''Stoliczkia'' 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 snakes in 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 ...

Xenodermidae Xenodermidae is a family of snakes native to East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. All species in the family Xenodermidae are small or moderately sized snakes, never more than but typically less than in total length (including tail). They ...

. The genus contains two

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 ...

, both from

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Etymology

The genus is named after

Ferdinand Stoliczka Ferdinand Stoliczka (Czech written Stolička, 7 June 1838 – 19 June 1874) was a Moravian palaeontologist who worked in India on paleontology, geology and various aspects of zoology, including ornithology, malacology, and herpetology. He died of ...

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The me ...

n-born zoologist who later worked for the Geological Survey of India. Many subsequent publications have used the spelling ''Stoliczkaia''. However, ''Stoliczkia'' is considered valid because it was repeated twice in Jerdon's original publication, rendering a spelling error unlikely. Moreover, '' Stoliczkaia'' Neumayr 1875 is an

ammonite Ammonoids are a group of extinct marine mollusc animals in the subclass Ammonoidea of the class Cephalopoda. These molluscs, commonly referred to as ammonites, are more closely related to living coleoids (i.e., octopuses, squid and cuttlefish) ...

genus.

Species

There are two species: *''

Stoliczkia khasiensis ''Stoliczkia khasiensis'' (common names: Khasi earth snake, Khase red snake) is a species of snake in the family Xenodermidae. It is endemic to Meghalaya (until 1972 part of Assam), Northeast India. The type locality is Khasi Hills. ''Stoliczk ...

'' – Khasi earth snake, Khase red snake *'' Stoliczkia vanhnuailianai'' – Lushai Hills dragon snake

Etymology

Species

References

Further reading