''Stenophis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of Madagascan arboreal snakes, part of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

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. ...

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 s ...

of ''Stenophis'' typically have large heads relative to their body size, and their bodies are elongated and often thin. The genus includes both

viviparous Among animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. This is opposed to oviparity which is a reproductive mode in which females lay developing eggs that complete their development and hatch externally from the m ...

and

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...

species. They usually have prolate pupils.

Taxonomy

''Stenophis'' was previously considered to be part of the genus ''

Lycodryas ''Lycodryas'' is a genus of snakes in the family Pseudoxyrhophiidae. The genus contains ten species, eight of which are endemic to the island of Madagascar, and two to the Comoros Islands. All of the species are harmless to humans. Species The ...

'' until the mid-1990s. A

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

analysis in 2008 found that the genus is polyphyletic, and a 2010 study proposed three

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

of the snakes currently in ''Stenophis'' and ''Lycodryas'': ''Lycodryas'' (with ''Stenophis'' as a junior synonym), ''Phisalixella'', and ''Parastenophis''.

Species

Known species of ''Stenophis'' include: Vences, Miguel; Glaw, Frank; Mercurio, Vincenzo; Andreone, Franco
"Review of the Malagasy tree snakes of the genus ''Stenophis'' (Colubridae)"
''Salamandra'', Rheinbach, 30.06.2004, 40 (2): 161-179. ''Deutsche Gesellschaft für Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde e.V.'' *''

Stenophis arctifasciatus ''Stenophis'' is a genus of Madagascar, Madagascan arboreal snakes, part of the Family (biology), family Lamprophiidae. Species of ''Stenophis'' typically have large heads relative to their body size, and their bodies are elongated and often thin ...

'' ( A.M.C. Duméril,

Bibron Gabriel Bibron (20 October 1805 – 27 March 1848) was a French zoologist and herpetologist. He was born in Paris. The son of an employee of the Museum national d'histoire naturelle, he had a good foundation in natural history and was hir ...

& A.H.A. Duméril, 1854)
= ''

Phisalixella arctifasciata ''Phisalixella'' is a genus of pseudoxyrhophiid snakes endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are harmless to humans. Species Three species are currently recognized. *'' Phisalixella arctifasciatus'' ( Duméril, Bibron, & Duméril, 1854) ...

'' (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) *''

Stenophis betsileanus ''Parastenophis'' is a genus of snake in the family Pseudoxyrhophiidae that contains the sole species ''Parastenophis betsileanus''. It is found in Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( m ...

'' ( Günther, 1880) = ''

Parastenophis betsileanus ''Parastenophis'' is a genus of snake in the family Pseudoxyrhophiidae that contains the sole species ''Parastenophis betsileanus''. It is found in Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( m ...

'' (Günther, 1880) *''

Stenophis carleti ''Stenophis'' is a genus of Madagascan arboreal snakes, part of the family Lamprophiidae. Species of ''Stenophis'' typically have large heads relative to their body size, and their bodies are elongated and often thin. The genus includes both vi ...

'' Domergue, 1995 = ''

Lycodryas carleti ''Lycodryas'' is a genus of snakes in the family Pseudoxyrhophiidae. The genus contains ten species, eight of which are endemic to the island of Madagascar, and two to the Comoros Islands. All of the species are harmless to humans. Species The ...

'' (Domergue, 1995) *''

Stenophis citrinus ''Lycodryas citrinus'' is a species of snake of the family Pseudoxyrhophiidae. Geographic range The snake is found in Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, li ...

'' Domergue, 1995 = ''

Lycodryas citrinus ''Lycodryas citrinus'' is a species of snake of the family Pseudoxyrhophiidae. Geographic range The snake is found in Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, li ...

'' (Domergue, 1995) *''

Stenophis gaimardi ''Stenophis'' is a genus of Madagascan arboreal snakes, part of the family Lamprophiidae. Species of ''Stenophis'' typically have large heads relative to their body size, and their bodies are elongated and often thin. The genus includes both vi ...

'' ( Schlegel, 1837) = '' Lycodryas gaimardi'' (Schlegel, 1837) *'' Stenophis granuliceps'' ( Boettger, 1877) = ''

Lycodryas granuliceps ''Lycodryas'' is a genus of snakes in the family Pseudoxyrhophiidae. The genus contains ten species, eight of which are endemic to the island of Madagascar, and two to the Comoros Islands. All of the species are harmless to humans. Species The ...

'' (Boettger, 1877) *'' Stenophis guentheri''

Boulenger Boulenger is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Benjamin Boulenger (born 1990), French footballer * Edward George Boulenger (1888–1946), British zoologist, director of aquarium at London Zoo * George Albert Boulenger (1858–1 ...

, 1896 = ''

Lycodryas guentheri ''Lycodryas'' is a genus of snakes in the family Pseudoxyrhophiidae. The genus contains ten species, eight of which are endemic to the island of Madagascar, and two to the Comoros Islands. All of the species are harmless to humans. Species The ...

'' (Boulenger, 1896) *'' Stenophis iarakaensis'' Domergue, 1995 = '' Phisalixella iarakaensis'' (Domergue, 1995) *'' Stenophis inopinae'' Domergue, 1995 = ''

Lycodryas inopinae ''Lycodryas'' is a genus of snakes in the family Pseudoxyrhophiidae. The genus contains ten species, eight of which are endemic to the island of Madagascar, and two to the Comoros Islands. All of the species are harmless to humans. Species The ...

'' (Domergue, 1995) *'' Stenophis inornatus'' Boulenger, 1896 = ''

Lycodryas inornatus ''Lycodryas'' is a genus of snakes in the family Pseudoxyrhophiidae. The genus contains ten species, eight of which are endemic to the island of Madagascar, and two to the Comoros Islands. All of the species are harmless to humans. Species The ...

'' (Boulenger, 1896) *'' Stenophis jaosoloa'' Domergue, 1995 = (is a

junior synonym The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linna ...

of ) ''

'' (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) *'' Stenophis pseudogranuliceps'' Domergue, 1995 = ''

Lycodryas pseudogranuliceps ''Lycodryas'' is a genus of snakes in the family Pseudoxyrhophiidae. The genus contains ten species, eight of which are endemic to the island of Madagascar, and two to the Comoros Islands. All of the species are harmless to humans. Species The ...

'' (Domergue, 1995) *'' Stenophis tulearensis'' Domergue, 1995 = '' Phisalixella tulearensis'' (Domergue, 1995) *'' Stenophis variabilis'' Boulenger, 1896 = '' Phisalixella variabilis'' (Boulenger, 1896) ''

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atten ...

'': A

binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a different genus.

Taxonomy

Species

References

Further reading