Interesting Facts
Description
Family Colubridae
The family Colubridae, which includes the kingsnakes (Lampropeltis spp. ), is the largest, most widespread, and diverse family of snakes , with few physical characteristics universal among all species. The family contains 70 percent of the known species of snakes, with more than 1700 species worldwide (Pough et al. 1998). Although some colubrids are dangerously venomous , most are harmless to humans. [1]
Subfamily Dipsadinae
These snakes are the New World counterparts of the Pareinae and resemble them in appearance and habits. They live in tropical America.
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Animalia
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- animals
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
()
- (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
- Branch:
Deuterostomia
()
- Grobben, 1908
- Infrakingdom:
Chordonia
()
- (Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Phylum:
Chordata
()
- Bateson, 1885
- Chordates
- Subphylum:
Vertebrata
()
- Cuvier, 1812
- Vertebrates
- Infraphylum:
Gnathostomata
()
- auct.
- Jawed Vertebrates
- Superclass:
Tetrapoda
()
- Goodrich, 1930
- Subclass:
Diapsida
()
- Infraclass:
Lepidosauromorpha
()
- Superorder:
Lepidosauria
()
-
- Order:
Squamata
()
- Suborder:
Serpentes
()
- (C. Linnaeus, 1758)
- Superfamily:
Colubroidea
()
- Family:
Colubridae
()
- Colubrids
- Subfamily:
Dipsadinae
()
- Genus:
Enulius
()
- Cope, 1870
- Specific name:
bifoveatus
- MCCRANIE & KÖHLER 1999
- Scientific name: - Enulius bifoveatus MCCRANIE & KÖHLER 1999
- Specific name:
bifoveatus
- MCCRANIE & KÖHLER 1999
- Genus:
Enulius
(
- Subfamily:
Dipsadinae
(
- Family:
Colubridae
(
- Superfamily:
Colubroidea
(
- Suborder:
Serpentes
(
- Order:
Squamata
(
- Superorder:
Lepidosauria
(
- Infraclass:
Lepidosauromorpha
(
- Subclass:
Diapsida
(
- Superclass:
Tetrapoda
(
- Infraphylum:
Gnathostomata
(
- Subphylum:
Vertebrata
(
- Phylum:
Chordata
(
- Infrakingdom:
Chordonia
(
- Branch:
Deuterostomia
(
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
Notes
Name
Status: Accepted Name
.
Comment: Holotype: SMF 78514 Diagnosis
: Enulius bifoveatus differs
from E. flavitorques in having two apical pits (one in E . flavitorques),
strongly striated scale texture
under high magnification (non-striated),
a rostral
length
less than or equal to internasal
suture length (rostral
length greater than internasal suture length), a divided
or partially
divided pale nuchal
collar
(collar complete or absent, rarely divided),
nuchal collar not or only narrowly involving first dorsal scale row
posterior to parietals
and temporals
(collar involving first to third
dorsal scale rows
posterior to parietals and temporals when present,
usually all of first), 181 ventrals in the female (184-216), and
120 subcaudals in the male (100-117). Enulius bifoveatus is distinguished
from E . oligostichus in having 17 dorsal scale rows at midbody (15
in oligostichus ), two apical pits (one), seven supralabials (five),
third and fourth supralabials entering orbit (second and third),
1 + 2 temporals (1 + 1), two postoculars
(one), 168 ventrals in the
male and 181 in the female (150-157 and 163, respectively), and 120
subcaudals in the male and 99+ in the female (82-88 and 83, respectively).
[from MCCRANIE & KÖHLER 1999]. Named after the Latin prefix bi
(two, twice) and the adjectival form of the Latin noun fovea
(pit),
and refers to the two apical pits found in this species.
Similar Species
Members of the genus Enulius
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 3 species and subspecies in this genus:
E. flavitorques (Pacific Longtail Snake) · E. flavitorques flavitorques (Pacific Longtail Snake) · E. oligostichus (Mexican Longtail Snake)
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
- McCranie, J.R., Köhler, G. (1999b): Two new species of colubrid snakes of the genus Enulius from Islas de la Bahía, Honduras. - Caribbean Journal of Science, Mayagüez 35(1-2), pp. [14-22]
- Mccranie et al. (1999) Caribb. J. Sci., 35 (1-2): 14-22
Notes
Contributors
- Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
- Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed February 2, 2012.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 27, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
- Ruggiero M., Gordon D., Bailly N., Kirk P., Nicolson D. (2011). The Catalogue of Life Taxonomic Classification, Edition 2, Part A. In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2011 Annual Checklist (Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D., eds). DVD; Species 2000: Reading, UK.
- TIGR Reptile Database . Release date: October 2, 2007
- Uetz, Peter. The Reptile Database
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 27, 2008:
- Senckenberg: Collection Herpetology
- SysTax
- SysTax: Senckenberg-Museum Frankfurt
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2539507
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Rep-2793
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 617479
Footnotes
- Painter, Charles W., Chuck L. Hayes, and James N. Stuart "Recovery and Conservation of the Gray-Banded Kingsnake. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. May 1, 2002. [back]
Curator for this page: Juan Pablo Hurtado. Date last reviewed: 12/30/1899
