Pacific boas

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Pacific boas
Pacific boa (Candoia carinata paulsoni)

Pacific boa ( Candoia carinata paulsoni )

Systematics
without rank: Toxicofera
Subordination : Snakes (serpentes)
Superfamily : Boa-like (Booidea)
Family : Boas (Boidae)
Subfamily : Candoiinae
Genre : Pacific boas
Scientific name of the  subfamily
Candoiinae
Pyron , Burbrink & Wiens , 2013
Scientific name of the  genus
Candoia
Gray , 1842

The Pacific boas ( Candoia ) are a genus of boa- like species that inhabit five species of islands in the South Pacific Ocean , from Sulawesi to Papua New Guinea , and Melanesia to Samoa and the Palau Islands . These come in a sympatric manner , i. H. together in the same area, or together with some Python species. In such cases, the different species each occupy different ecological niches.

features

Pacific boas are small to medium-sized giant snakes with a body length of 60 cm to about one meter, with the Pacific tree boa sometimes almost two meters. They have keeled scales and an angled rostral shield , which makes the snout appear sharply pointed when viewed from the side. The head is triangular and clearly set off from the neck. The males have elongated anal spurs. Like all boas, all species are viviparous with the exception of the earth python .

Systematics

The genus Candoia 1842 by the British zoologist John Edward Gray described . Until recently it was assigned to the subfamily of boa snakes (Boinae), but in 2013 it was transferred to the newly established subfamily Candoiinae by Robert Alexander Pyron and colleagues, as, according to a molecular genetic analysis, they are the sister group of a clade of boa snakes (Boinae) and sand boas (Erycidae) is.

species

All species of the Pacific boas are included in Appendix II of the Washington Convention on Endangered Species . This means that the import and export of animals must be approved. Furthermore, animals that are kept privately must be registered with the competent authority (municipality and lower nature conservation authority).

literature

  • Ludwig Trutnau : Non-poisonous snakes, part 1 . 4th edition. Eugen Ulmer GmbH & Co., Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-8001-3223-0 .
  • Robert Alexander Pyron, Frank T. Burbrink, John J. Wiens: A phylogeny and revised classification of Squamata, including 4161 species of lizards and snakes. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 13.1: 93, 2013 doi : 10.1186 / 1471-2148-13-93

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Robert Alexander Pyron, Frank T. Burbrink, John J. Wiens: A phylogeny and revised classification of Squamata, including 4161 species of lizards and snakes. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 13.1: 93, 2013 doi : 10.1186 / 1471-2148-13-93
  2. ↑ Appendices to the agreement at www.cites.org (eng.)

Web links

Commons : Candoia  - collection of images, videos and audio files