Terre-de-Haut racer

Terre-de-Haut racer
Conservation status
	; Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Alsophis
Species:	A. sanctonum
Binomial name
	Alsophis sanctonum; Barbour, 1915
Subspecies
	A. sanctonum sanctonum Barbour, 1915; A. sanctonum danforthi Cochran, 1938;
Synonyms
	Alsophis antillensis

The Terre-de-Haut racer (Alsophis sanctonum) is a species of snake found in the Caribbean, on the Lesser Antilles. This species is endemic to Terre-de-Bas Island and Terre-de-Haut Island which make up the Îles des Saintes. Terre-de-Bas and Terre-de-Haut are very small islands with a total area of approximately 13 km². Because of its presence only on this small area, it is a highly protected species.

It can reach nearly a meter in length. It feeds on lizards and small rodents. It rarely bites humans, but may release a foul-smelling (though harmless) cloacal secretion when disturbed.

Habitat

Alsophis sanctonum occurs along mangrove edges, roadsides, gardens, wooded areas, preferentially in semi-deciduous forest with Pimenta racemosa, Pisonia grandis, Guapinol, and Bursera simaruba. It is present in areas less frequented by humans.

Subspecies

A. sanctonum sanctonum Barbour, 1915 or Terre-de-Haut racer.
A. sanctonum danforthi Cochran, 1938 or Terre-de-Bas racer.

References

^ Gomès, R.; Dewynter, M.; Powell, R.; Hedges, B.; Mayer, G.C. (2017). "Alsophis sanctonum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T176330A71742582. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T176330A71742582.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.

Barbour, Thomas (1915). "Recent notes regarding West Indian reptiles and amphibians". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 28: 71–78.
Cochran, Doris Mable (1938). "Reptiles and amphibians from the Lesser Antilles collected by Dr. S. T. Danforth". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 51: 147–155.
Questel, K. (2011). "ALSOPHIS : Les Serpents des Petites Antilles". Archived from the original on 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2013-01-03.
Breuil, M. (2002). "Histoire naturelle des Amphibiens et des Reptiles terrestres de l'Archipel Guadeloupéen. Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy". Patrimoines Naturels. 54: 339.

External links

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[iucn_status_12_November_2021-1] Gomès, R.; Dewynter, M.; Powell, R.; Hedges, B.; Mayer, G.C. (2017). "Alsophis sanctonum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T176330A71742582. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T176330A71742582.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.

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