Kingdom Animalia Suborder Serpentes Scientific name Hypoptophis wilsoni Higher classification Hypoptophis Order Scaled reptiles | Subphylum Vertebrata Family Atractaspididae Phylum Chordata Rank Species | |
Genus Hypoptophis
Boulenger, 1908 Similar Elapotinus, Macrelaps, Micrelaps, Amblyodipsas, Pararhadinaea | ||
Hypoptophis is a monotypic genus created for the rear-fanged (opisthoglyphous) venomous snake species, Hypoptophis wilsoni, found in Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized.
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Geographic range
Hypoptophis wilsoni is endemic to southern Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) and Zambia.
Type locality = "Inkongo, on the Sankuru River, in the Kasai Province of the Congo".
Description (diagnosis) of genus
Maxillary very short, with four teeth gradually increasing in size, followed, after an interspace, by two large grooved fangs situated below the eye. Anterior mandibular teeth slightly enlarged. Head small, not distinct from neck. Snout much depressed, very prominent. Rostral very large, with obtuse horizontal edge, concave below. Eye very small, with vertically elliptic pupil. Nostril in a semidivided nasal. No loreal. One preocular, in contact with the nasal. Body cylindrical; tail short. Dorsal scales smooth, without pits, arranged in 15 rows. Ventrals rounded; subcaudals single.
Description of species
Hypoptophis wilsoni is completely blackish brown both dorsally and ventrally.
The holotype, a female, is 56 cm (22 in) in total length, of which 10 cm (3 7⁄8 in) is tail.
Ventrals 118; anal plate entire; subcaudals 36, also entire.
Portion of rostral visible from above as long as its distance from the frontal. Internasals shorter than the prefrontals. Frontal as long as broad, slightly more than twice as broad as the small supraocular. Two postoculars, in contact with the anterior temporal. Temporals 1+1. Seven upper labials, third and fourth entering the eye. Four lower labials in contact with the anterior chin shield. Anterior chin shields slightly longer than the posterior chin shields.
Etymology
The specific name or epithet, wilsoni, is in honor of "Mr. H. Wilson" who presented the first specimen, which became the holotype, to the British Museum (Natural History).