''Candoia paulsoni'', also known as the Solomon Islands ground boa, is a species of

boa Kwon Bo-ah (; born November 5, 1986), known professionally as BoA, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and actress. One of the most successful and influential Korean entertainers, she has been dubbed the " Queen of K- ...

native to the

Maluku Islands The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located eas ...

and

Melanesia Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from Indonesia's New Guinea in the west to Fiji in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea. The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, Va ...

. Five

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

are recognized.

Subspecies

* ''C. p. paulsoni'' (Stull, 1956) – the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...

* ''C. p. vindumi'' Smith & Chiszar, 2001 –

Bougainville Island Bougainville Island (Tok Pisin: ''Bogenvil'') is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, which is part of Papua New Guinea. It was previously the main landmass in the German Empire-associated North Solomons. Its land area is ...

* ''C. p. tasmai'' Smith & Tepedelen 2001 –

Halmahera Halmahera, formerly known as Jilolo, Gilolo, or Jailolo, is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia, and Sofifi, the capital of the province, is located on the west coast of the island. Hal ...

and the Talaud Islands * ''C. p. mcdowelli'' Smith & Chiszar, 2001 – eastern

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

* ''C. p. sadlieri'' Smith & Chiszar, 2001 – Woodlark Island * ''C. p. rosadoi'' Smith & Chiszar, 2001 –

Misima Island Misima (formerly called St. Aignan) is a volcanic island in the northwest of Louisiade Archipelago within Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. History Misima Island was inhabited by Austronesians since about 1500 BC. The island was sig ...

Distribution

The type locality is

Ugi Island Ugi Island, also Uki Island (or Uki Ni Masi), is an island in Solomon Islands; it is located in Makira-Ulawa Province and lies 11 km north of Makira Island. Geography Ugi Island is a raised coral reef about 10.5 km long and 6.5 km ...

in the Solomon Islands.

Etymology

The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

''paulsoni'' is in honor of the Swedish herpetologist John Paulson.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael. ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles'' (2011), p. 202. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp.

References

paulsoni Snakes of New Guinea Reptiles of Papua New Guinea Reptiles of the Solomon Islands Reptiles of Indonesia Taxa named by Olive Griffith Stull Reptiles described in 1956 {{Alethinophidia-stub