Tropidophis feicki
Tropidophis feicki, also known as the broad-banded dwarf boa or Feick's dwarf boa, is a species of snake in the family Tropidophiidae.[1] The species is endemic to Cuba.[2][3]
| Tropidophis feicki | |
|---|---|
 | |
| An individual found in a dense forest south of Bermejas in the Zapata Peninsula. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Tropidophiidae |
| Genus: | Tropidophis |
| Species: | T. feicki |
| Binomial name | |
| Tropidophis feicki Schwartz, 1957 | |
Etymology
The specific name, feicki, is in honor of American biologist John R. Feick.[4]
Description
Tropidophis feicki males can grow to 41 cm (16 in) snout-vent length (SVL), and females to 45 cm (18 in).[3][5] There are 217–235 ventral scales and 34–41 subcaudal scales. The dorsal ground color is grey or pink. There is a saddle pattern dorsally, but no ventral pattern.[5]
Reproduction
Tropidophis feicki is viviparous.[3]
Geographic range
T. feicki is found in western Cuba, from Pedrera de Mendoza and Guane, Pinar del Río Province, east to Pan de Matanzas, Matanzas Province.[6]
Habitat
The preferred habitat of T. feicki is upland caves, cliffs, and talus deposits.[6]
References
- McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
- "Tropidophis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
- Tropidophis feicki at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 26 June 2017.
- Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Tropidophis feicki, p. 88).
- Hedges, S. Blair (2002). "Morphological variation and the definition of species in the snake genus Tropidophis (Serpentes, Tropidophiidae)" (PDF). Bulletin of the Natural History Museum. Zoology Series. London. 68: 83–90. doi:10.1017/S0968047002000092.
- Schwartz A, Thomas R (1975). A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. (Tropidophis feicki, p. 192).
Further reading
- Schwartz A (1957). "A New Species of Boa (Genus Tropidophis) from Western Cuba". American Museum Novitates (1839): 1-8. (Tropidophis feicki, new species).