''Gonyosoma'' 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 ...
of snakes 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 ...
. The genus is endemic to
South Asia
South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...
.
Description
There are a few distinct morphological characteristics that distinguish ''Gonyosoma'' from ''
Elaphe
''Elaphe'' is a genus of snakes in the family Colubridae. ''Elaphe'' is one of the main genera of the rat snakes, which are found in many regions of the northern hemisphere. ''Elaphe'' species are medium to large constrictors by nature.
Based ...
''.
In scutellation there are 2-3 supralabials that contact the eye, with typically two in ''G. oxycephalum'',
and three in ''G. jansenii''. The supralabial at the posterior of the eye is highly arched around the back of the eye. The loreal scale is thin and elongate, and appears stretched between the preocular and the nasal.
Other diagnostic features is an elongate left rudimentary lung (70–141 mm),
and a distinct hemipenes structure.
Behavior
These snakes have the ability to laterally compress and inflate the first third of their bodies when threatened.
The inflated region is typically recoiled into an S, which is elevated above the horizontal forming a typical striking position. The inflation of the body exposes the black and white diagonal bands of the interstitial skin, which is particularly distinct in ''G. oxycephalum'' (Schulz 1996). In combination these adaptations impose a most ominous threat!
Species
The following 8 species are recognized as being valid.
["''Gonyosoma'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.]
''
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 taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, altho ...
in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Gonyosoma''.
The species formerly known as ''
Gonyosoma cantoris'' and ''
Gonyosoma hodgsoni'' have been assigned to the genus ''
Othriophis'' as ''Othriophis cantoris'' and ''Othriophis hodgsoni'', respectively.
References
Further reading
*
Wagler J. 1828. ''Descriptiones et Icones Amphibiorum''. Munich, Stuttgart and Tübingen: J.G. Cotta. Plates I-XXXVI + 81 unnumbered pages. (''Gonyosoma'', new genus, Plate IX + 2 unnumbered pages). (in
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
and
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
).
{{Authority control
Gonyosoma
Rat snakes
Snake genera
Taxa named by Johann Georg Wagler