis (Müller, 1901) 0 Brazilian dwarf boa Brazil in Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
T. pilsbryi Bailey, 1937 1 Cuban White-necked dwarf boa Central and eastern Cuba.
T. semicinctus (Gundlach & Peters, 1864) 0 Yellow-banded dwarf boa Western and central Cuba.
T. taczanowskyi (Steindachner, 1880) 0 Taczanowski's dwarf boa Amazonian Peru and Ecuador.
T. wrighti Stull, 1928 0 Gracile banded Eastern Cuba.

*) Not including the nominate subspecies.
T) Type species.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b c d e Tropidophis (TSN 174332). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 29 August 2007.
  3. ^ Parker HW, Grandison AGC. 1977. Snakes -- a natural history. Second Edition. British Museum (Natural History) and Cornell University Press. 108 pp. 16 plates. LCCCN 76-54625. ISBN 0-8014-1095-9 (cloth), ISBN 0-8014-9164-9 (paper).

External links