- Anomochilidae
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Anomochilidae Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Infraorder: Alethinophidia Family: Anomochilidae
Cundall, Wallach & Rossman, 1993Genus: Anomochilus
Berg, 1901Synonyms - Common names: dwarf pipe snakes.[2]
The Anomochilidae, or anomochilids, are a monotypic family created for the genus Anomochilus, which currently contains 3 monotypic species.[2]
Contents
Description
Head small, not distinct from neck. Head with large symmetrical shields. Eye very small, distinct from the surrounding shields. Nostril in a single nasal, which forms a suture with its fellow behind the rostral. No loreal or preocular; a postocular. Body cylindrical. Dorsal scales smooth, in 21 rows. Ventrals very small, scarcely enlarged. Tail extremely short and blunt.[3]
These three species much resemble those of the family Cylindrophiidae (Asian pipesnakes). However, they lack both a chin groove and teeth on their pterygoid.
Geographic range
Found in West Malaysia and on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.[1]
Species
Species[2] Taxon author[2] Common name Geographic range[1] A. leonardi M.A. Smith, 1940 Leonard's pipe snake West Malaysia in Selangor and Pahang. A. weberiT (Lidth de Jeude In Weber, 1890) Weber's pipe snake Indonesia on the island of Sumatra. A. monticola Das, Lakim, Lim & Hui, 2008 mountain pipe snake Borneo T) Type species.[1]
Taxonomy
The name of the genus was originally Anomolochilus, which was given to it by T.W. van Lidth de Jeude in 1890. In 1901 C. Berg pointed out that that name was already occupied by a genus of Coleoptera (beetles), and he proposed as a replacement the name Anomochilus.[4]
The genus, together with Cylindrophis, were both previously assigned to the subfamily Cylindrophinae under the family Uropeltidae, but were removed by Cundall et al. (1993) to prevent a paraphyletic relationship.[1]
See also
- Anomochilidae by common name
- Anomochilidae by taxonomic synonyms
- List of snakes, overview of all snake families and genera.
References
- ^ a b c d e McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
- ^ a b c d "Anomochilidae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=563894. Retrieved 14 August 2007.
- ^ Boulenger, G.A. 1893. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume I. London. p. 134.
- ^ The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
External links
- Anomochilidae at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 3 November 2008.
Snake families Chordata • Reptilia • Squamata • Serpentes Alethinophidia Acrochordidae • Aniliidae • Anomochilidae • Atractaspididae • Boidae • Bolyeriidae • Colubridae • Cylindrophiidae • Elapidae • Loxocemidae • Pythonidae • Tropidophiidae • Uropeltidae • Viperidae • XenopeltidaeScolecophidia Categories:
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