The Hispaniola racer or Hispaniolan brown racer (''Haitiophis anomalus'') is a snake that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

island of

Hispaniola Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...

(split between the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

and

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

). It is monotypic in the genus ''Haitiophis''.

Description

At an average length of 2 meters (6.56 ft), ''H. anomalus'' is the largest

colubrid Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ever ...

snake in the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

, and the longest snake species in the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

. True to its name, it is brown in coloration, with a pale yellow underbelly.Landestoy T., Miguel & Henderson, Robert & Rupp, Ernst & Marte, Cristian & Ortiz, Robert. (2013). Notes on the Natural History of the Hispaniolan Brown Racer, Haitiophis anomalus (Squamata: Dipsadidae), in the Southern Dominican Republic. IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS. 20. 130-139. Accessed at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284550279_Notes_on_the_Natural_History_of_the_Hispaniolan_Brown_Racer_Haitiophis_anomalus_Squamata_Dipsadidae_in_the_Southern_Dominican_Republic.

Behavior

When cornered, individuals may produce a hood and rear up, similar to many Old World cobras. The species may also strike; however, it is non-venomous.

Diet

''H. anomalus'' has a varied diet. Frogs and lizards (particularly ''

Anolis ''Anolis'' is a genus of anoles (), iguanian lizards in the family Dactyloidae, native to the Americas. With more than 425 species, it represents the world's most species-rich amniote tetrapod genus, although many of these have been proposed to ...

'' species) are the most common prey item; however, individuals have also been recorded to prey on

smooth-billed ani The smooth-billed ani (''Crotophaga ani'') is a bird in the cuckoo family. It is a resident breeding species from southern Florida, the Caribbean, parts of Central America, south to western Ecuador, Brazil, northern Argentina and southern Chile. ...

(''Crotophaga ani''),

house mouse The house mouse (''Mus musculus'') is a small mammal of the order Rodentia, characteristically having a pointed snout, large rounded ears, and a long and almost hairless tail. It is one of the most abundant species of the genus '' Mus''. Althoug ...

(''Mus musculus'') and native boas (''

Chilabothrus ''Chilabothrus'', commonly known as the Greater Antillean boas or West Indian boas, is a genus of nonvenomous snakes the family Boidae. The genus is endemic to the West Indies. 12 or 14 species are recognized as being valid. Distribution Speci ...

'' sp.). Pursuits of juvenile

rhinoceros iguana The rhinoceros iguana (''Cyclura cornuta'') is an endangered species of iguana that is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and its surrounding islands. A large lizard, they vary in length from ...

s (''Cyclura cornuta'') and rats (''

Rattus ''Rattus'' is a genus of muroid rodents, all typically called rats. However, the term rat can also be applied to rodent species outside of this genus. Species and description The best-known ''Rattus'' species are the black rat (''R. rattus'') ...

'' sp.) have also been recorded. While hunting, it has been recorded to wait at the exit hole of iguana burrows.

Distribution and habitat

The historic range of ''H. anomalus''is believed to be island-wide; however, its range has heavily contracted over time. The majority of the racer's range lies in the Dominican Republic, where it is found in the southwest of the country (in the arid areas surrounding

Lake Enriquillo Lake Enriquillo ( es, Lago Enriquillo) is a hypersaline lake in the Dominican Republic located in the southwestern region of the country. Its waters are shared between the provinces of Bahoruco and Independencia, the latter of which borders Hait ...

Pedernales Province Pedernales (; ) is the southernmost province of the Dominican Republic, including the offshore island of Isla Beata. It was split from Barahona in 1957. Of its 2,074.53 km2, 1374 km2 belong to the Jaragua National Park. A third of its ...

, and

Isla Beata Beata Island ( es, Isla Beata) is a small island on the Caribbean Sea, located southwest from Cape Beata. Some southwest of it lies the smaller Alto Velo Island. It is politically part of the Dominican Republic, and is roughly triangle-shaped an ...

) as well as a

relict population In biogeography and paleontology, a relict is a population or taxon of organisms that was more widespread or more diverse in the past. A relictual population is a population currently inhabiting a restricted area whose range was far wider during a ...

Monte Cristi Province Monte Cristi () is a Provinces of the Dominican Republic, province in the northwest of the Dominican Republic. The capital city is San Fernando de Monte Cristi (usually simply Monte Cristi). The spelling Montecristi is also seen. The Montecristi p ...

. In Haiti, the racer is only known to exist on Tortuga. The Hispaniola racer is primarily found in

xeric Deserts and xeric shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Deserts and xeric (ancient Greek xērós, “dry") shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area. Ecoregions in this h ...

open-thorn forest, as well as transitional areas into oases and river valleys.

Threats

Agricultural expansion, deforestation for charcoal production ( especially in Haiti), and predation from invasive species, such as

feral cat A feral cat or a stray cat is an unowned domestic cat (''Felis catus'') that lives outdoors and avoids human contact: it does not allow itself to be handled or touched, and usually remains hidden from humans. Feral cats may breed over dozens ...

s (''Felis catus'') and

small Indian mongoose The small Indian mongoose (''Urva auropunctata'') is a mongoose species native to Iraq and northern South Asia; it has also been introduced to many regions of the world, such as several Caribbean and Pacific islands. Taxonomy ''Mangusta auropun ...

s (''Urva auropunctata'') are all factors that have resulted in the range and population reduction of ''H. anomalus''. Predation from the native

red-tailed hawk The red-tailed hawk (''Buteo jamaicensis'') is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. It is one of the most common members with ...

(''Buteo jamaicensis'') is inferred, but has not been recorded.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q15148345, from2=Q3125787 Dipsadinae Monotypic snake genera Reptiles described in 1863 Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters Snakes of the Caribbean Endemic fauna of Hispaniola Reptiles of the Dominican Republic Reptiles of Haiti