Oxybelis
| Oxybelis | |
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| Oxybelis fulgidus | |
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| Genus: | Oxybelis Wagler, 1830
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Oxybelis is a genus of colubrid snakes, endemic to the Americas, which are commonly known as vine snakes. Though similar in appearance to the Asian species of vine snakes of the genus Ahaetulla, they are not related, and are an example of convergent evolution.
Geographic range
They are found from the southwestern United States, through Central America, to the northern countries of South America.
Description
Body slender and laterally compressed, tail long. Head elongated and distinct from neck. Pupil of eye round.[2]
Dorsal scales smooth or weakly keeled, with apical pits, and arranged in 15 or 17 rows at midbody. Ventrals rounded at sides, subcaudals paired (divided).[2]
Maxillary teeth 20-25, subequal, except for the 3-5 most posterior, which are slightly enlarged and grooved on the outer surface. Anterior mandibular teeth strongly enlarged.[2]
Species
There are four widely recognized species in the genus Oxybelis!
- Oxybelis aeneus (Wagler, 1824) - Mexican vine snake
- Oxybelis brevirostris (Cope, 1861) - Cope's vine snake
- Oxybelis fulgidus (Daudin, 1803) - green vine snake
- Oxybelis wilsoni Villa & McCranie, 1995 - Roatan vine snake
References
- ^ Wright, A.H., and A.A. Wright. 1957. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Comstock. Ithaca and London. 1,105 pp. (in 2 volumes) (Genus Oxybelis, p. 565.)
- ^ a b c d Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ),... Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, Printers.) London. xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I.- XXV. (Genus Oxybelis, pp. 189-190, Figure 15.)
Further reading
- Wagler, J. 1830. Natürliches System der AMPHIBIEN mit vorangehender Classification der SÄUGTHIERE und VÖGEL. Ein Beitrag zur vergleichenden Zoologie. J.G. Cotta. Munich, Stuttgart and Tübingen. vi + 354 pp + 1 Plate. (Genus Oxybelis, p. 183.)
External links
- Genus Oxybelis at The Reptile Database
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