A Monographic Study of the Colubrid Snake Genus Leptodeira PDF Download
Are you looking for read ebook online? Search for your book and save it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Download A Monographic Study of the Colubrid Snake Genus Leptodeira PDF full book. Access full book title A Monographic Study of the Colubrid Snake Genus Leptodeira by William Edward Duellman. Download full books in PDF and EPUB format.
Author: William Edward Duellman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 183
Get Book Here
Book Description
Author: William Edward Duellman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 183
Get Book Here
Book Description
Author: William Edward Duellman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Colubridae
Languages : en
Pages : 152
Get Book Here
Book Description
"The genus Leptodeira Fitzinger, 1843, includes as absolute synonyms the generic names Megalops Hallowell, 1861, Anoplophallus Cope, 1893, and Pseudoleptodeira Taylor, 1938. Nine species comprise the genus; five of these are monotypic; one embraces five subspecies, one includes four subspecies, and two others each contain three subspecies, making a total of 20 forms. Two subspecies are described as new in this paper. The genus is characterized by maxillary teeth that increase in size posteriorly followed by a diastema and two enlarged, grooved fangs. There are two apical pits, elliptical pupil, divided anal, smooth dorsal scales, normal complement of colubrid head shields, and a capitate hemipenis with many large spines. Four species groups are separated on the nature of the hemipenes, the dentition and certain skull elements, particularly the quadrates, vomers, and maxillaries. Analysis of the characters shows that the most useful in a systematic study of the snakes are the numbers of ventrals, caudals, and dorsal scale rows, the numbers of upper labials and preocular scales, the number, shape, and size of the body blotches, and the nature of the dorsal head pattern. Analysis of numerous character clines shows that parallel clines may exist in two or more species in certain characters, but that in others the clines may diverge. Discontinuous clines are common. In some cases these are correlated with striking morphological changes between populations and become incorporated in the characteristics of subspecies. Studies of the skull of Leptodeira indicate that the skull is a normal colubrid type without striking specializations. Certain skeletal elements readily identify it from related genera. The poison glands (modified posterior portions of parotid glands) are large and produce a venom of sufficient strength to kill small frogs and lizards. The distribution of the genus is essentially throughout the American tropics to elevations of about 2000 meters. Some forms are restricted to semi-arid habitats; others live in tropical rain forest. Two species range from semi-arid to wet forest environments; each has a subspecies adapted to arboreal life in the forest by having a reduced number of dorsal scale rows, enlarged vertebral and paravertebral scale rows, and a laterally compressed body. Snakes of this genus feed primarily on frogs and toads; some lizards are included in the diet. The snakes are nocturnal and appear to reach their greatest abundance at times of congregations of breeding frogs. So far as is known, all species are oviparous and may lay as many as 13 eggs. On penial characters Leptodeira may be placed with Hypsiglena and Trimorphodon as a subgroup of colubrine snakes. If Leptodeira is related to Trimorphodon, they must have diverged early in their evolutionary history. Hypsiglena and Leptodeira are closely related and evolved from a common ancestral stock. The African snakes of the genus Crotaphopeltis that have been placed in the genus Leptodeira represent a separate evolutionary line of colubrine snakes. Based on the Cenozoic history of tropical America, studies of the morphology and distribution of the snakes, and the fossil record of other animals, the evolutionary history of Leptodeira has been reconstructed. This shows that Leptodeira and Hypsiglena underwent generic differentiation from a common ancestral stock in southern México during the early Miocene. By middle Miocene time the groups of Leptodeira had diverged. The present distribution and differentiation are a result of the effects of sea portals across Middle America that isolated populations often for long periods of time, and the Cenozoic orogenies that changed the uniform climatic conditions of Middle America and produced arid as well as humid habitats"--P. 143.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Get Book Here
Book Description
Author: William Edward Duellman
Publisher: Good Press
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 22
Get Book Here
Book Description
This report pertains to the author's re-analysis of a previously discovered snake species, which was thought to belong to either the genera Leptodeira or Hypsiglena. After further study, the author determined that the species cannot be categorized to either genus, and should instead be grouped under an entirely new one named Tantalophis.
Author: Bernard E. Willard
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Leptodeira
Languages : en
Pages : 316
Get Book Here
Book Description
Author: Klaus - Dieter Schulz
Publisher:
ISBN: 9788090169982
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 439
Get Book Here
Book Description
General overview and species accounts of Elaphe, including species placed by others in the genera Bogertophis, Gonyosoma, and Senticolis
Author: John Wellman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Get Book Here
Book Description
Author:
Publisher: Academy of Natural Sciences
ISBN: 9781437955200
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 392
Get Book Here
Book Description
Author: John E. Cadle
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780520099562
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 92
Get Book Here
Book Description
This monograph addresses questions concerning the evolutionary history of advanced snakes using molecular phylogenetic data. Viperids are the sister group of the other clades examined. Atractaspis may share a lineage with elapids. The study concludes that, because of sampling problems, many generalizations concerning snake evolution derived from the fossil record, particularly those about the age of lineages, are probably in error.
Author: William Edward Duellman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Serpents
Languages : en
Pages : 9
Get Book Here
Book Description
