Alsophis rufiventris
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| ( Duméril , Bibron & Duméril , 1854) |
Alsophis rufiventris ( Syn. : Dromicus rufiventris ) is a species of snake from the family of snakes . Its current distribution area is limited to the two Dutch Caribbean islands Saba and Sint Eustatius . The specific epithet rufiventris is made up of the Latin terms rufus for "red" and venter for "belly".
Description and behavior
In Alsophis rufiventris is a medium-sized snake, whose representatives can reach a length of up to 92 cm in general. The basic dorsal coloration becomes darker and darker starting from the muzzle and ranges from beige to shades of brown to black. Dark brown stripes run from the nostrils over the eyes and back of the animals. The ventral color ranges from orange-beige to a dirty yellow, as well as on the back it is generally darker towards the tip of the tail. The sexes can be differentiated on the basis of the back pattern: In males, diffuse, black-rimmed, brown spots appear in the middle of the back. Female specimens, on the other hand, have a number of stiffeners and spots that are more to the side of the middle of the back.
The species is diurnal, the animals only rest around noon to avoid the greatest heat of the day. Alsophis rufiventris primarily hunts small rodents and reptiles , which are first stunned with poison and then devoured whole. However, the species is harmless to humans.
Spread and endangerment
Alsophis rufiventris is now endemic to the Caribbean islands of Saba and Sint Eustatius. In the fossil record , the species is also detectable on the neighboring islands of St. Kitts and Nevis , but recent populations no longer exist here. Individual specimens have been found in nearby Sint Maarten , but the existence of a reproductive population is excluded here. In one of the two type specimens (MNHN 3559) acquired by the Museum of the City of Leiden , “ Brazil ” was incorrectly stated as the place of origin. However, the species does not appear here. In their remaining area of distribution , however, the snakes are still present in large numbers, and they can also be found frequently in the immediate vicinity of human settlements and activities. Alsophis rufiventris is not picky about its habitat and inhabits both dry forests and moderately humid areas.
The IUCN classifies the species as vulnerable ("vulnerable") despite stable population numbers . The main reason for this - in addition to the generally small distribution area - is the possible future introduction of mongoose to Saba or Sint Eustatius, which was already responsible for the extinction of the populations in the rest of the historical distribution area. The IUCN believes that such an event would have catastrophic effects on the other two islands as well. In addition, domestic cats introduced and feral by humans pose a threat to Alsophis rufiventris .
literature
- Abigail J. Maley, Aaron Z. Savit, Heather M. Heinz, Robert Powell, Robert W. Henderson: Alsophis rufiventris (Dumeril and Bibron 1854) Red-bellied Racer, Black Racer . In: Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles . Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, February 15, 2006, p. 818 . (available as PDF at utexas.edu (English))
- Anita Malhotra, Roger S. Thorpe: Reptiles & Amphibians of the Eastern Caribbean . Macmillan Education, 2007, ISBN 0-333-69141-5 , pp. 62-63, 67 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Red-bellied racer snake. In: statiapark.wordpress.com. Retrieved January 15, 2019 .
- ↑ Saba Racer Alsophis rufiventris . In: dutchcaribbeanspecies.org. Retrieved January 15, 2019 .
- ↑ JC Daltry, R. Powell: Alsophis rufiventris (errata version published in 2017). In: iucnredlist.org. Retrieved January 14, 2019 .