''Borikenophis'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...

s in the family

Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from , 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest fossil species of the family date back to the Late Eocene epoch, with earlier origins suspected. C ...

endemic to the Puerto Rican archipelago and the

Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands () are an archipelago between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and northeastern Caribbean Sea, geographically forming part of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, Caribbean islands or West Indie ...

Etymology

The genus name comes from ''Borikén'', the

Taíno The Taíno are the Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, Indigenous peoples of the Greater Antilles and surrounding islands. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the principal inhabitants of most of what is now The ...

word for

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

and ''ophis'', Greek for "snake".

Species

Listed alphabetically.''Borikenophis''
The Reptile Database * '' Borikenophis portoricensis'' (Reinhardt & Lütken, 1862) – Puerto Rican racer (Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands) * ''

Borikenophis prymnus The Puerto Rican racer (''Borikenophis prymnus'') www.reptile-database.org. is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the island of Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, ...

'' (Schwartz, 1966) – Puerto Rican racer (Puerto Rico) * '' Borikenophis sanctaecrucis'' (Cope, 1862) – St. Croix racer (St. Croix,

U.S. Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and a territory of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located ...

) - possibly

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

* '' Borikenophis variegatus'' (Schmidt, 1926) – Mona racer ( Mona Island)

References

Borikenophis Snakes of the Caribbean {{Dipsadinae-stub