Subphylum Vertebrata Suborder Serpentes Scientific name Atractus Rank Genus | Phylum Chordata Higher classification Dipsadinae | |
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Similar Snake, Reptile, Dipsadidae, Xenodontinae, Colubridae | ||
Andean snake atractus modestus
Atractus is a genus of colubrid ground snakes in the subfamily Dipsadinae (or family Dipsadidae). The genus includes more than 140 distinct species.
Contents
Atractus
Geographic range
Snakes of the genus Atractus are endemic to Central and South America.
Description
This snake's maxilla is short, with 8–12 teeth; the maxillary and mandibular teeth decrease in size posteriorly. The head is not distinct from the neck; the eyes are small, with round or subelliptic pupils, and the nostril is between two nasal scales; the preocular is usually absent, and the loreal and prefrontal scales enter the orbit. Its body is cylindrical; the dorsal scales are smooth, without pits, in 15 or 17 rows; the ventral scales are rounded. The tail can be either short or rather long; its subcaudals are paired.
Species
The following species are recognized as being valid.
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Atractus.
