''Xenochrophis'' is a
genus
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 nom ...
of
snake
Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...
s in the
subfamily Natricinae
The Natricinae are a subfamily of colubroid snakes, sometimes referred to as a family (Natricidae). The subfamily comprises 37 genera. Members include many very common snake species, such as the European grass snakes, and the North American wa ...
of the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Colubridae. The genus 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 else ...
to
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
. Some members have been moved to the genus
Fowlea
''Fowlea'' is a genus of snakes in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The genus is endemic to Asia.
Species
The following species are recognized as being valid.. The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
*'' Fowlea aspe ...
.
Etymology
The generic nomen of Xenochrophis is presumably derived from the Greek ''xénos'', meaning foreign, strange; ''chros'', meaning color; and ''ophis'', meaning snake. The generic nomen probably refers to the distinctive color pattern of this type species. The gender of this generic name is masculine.
Species of ''Xenochrophis''
The following
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 ...
are recognized as being valid.
[. The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.]
References
Further reading
*
Boulenger GA (1893). ''Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Vol. I., Containing the Families ... Colubridæ Aglyphæ, part.'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I-XXVIII. (Genus ''Xenochrophis'', p. 191).
*
Günther ACLG (1864). ''The Reptiles of British India.'' London: The Ray Society. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xxvii + 452 pp. + Plates I-XXII. (''Xenochrophis'', new genus, p. 273).
*
Smith MA (1943). ''The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III.—Serpentes.'' London: Secretary of State for India. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 583 pp. (Genus ''Xenochrophis'', p. 317).
External links
Species list at Animal Diversity Web
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2528787
Snake genera
Taxa named by Albert Günther