''Calamaria'' is a large
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 ...
of dwarf burrowing snakes of the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
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 ...
. The genus contains 66 recognized
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
. The genus is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
.
Description
Species in the genus ''Calamaria'' share the following characteristics. The eight to 11
maxilla
In vertebrates, the maxilla (: maxillae ) is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. The two maxil ...
ry teeth are subequal; the anterior
mandibular teeth are somewhat longer than the posterior ones. The head is not distinct from neck; the eye is small, with a round pupil; the nostril is pierced in a minute
nasal scale
In reptiles, the nasal scale refers to the scale that encloses the nostril. Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G (2003). ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. .
Somet ...
. No
loreal,
internasal, or
temporal scales
In reptiles, the temporal scales are located on the side of the head between the parietal scales and the supralabial scales, and behind the postocular scales.U.S. Navy. 1991. Poisonous Snakes of the World. US Govt. New York: Dover Publications Inc ...
are present; the
preocular can be present or absent; the
parietals contact the
labials. The body is cylindrical, with smooth
dorsal scales
In snakes, the dorsal scales are the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, but do not include the ventral scales. Campbell JA, Lamar WW (2004). ''The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere''. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publis ...
, without apical pits, in 13 rows. The tail is short; the
subcaudals are paired.
Species
The following 67 described species in the genus ''Calamaria'' are recognized as being valid.
[
*'' Calamaria abramovi''
*'' Calamaria abstrusa'' – Padang reed snake
*'' Calamaria acutirostris'' – pointed snout reed snake
*'' Calamaria albiventer'' – white-bellied reed snake
*'' Calamaria alcalai'' – Alcala's reed snake
*'' Calamaria alidae'' – Bengkulu reed snake
*'' Calamaria andersoni'' – Anderson's reed snake
*'' Calamaria apraeocularis'' – Apreocular reed snake
*'' Calamaria arcana'' – Lingnan reed snake
*'' Calamaria banggaiensis'' – Banggai reed snake
*'' Calamaria battersbyi'' – Battersby's reed snake
*'' Calamaria bicolor'' – two-colored dwarf snake, bicoloured reed snake
*'' Calamaria bitorques'' – Luzon dwarf snake
*'' Calamaria boesemani'' – Boeseman's reed snake
*'' Calamaria borneensis'' – Bornean reed snake
*'' Calamaria brongersmai'' – Brongersma's reed snake][
*'' Calamaria buchi'' – Dalat dwarf snake, Buch's reed snake
*'' Calamaria butonensis''
*'' Calamaria ceramensis''
*'' Calamaria concolor''
*'' Calamaria crassa'' – thick reed snake
*'' Calamaria curta'' – dark-bellied reed snake
*'' Calamaria doederleini'' – Döderlein's reed snake
*'' Calamaria dominici'' – Dominic's reed snake
*'' Calamaria eiselti'' – Eiselt's reed snake
*'' Calamaria everetti'' – Everett's reed snake
*'' Calamaria forcarti'' – Forcart's reed snake
*'' Calamaria gervaisii'' – Gervais's worm snake, Philippine dwarf snake
*'' Calamaria gialaiensis'' – Gia Lai reed snake
*'' Calamaria grabowskyi'' – Grabowsky's reed snake
*'' Calamaria gracillima'' – slender reed snake
*'' Calamaria griswoldi'' – dwarf reed snake, lined reed snake
*'' Calamaria hilleniusi''
*'' Calamaria ingeri''
*'' Calamaria javanica'' – Javanese reed snake
*'' Calamaria joloensis'' – Jolo worm snake
*'' Calamaria lateralis'' – white-striped reed snake
*'' Calamaria lautensis''
*'' Calamaria leucogaster'' – Ampat Lawang dwarf snake
*'' Calamaria linnaei'' – Linne's dwarf snake
*'' Calamaria longirostris''
*'' Calamaria lovii'' – Lowi's reed snake
*'' Calamaria lumbricoidea'' – variable reed snake
*'' Calamaria lumholtzi'' – Lumholz's reed snake
*'' Calamaria margaritophora'' – stripe-necked reed snake Bleeker's dwarf snake
*'' Calamaria mecheli'' – Mechel's reed snake
*'' Calamaria melanota'' – Kapuas reed snake
*'' Calamaria modesta''
*'' Calamaria muelleri'' – Mueller's reed snake
*'' Calamaria nebulosa'' – clouded reed snake
*'' Calamaria nuchalis'' – narrow-headed reed snake
*'' Calamaria palavanensis'' – Palawan worm snake
*'' Calamaria pavimentata'' – collared reed snake
*'' Calamaria pfefferi'' – Pfeffer's reed snake][ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Calamaria brongersmai'', p. 39; ''C. pfefferi'', p. 205).]
*'' Calamaria prakkei'' – Prakke's reed snake
*'' Calamaria rebentischi'' – Rebentisch's reed snake
*'' Calamaria sangi'' – Sang's reed snake
*'' Calamaria schlegeli'' – pink-headed reed snake
*'' Calamaria schmidti'' – Schmidt's reed snake
*'' Calamaria septentrionalis'' – Hong Kong dwarf snake
*'' Calamaria strigiventris'' – striped-belly reed snake
*'' Calamaria suluensis'' – yellow-bellied reed snake, Sulu reed snake
*'' Calamaria sumatrana'' – Sumatran reed snake, Sumatra dwarf snake
*'' Calamaria thanhi'' [ Ziegler, Thomas; Quyet, Le Khac (2005)]
"A new species of reed snake, ''Calamaria'' (Squamata: Colubridae), from the Central Truong Son (Annamite mountain range), Vietnam"
''Zootaxa'' 1042: 27–38. (''Calamaria thanhi'', new species). – Thanh's reed snake
*'' Calamaria ulmeri'' – Ulmer's reed snake
*'' Calamaria virgulata'' – Boie's dwarf snake, short-tailed reed snake
*'' Calamaria yunnanensis'' – Yunnan reed snake
''Nota bene
( ; plural: ) is the Latin language, Latin phrase meaning ''note well''.
In manuscripts, ''nota bene'' is abbreviated in upper-case as NB and N.B., and in lower-case as n.b. and nb; the editorial usages of ''nota bene'' and ''notate bene'' fi ...
'': A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Calamaria''.
See also
*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 ...
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1896675
Calamaria
Snake genera
Taxa named by Friedrich Boie