Kingdom Animalia Class Reptilia Suborder Serpentes Scientific name Aparallactus werneri | Phylum Chordata Order Squamata Family Atractaspididae Rank Species | |
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Aparallactus werneri, or the Usambara centipede-eater, is a species of venomous rear-fanged snake in the Atractaspididae family.
Contents
Etymology
The specific name, werneri, is in honor of Austrian herpetologist Franz Werner, from whom Boulenger obtained the type series of specimens.
Geographic range
It is endemic to Africa and is found in Eastern Tanzania in Usambara and the Uluguru Mountains.
Description
Dorsally Aparallactus werneri is blackish with a deep black, light-edged nuchal collar. The upper lip is blackish below the eye, and yellowish in front of and behind the eye. Ventrally it is uniformly yellowish.
It may attain 39 cm (15 3⁄8 in) in total length, with a tail 6.5 cm (2 1⁄2 in) long.
The dorsal scales are smooth, without pits, and are arranged in 15 rows. Ventrals 147-160; anal plate entire; subcaudals 32-41, also entire.
Portion of rostral visible from above nearly half as long as its distance from the frontal. Internasals much shorter than the prefrontals. Frontal one and a half times as long as broad, longer than its distance from the end of the snout, as long as the parietals. Nasal entire, in contact with the preocular. Two postoculars, in contact with the anterior temporal. Temporals 1+1. Six upper labials, second and third entering the eye. First lower labial in contact with its fellow behind the mental. Three lower labials in contact with the anterior chin shield. Two pairs of chin shields, the anterior pair broader and slightly longer than the posterior pair.