''Chamaelycus'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
snake
Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...
s,
commonly referred to as banded snakes, in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
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 elsew ...
to
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, ...
.
[
]
Species
The following three species are recognized as being valid.[. www.reptile-database.org.]
*'' Chamaelycus christyi'' Boulenger Boulenger is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Benjamin Boulenger (born 1990), French footballer
* Edward George Boulenger (1888–1946), British zoologist, director of aquarium at London Zoo
* George Albert Boulenger (1858–1 ...
, 1919 – Christy's banded snake
*'' Chamaelycus fasciatus'' ( Günther, 1858) – African banded snake
*'' Chamaelycus parkeri'' (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 include ...
, 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 atten ...
'': 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
Cuthbert Christy (1863 – 29 May 1932) was an English doctor and zoologist who undertook extensive explorations of Central Africa during the first part of the 20th century. He was known for his work on sleeping sickness, and for the Christy Repo ...
, 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 speci ...
, 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, inse ...
, 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).]
References
Further reading
* Boulenger GA (1919). "''Batraciens et reptiles recueillis par le Dr. C. Christy au Congo Belge dans les districts de Stanleyville, Haute-Uelé et Ituri en 1912-1914'' ". ''Revue Zoologique Africaine, Bruxelles'' 7 (1): 1-29. ("''Chamælycus''", new genus, p. 22). (in French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
).
Lamprophiidae
Snake genera
Taxa named by George Albert Boulenger
{{Colubrids-stub