Tropidophiidae

Cuban Zwergboa ( Tropidophis melanurus )

The Erdboas ( Tropidophiidae ) are a snake family that occurs in Cuba, the Cayman Islands and Caicos Islands, and northwestern South America.

Features

Erdboas are small to medium sized snakes and show both original and derived characteristics. Among the primitive include the remnants of the pelvic girdle, which are still present in all species except one. Among the derived features include the well-developed Tracheallungen. In contrast to the boas and pythons not the right lung is reduced in the Erdboas, but the left was re-formed or missing. Both ovaries are well developed. The hyoid horns are close together and are aligned in parallel. Heat-sensitive Labialgruben missing.

How the actual boa snakes are the Erdboas ovoviviparous, that give birth to live young.

Genera and species

There are two genera with 25 species:

  • Genus Trachyboa Peters, 1860 Rauhschuppenboa ( Trachyboa boulengeri ) Peracca, 1910
  • Trachyboa gularis Peters, 1860
  • Tropidophis battersbyi Laurent, 1949
  • Bahamian Pygmy Boa ( Tropidophis canus ) ( Cope, 1868)
  • Tropidophis caymanensis Battersby, 1938
  • Tropidophis celiae Hedges, Estrada & Díaz, 1999
  • Tropidophis feicki Schwartz, 1957
  • Tropidophis fuscus Hedges & Garrido, 1992
  • Tropidophis greenwayi Barbour & Shreve, 1936
  • Tropidophis haetianus ( Cope, 1879)
  • Tropidophis hendersoni Hedges & Garrido, 2002
  • Tropidophis maculatus ( Bibron, 1843)
  • Cuban Zwergboa ( Tropidophis melanurus ) ( Schlegel, 1837)
  • Tropidophis morenoi hedges, Garrido & Díaz, 2001
  • Tropidophis nigriventris Bailey, 1937
  • Tropidophis pardalis ( Gundlach, 1840)
  • Tropidophis paucisquamis (Müller, 1901)
  • Tropidophis pilsbryi Bailey, 1937
  • Tropidophis semicinctus ( Gundlach & Peters, 1864)
  • Tropidophis spiritus Hedges & Garrido, 1999
  • Tropidophis taczanowskyi ( Steindachner, 1880)
  • Tropidophis wrighti Stull, 1928
  • Tropidophis xanthogaster Domínguez, Moreno & Hedges, 2006

In addition to the recent species, some extinct from Europe, North and South America are known, including Messelophis from the Messel Pit.

Squamata
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