| Ford's boa | |
|---|---|
| |
| illustration by
G.H. Ford, for whom the species is named | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Boidae |
| Genus: | Chilabothrus |
| Species: | C. fordii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Chilabothrus fordii (
Günther, 1861)
| |
| Synonyms [2] [3] [4] | |
Chilabothrus fordii, also known commonly as Ford's boa [4] and the Haitian ground boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae. [5] There are three recognized subspecies.
Geographic range
C. fordii is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic), [1] [4] including the surrounding islets of Île à Cabrit, Île de la Gonâve, Isla Catalina, and Isla Saona. [6]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of C. fordii is forest, at altitudes from sea level to 713 m (2,339 ft), but it has also been found in agricultural areas. [1]
Etymology
The specific name, fordii, is in honor of South African-born George Henry Ford, [7] artist at the British Museum (Natural History), "whose merits in herpetology are well known by his truly artistical [sic] drawings". [8]
Description
C. fordii is a small snake. Adults may attain a total length of 74 cm (29+1⁄8 in), which includes a tail 12.5 cm (4+7⁄8 in) long.
Dorsally, it has a ground color that is pale olive, yellowish, or reddish, overlaid by a series of transverse dark brown blotches, which are oval or kidney-shaped, with blackish borders. Some of these blotches may merge to form a wide wavy stripe in some places. Ventrally, it is yellowish, with small brown spots.
The smooth dorsal scales are arranged in 33-43 rows. The ventrals number 250-265; the anal plate is entire; and the subcaudals, which number 70-80, are also entire.
On the dorsal surface of the head, the large frontal contacts the supraoculars; the remainder is covered by small irregular plates. There are 13 or 14 upper labials, without labial pits. [2]
Diet
C. fordii preys upon lizards and rodents. [1]
Reproduction
C. fordii is viviparous. [1] [4]
Subspecies
Three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominate subspecies.
- Chilabothrus fordii fordii ( Günther, 1861)
- Chilabothrus fordii agametus Sheplan & Schwartz, 1974
- Chilabothrus fordii manototus Schwartz, 1979
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Chilabothrus.
References
- ^ a b c d e Landestoy M, Inchaustegui S, Henderson RW (2021). "Chilabothrus fordii ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T15155091A15155181.en. Accessed on 10 April 2023.
- ^ a b Boulenger GA (1893). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume I., Containing the Families ... Boidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I.- XXVIII. (Epicrates fordii, p. 98).
- ^ Schwartz A, Thomas R (1975). A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. ("Epicrates fordi [sic]", p. 184).
- ^ a b c d Species Chilabothrus fordii at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ The species is endemic to Hispaniola. "Epicrates ". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
- ^ Henderson RW, Powell R (2004). "Epicrates fordii ". Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (800): 1–3.
- ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. ("Epicrates fordi [sic]", p. 92).
- ^ Günther A (1861). "On a New Species of the Family Boidae". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1861: 142 + Plate XXIII. (Pelophilus fordii, new species).
Further reading
- McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series), ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
- Reynolds RG, Henderson RW (2018). "Boas of the World (Superfamily Booidae): A Checklist with Systematic, Taxonomic and Conservation Assessments". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 162 (1): 1–58. (Chilabothrus fordii, p. 11).
- Reynolds RG, Niemiller ML, Hedges SB, Dornburg A, Peuente-Rolón AR, Revell LJ (2013). "Molecular phylogeny and historical biogeography of West Indian boid snakes (Chilabothrus)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 68 (3): 461–470.
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