Epicrates fordii
| Epicrates fordii | |
|---|---|
 | |
| illustration by G.H. Ford, for whom this species is named | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Boidae |
| Genus: | Epicrates |
| Species: | E. fordii |
| Binomial name | |
| Epicrates fordii (Günther, 1861) | |
| Synonyms | |
Epicrates fordii, known commonly as the Haitian ground boa, is a species of snake in the Boidae family.[3]
Geographic range
It is found in Hispaniola of Île de la Gonâve, Isla Saona, and Île à Cabrit in the Gulf of Gonâve.
Etymology
The specific name, fordii, is in honor of South African-born George Henry Ford,[4] artist at the British Museum (Natural History), "whose merits in herpetology are well known by his truly artistical [sic] drawings".[5]
Description
Epicrates fordii is a medium-sized snake. Adults may attain a total length of 74 cm (29 1⁄8 in), which includes a tail 12.5 cm (4 7⁄8 in) long.
Dorsally it has a ground color that is pale olive, yellowish, or reddish, overlaid by a series of transverse dark brown blotches, which are oval or kidney-shaped, with blackish borders. Some of these blotches may merge to form a wide wavy stripe in some places. Ventrally it is yellowish, with small brown spots.
The smooth dorsal scales are arranged in 33-43 rows. Ventrals 250-265; anal plate entire; subcaudals 70-80 also entire.
On the dorsal surface of the head, the large frontal contacts the supraoculars; the remainder is covered by small irregular plates. There are 13 or 14 upper labials, without labial pits.[1]
Subspecies
Three subspecies are recognized, including the nominate race.
- Epicrates fordii fordii (Günther, 1861)
- Epicrates fordii agametus Sheplan & Schwartz, 1974
- Epicrates fordii manototus Schwartz, 1979
References
- 1 2 Boulenger, G.A. 1893. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume I., Containing the Families ... Boidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I.- XXVIII. (Epicrates fordii, p. 98).
- ↑ Schwartz, Albert, and Richard Thomas. 1975. A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. (Epicrates fordi, p. 184).
- ↑ "Epicrates". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
- ↑ Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M. 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. ("Epicrates fordi [sic]", p. 92).
- ↑ Günther, A. 1861. On a New Species of the Family Boidae. Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1861: 142 + Plate XXIII. (Pelophilus fordii)