Hypsirhynchus melanichnus
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Hypsirhynchus melanichnus | ||||||||||||
| ( Cope , 1862) |
Hypsirhynchus melanichnus ( Syn. : Alsophis melanichnus , English common name : Hispaniola racer ) is probably extinct snake species from the family of snakes . It wasnativeto the island of Hispaniola .
description
Hypsirhynchus melanichnus reached a length of 63 centimeters. The back was uniformly deep olive green. A white stripe ran from the neck to the middle of the body. There were a few white spots on the chin. The olive green was lighter on the stomach than on the back. Most of the ventral scales had narrow, light edges. The lips were light.
Way of life
Little is known about the way of life of Hypsirhynchus melanichnus . It was diurnal and hunted its prey on the ground.
die out
Hypsirhynchus melanichnus is only known from a few museum specimens. The species was last collected in 1910. The reasons for their disappearance have not been adequately researched, but the pursuit of imported mongooses is believed to be one of the main causes.
literature
- Albert Schwartz , Robert W. Henderson: Amphibians and reptiles of the West Indies. Descriptions, distributions, and natural history. University of Florida Press, Gainesville FL 1991, ISBN 0-8130-1049-7 .
- Robert W. Henderson: Consequences of Predator Introductions and Habitat Destruction on Amphibians and Reptiles in the Post-Columbus West Indies. In: Caribbean Journal of Science. Vol. 28, No. 1/2, 1992, ISSN 0008-6452 , pp. 1-10, PDF, online .
- Warren ST Hays, Sheila Conant: Biology and Impacts of Pacific Island Invasive Species. 1. A Worldwide Review of Effects of the Small Indian Mongoose, Herpestes javanicus (Carnivora: Herpestidae). In: Pacific Science. Vol. 61, No. 1, 2007, pp. 3-16, doi : 10.1353 / psc.2007.0006 .