| Aniliidae |
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| Scientific classification |
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| Binomial name |
Anilius scytale
(Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Synonyms |
- Ilysioidea - Fitzinger, 1826
- Tortricina - Müller, 1823
- Tortricidae - Jan, 1863
- Ilysiidae - Boulenger, 1890
- Aniliidae - Stejneger, 1907
- Anilidae - Amaral, 1930
- Aniliinae - Romer, 1956[1]
- Tortrix - Oppel, 1811
- Anilius - Oken, 1816
- Elysia - Hemprich, 1820
- Helison - Goldfuss, 1820
- Ilysia - Lichtenstein, 1823
- Torquatrix - Haworth, 1825
- Illisia - Schinz, 1883
- Anileus - Agassiz, 1844[1]
- [Anguis] Scytale - Linnaeus, 1758
- Anguis annulata - Laurenti, 1768
- Anguis fasciata - Laurenti, 1768
- Anguis caerulae - Laurenti, 1768
- Anguis corallina - Laurenti, 1768
- Anguis atra - Laurenti, 1768
- [Anguis] ater - Gmelin, 1788
- Anguis Corallinus - Schneider, 1801
- Anguis fasciatus - Schneider, 1801
- Anguis ruber - Latreille In Sonnini & Latreille, 1801
- Tortr[ix]. scytale - Oppel, 1811
- Tortr[ix]. coralinus - Oppel, 1811
- Anilius scytale - Oken, 1816
- [Tortrix] annulata - Merrem, 1820
- Anguis (Elysia) Scytale - Hemprich, 1820
- Ilysia scytale - Lichtenstein, 1823
- Torquatrix scytale - Gray, 1825
- Tortrix scytale - A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1844
- Ilysia scytale - Boulenger, 1893
- A[nilius]. scytale [scylate] - Roze, 1958
- Anilius scytale scytale - Peters & Orejas-Miranda, 1970[1]
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- Common names: false coral snake, pipe snake.[2]
The Aniliidae are a monotypic family[2] created for the monotypic genus Anilius[3] that contains the species A. scytale,[4] found in South America. This snake possesses a vestigial pelvic girdle that is visible as a pair of cloacal spurs. It is ovoviviparous. The diet consists mainly of amphibians and other reptiles. Currently, 2 subspecies are recognized, including the typical form described here.[4]
Description
This species is found in Amazonian South America, the Guianas and Trinidad and Tobago. It is a moderately sized snake attaining a size of about 70 cm (27 inches) in length. It is reported to be ovoviviparous and feed on beetles, caecilians (burrowing amphibians), amphisbaenids (legless lizards), small fossorial snakes, fish, and frogs. It has a cylindrical body of uniform diameter and very short tail; brightly banded in red and black ( but without yellow bands); reduced eyes lying beneath large head scales.
Subspecies
Taxonomy
Modern classifications restrict the family to the South American Red Pipe Snake or False Coral Snake Anilius scytale, with the previously included Asian genus Cylindrophis raised to a separate family Cylindrophiidae.
See also
References
Further reading
- Boos, Hans E.A. (2001). The snakes of Trinidad and Tobago, Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX. ISBN 1-58544-116-3.
- Martins, M., and M. E. Oliveira. 1999. Natural history of snakes in forests of the Manaus region, Central Amazonia, Brazil. Herpetological Natural History 6:78-150. pdf
External links
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