''Chamaelycus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

snake Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...

s, commonly referred to as banded snakes, in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Lamprophiidae The Lamprophiidae are a family of snakes found throughout much of Africa, including the Seychelles. There are 89 species as of July 2022. Biology Lamprophiids are a very diverse group of snakes. Many are terrestrial but some are fossorial (e.g. ...

. The genus is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found 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 found els ...

Central Africa Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, E ...

Species

The following three species are recognized as being valid.. www.reptile-database.org. *''

Chamaelycus christyi ''Chamaelycus'' is a genus of snakes, commonly referred to as banded snakes, in the family Lamprophiidae. The genus is endemic to Central Africa. Species The following three species are recognized as being valid.. www.reptile-database.org. *'' ...

'' Boulenger, 1919 – Christy's banded snake *''

Chamaelycus fasciatus ''Chamaelycus'' is a genus of snakes, commonly referred to as banded snakes, in the family Lamprophiidae. The genus is endemic to Central Africa. Species The following three species are recognized as being valid.. www.reptile-database.org. *'' ...

'' ( Günther, 1858) – African banded snake *''

Chamaelycus parkeri ''Chamaelycus'' is a genus of snakes, commonly referred to as banded snakes, in the family Lamprophiidae. The genus is endemic to Central Africa. Species The following three species are recognized as being valid.. www.reptile-database.org. *'' ...

'' (

Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inc ...

, 1934) – Parker's banded snake ''

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atte ...

'': A

binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Chamaelycus''.

Taxonomy

The species formerly known as ''Chamaelycus werneri'' , is considered to be a synonym of ''C. fasciatus''.

Etymology

The specific names, ''christyi'', ''parkeri'', and ''werneri'', are in honor of Drs. Cuthbert Christy,

Hampton Wildman Parker Hampton Wildman Parker (5 July 1897 – 2 September 1968) was an English zoologist. Parker was Keeper of Zoology at the Natural History Museum from 1947 to 1957. He is the author of several works on snakes and frogs: Parker discovered a new s ...

, and

Franz Werner Franz Josef Maria Werner (15 August 1867 in Vienna – 28 February 1939 in Vienna) was an Austrian zoologist and explorer. Specializing as a herpetologist and entomologist, Werner described numerous species and other taxa of frogs, snakes, ...

, respectively. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Chamaelycus christyi'', p. 54; ''C. parkeri'', p. 200; ''C. werneri'', p. 282).

Species

Taxonomy

Etymology

References

Further reading