Xenopeltis

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Xenopeltidae
)

Xenopeltis
Sunbeam snake (X. unicolor)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Xenopeltidae
Bonaparte
, 1845
Genus: Xenopeltis
Reinwardt, 1827
Synonyms

Family:

Genus:

Xenopeltis, the sunbeam snakes,

Loxocemus bicolor) and to the true pythons (Pythonidae).[4][5]

Description

Illustration of Xenopeltis unicolor

Adults can grow up to 1.3 m (51 in) in length.[6] The head scales are made up of large plates much like those of the Colubridae, while the ventral scales are only slightly reduced. Pelvic vestiges are not present.[7]

The dorsal color pattern is a reddish-brown, brown, or blackish color. The belly is an unpatterned whitish-gray.[8] The scales are highly iridescent.[7]

Geographic range

They are found in Southeast Asia from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, east through Myanmar to southern China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Malay Peninsula and the East Indies to Sulawesi, as well as the Philippines.[1]

Behavior and diet

These snakes are fossorial, spending much of their time hidden. They emerge at dusk to actively forage for frogs, other snakes, and small mammals. They are not venomous, and kill their prey with constriction.[8]

Species

Species[3] Taxon author[3] Common name Geographic range[1]
X. hainanensis Hu & Zhao, 1972
Hainan Island
X. intermedius Orlov, Snetkov., Ermakov, Nguyen, & Ananjeva, 2022 Vietnam
X. unicolorT Reinwardt, 1827 common sunbeam snake[9]
Balabac, Bongao, Jolo and Palawan

T) Type species.[1]

Captivity

These snakes are not very commonly kept as pets because of their high mortality rate in captivity. Shipping and the first six months in captivity are very stressful and often kill captive snakes. They also have very little tolerance of handling, with the resulting stress leading to premature death. Captive specimens should be provided with a temperature gradient and an easy to burrow substrate. The cage should be kept warm, but not hot, and they should be left alone.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Xenopeltis.
  1. ^
    ISBN 1-893777-01-4
    (volume).
  2. ^ "Xenopeltidae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 17 August 2007.
  3. ^ a b c "Xenopeltis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 17 August 2007.
  4. PMID 25112250
    .
  5. PMID 24315866
    .
  6. ISBN 0-7894-7764-5
    .
  7. ^ a b Xenopeltidae at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 3 November 2008.
  8. ^
    ISBN 0-8069-6460-X
    .
  9. ^ Species Xenopeltis unicolor at The Reptile Database. Accessed 17 August 2007.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Xenopeltis&oldid=1174528952"