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Pythonodipsas Carinata
The western keeled snake (''Pythonodipsas carinata'') is a species of snake in the family Pseudaspididae. It is native to western Namibia, southwestern Angola, and southwestern Zambia, and is the monotypic taxon, only member of the genus ''Pythonodipsas''. Taxonomy ''P. carinata'' is most closely related to ''Pseudaspis cana''. Together these two monotypic genera make up the subfamily Pseudaspidinae of the family Lamprophiidae. ''Pythonodipsas'' closely resembles the Colubrinae, colubrine genus ''Spalerosophis'', although the two are not closely related. Description ''P. carinata'' is unusual in possessing greatly fragmented head shields, a peculiar maxillary dentition (3rd to 6th largest, posterior-most tooth large and grooved), a reduced number of palatine teeth (including a greatly enlarged "fang"), and hypapophyses developed throughout the vertebral column. It was once thought to be a possible evolutionary intermediate between vipers and non-venomous Colubroidea, colubroi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Albert Günther
Albert Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther FRS, also Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Günther (3 October 1830 – 1 February 1914), was a German-born British zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. Günther is ranked the second-most productive reptile taxonomist (after George Albert Boulenger) with more than 340 reptile species described. Early life and career Günther was born in Esslingen in Swabia (Württemberg). His father was a ''Stiftungs-Commissar'' in Esslingen and his mother was Eleonora Nagel. He initially schooled at the Stuttgart Gymnasium. His family wished him to train for the ministry of the Lutheran Church for which he moved to the University of Tübingen. A brother shifted from theology to medicine, and he, too, turned to science and medicine at Tübingen in 1852. His first work was "''Ueber den Puppenzustand eines Distoma''". He graduated in medicine with an M.D. from Tübingen in 1858, the same year in which he published a handbook of zoology for students of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology, behaviour or ecological niche. In addition, paleontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. The most recent rigorous estimate for the total number of species of eukaryotes is between 8 and 8.7 million. However, only about 14% of these had been described by 2011. All species (except viruses) are given a two-part name, a "binomial". The first part of a binomial is the genus to which the species belongs. The second part is called the specific name or the specific epithet (in botanical nomenclature, also sometimes i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Snake
Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more joints than their lizard ancestors, enabling them to swallow prey much larger than their heads (cranial kinesis). To accommodate their narrow bodies, snakes' paired organs (such as kidneys) appear one in front of the other instead of side by side, and most have only one functional lung. Some species retain a pelvic girdle with a pair of vestigial claws on either side of the cloaca. Lizards have evolved elongate bodies without limbs or with greatly reduced limbs about twenty-five times independently via convergent evolution, leading to many lineages of legless lizards. These resemble snakes, but several common groups of legless lizards have eyelids and external ears, which snakes lack, altho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pseudaspididae
Pseudaspididae is a small family of elapoid snakes. They were formerly placed as a subfamily of the Lamprophiidae, but have been more recently identified as a distinct family. They have a disjunct distribution; two species (each in their own monotypic genus) are known from sub-Saharan Africa, while the two '' Psammodynastes'' species inhabit Southeast Asia. Genera The family contains four species in three genera. * ''Pseudaspis'' Fitzinger, 1843 ** ''Pseudaspis cana'' (Linnaeus, 1758) (mole snake) * ''Pythonodipsas'' Günther, 1868 ** ''Pythonodipsas carinata The western keeled snake (''Pythonodipsas carinata'') is a species of snake in the family Pseudaspididae. It is native to western Namibia, southwestern Angola, and southwestern Zambia, and is the monotypic taxon, only member of the genus ''Pytho ...'' Günther, 1868 (western keeled snake) * '' Psammodynastes'' Günther, 1858 ** '' Psammodynastes pictus'' Günther, 1858 (painted mock viper, spotted mock viper) ** '' P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monotypic Taxon
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispecific" or "monospecific" is sometimes preferred. In botanical nomenclature, a monotypic genus is a genus in the special case where a genus and a single species are simultaneously described. In contrast, an oligotypic taxon contains more than one but only a very few subordinate taxa. Examples Just as the term ''monotypic'' is used to describe a taxon including only one subdivision, the contained taxon can also be referred to as monotypic within the higher-level taxon, e.g. a genus monotypic within a family. Some examples of monotypic groups are: Plants * In the order Amborellales, there is only one family, Amborellaceae and there is only one genus, '' Amborella'', and in this genus there is only one species, namely ''Amborella trichopoda ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pseudaspis Cana
The mole snake (''Pseudaspis cana'') 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. Taxonomy ''P. cana'' was originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. Its original binomial name was ''Coluber cana''. Since then, it has also been called ''Coronella cana'' by André Marie Constant Duméril, Gabriel Bibron and Auguste Duméril in 1854, before being reclassified as ''Pseudaspis cana'' by Edward Drinker Cope in 1864. ''P. cana'' is the only species in genus ''Pseudaspis''. The genus has been placed in the family Lampro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pseudaspidinae
Pseudaspididae is a small family (biology), family of Elapoidea, elapoid snakes. They were formerly placed as a subfamily of the Lamprophiidae, but have been more recently identified as a distinct family. They have a disjunct distribution; two species (each in their own Monotypic taxon, monotypic genus) are known from sub-Saharan Africa, while the two ''Psammodynastes'' species inhabit Southeast Asia. Genera The family contains four species in three genus, genera. * ''Pseudaspis'' Fitzinger, 1843 ** ''Pseudaspis cana'' (Linnaeus, 1758) (mole snake) * ''Pythonodipsas'' Günther, 1868 ** ''Pythonodipsas carinata'' Günther, 1868 (western keeled snake) * ''Psammodynastes'' Günther, 1858 ** ''Psammodynastes pictus'' Günther, 1858 (painted mock viper, spotted mock viper) ** ''Psammodynastes pulverulentus'' (Boie, 1827) (common mock viper) References {{Taxonbar, from=Q21229317, from2=Q4784728 Pseudaspididae ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lamprophiidae
The Lamprophiidae are a family of snakes found throughout much of Africa, including the Seychelles. There are 89 species as of July 2022. Biology Lamprophiids are a very diverse group of snakes. Many are terrestrial but some are fossorial (e.g. ''Amblyodipsas'') or semi-aquatic (e.g. ''Lycodonomorphus''). Some are fast-moving (e.g. ''Psammophis'') whereas others are slow (e.g. ''Duberria''). They are found in deserts, grasslands, tropical forests and mountains. Together they feed on mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Some species use constriction to subdue their prey (e.g. ''Boaedon''). When other snake families were formerly included within the Lamprophiidae, they were considered even more diverse in biology, although this is now known to not be the case. Most species are oviparous. Classification Most lamprophiids were historically considered to be members of the subfamily Lamprophiinae in the family Colubridae. The following classification follows ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colubrinae
The Colubrinae are a subfamily of the family Colubridae of snakes. It includes numerous genera, and although taxonomic sources often disagree on the exact number, The Reptile Database lists 717 species in 92 genera as of September 2019. It is the second largest subfamily of colubrids, after Dipsadinae. Many of the most commonly known snakes are members of this subfamily, including rat snakes, king snakes, milk snakes, vine snakes, and indigo snakes. Colubrine snakes are distributed worldwide, with the highest diversity in North America, Asia, northern Africa, and the Middle East. There are relatively few species of colubrine snakes in Europe, South America, Australia, and southern Africa, and none in Madagascar, the Caribbean, or the Pacific Islands. Colubrine snakes are extremely morphologically and ecologically diverse. Many are terrestrial, and there are specialized fossorial (e.g. ''Tantilla'') and arboreal (e.g. ''Oxybelis'') groups, but no truly aquatic groups. Some of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spalerosophis
''Spalerosophis'' is a small genus of snakes in the family Colubridae. Geographic range Member species are found in a wide range throughout Southern Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Species The following species six species are recognized as being valid. *'' Spalerosophis arenarius'' – red-spotted diadem snake, red-spotted royal snake *'' Spalerosophis atriceps'' – diadem snake, royal snake *''Spalerosophis diadema'' – diadem snake, royal snake *'' Spalerosophis dolichospilus'' – Mograbin diadem snake, Werner's diadem snake *'' Spalerosophis josephscorteccii'' – Scortecci's diadem snakeBeolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Spalerosophis josephscorteccii'', p. 240). *'' Spalerosophis microlepis'' – Jan's diadem snake, zebra snake References Further reading *Jan G Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vipers
The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of their venom. Four subfamilies are currently recognized. They are also known as viperids. The name "viper" is derived from the Latin word ''vipera'', -''ae'', also meaning viper, possibly from ''vivus'' ("living") and ''parere'' ("to beget"), referring to the trait viviparity (giving live birth) common in vipers like most of the species of Boidae. Description All viperids have a pair of relatively long solenoglyphous (hollow) fangs that are used to inject venom from glands located towards the rear of the upper jaws, just behind the eyes. Each of the two fangs is at the front of the mouth on a short maxillary bone that can rotate back and forth. When not in use, the fangs fold back against the ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colubroidea
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. Classification Phylogeny Families and Subfamilies Usual taxonomy: * Family: Colubridae Oppel, 1811 ** Subfamily: Grayiinae Günther, 1858 ** Subfamily: Calamariinae Bonaparte, 1838 ** Subfamily: Ahaetullinae Figueroa, McKelvy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
