Micrelaps is a genus of rear-fanged mildly venomous snakes. It is the only genus in the family Micrelapidae. The genus is native to Africa and the Middle East, and there are four species that are recognized as being valid.[2]
Until very recently, this genus was classified in the familyAtractaspididae. However, a phylogenomic study published in 2023 on the Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal has concluded that the genus should be re-classified into an autonomous family, apart from Atractaspididae, and thus created a new family called Micrelapidae, which constitutes a new Afro-Asian family of snakes.[3][4]
Descriptionedit
Species in the genus Micrelaps share the following characters: the maxilla is very short, with two teeth, followed, after an interspace, by a very large grooved fang situated below the eye. The mandibular teeth are longest anteriorly. The head is small, and is not distinct from the neck. The eye is minute, and the pupil is round or vertically subelliptic. The nostril is pierced in a single nasal scale. There is no loreal scale. There are no preocular scales, the prefrontal entering the eye. The body is cylindrical, and the tail is short. The dorsal scales are smooth, without pits, and are in 15 rows at midbody. The ventral scales are rounded. The subcaudal scales are in two rows.[1]
Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, eastern Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda
*) Not including the nominate subspeciesT) Type species
Referencesedit
^ abBoulenger GA (1896). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ), ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I–XXV. (Genus Micrelaps, p. 248).
^Das, Sunandan; Greenbaum, Eli; Meiri, Shai; Bauer, Aaron M.; Burbrink, Frank T.; Raxworthy, Christopher J.; Weinell, Jeffrey L.; Brown, Rafe M.; Brecko, Jonathan; Pauwels, Olivier S. G.; Rabibisoa, Nirhy; Raselimanana, Achille P.; Merilä, Juha (2023-03-01). "Ultraconserved elements-based phylogenomic systematics of the snake superfamily Elapoidea, with the description of a new Afro-Asian family". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 180: 107700. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107700. hdl:10138/352742. ISSN 1055-7903.
^"New Snake Family Identified". Tel Aviv University. 2023-03-02. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
^ abGenus Micrelaps at The Reptile Database. Accessed 17 August 2007.
Further readingedit
Böttger O (1880). "Die Reptilien und Amphibien von Syrien, Palaestina und Cypern ". Berichte über die Senckenbergische naturforschender Gesellschaft in Frankfurt am Main1880: 132–219. (Micrelaps, new genus, p. 136). (in German and Latin).
April 10, 2024
micrelaps, genus, rear, fanged, mildly, venomous, snakes, only, genus, family, micrelapidae, genus, native, africa, middle, east, there, four, species, that, recognized, being, valid, muelleriscientific, classificationdomain, eukaryotakingdom, animaliaphylum, . Micrelaps is a genus of rear fanged mildly venomous snakes It is the only genus in the family Micrelapidae The genus is native to Africa and the Middle East and there are four species that are recognized as being valid 2 MicrelapsMicrelaps muelleriScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ReptiliaOrder SquamataSuborder SerpentesSuperfamily ElapoideaFamily MicrelapidaeDas et al 2023Genus MicrelapsBoettger 1880SynonymsElaposchema Mocquard 1888 1 Common names two headed snakes Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Species 4 References 5 Further readingTaxonomy editUntil very recently this genus was classified in the family Atractaspididae However a phylogenomic study published in 2023 on the Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal has concluded that the genus should be re classified into an autonomous family apart from Atractaspididae and thus created a new family called Micrelapidae which constitutes a new Afro Asian family of snakes 3 4 Description editSpecies in the genus Micrelaps share the following characters the maxilla is very short with two teeth followed after an interspace by a very large grooved fang situated below the eye The mandibular teeth are longest anteriorly The head is small and is not distinct from the neck The eye is minute and the pupil is round or vertically subelliptic The nostril is pierced in a single nasal scale There is no loreal scale There are no preocular scales the prefrontal entering the eye The body is cylindrical and the tail is short The dorsal scales are smooth without pits and are in 15 rows at midbody The ventral scales are rounded The subcaudal scales are in two rows 1 Species editGenus Micrelaps five speciesSpecies 2 Taxon author 2 Subsp 2 Common name 5 Geographic range 5 M bicoloratus Sternfeld 1908 moyeri Kenya two headed snake KenyaM boettgeri Boulenger 1896 Boettger s two headed snake Sudan Somalia Ethiopia Kenya UgandaM muelleri Boettger 1880 Mueller s two headed snake Israel Palestine Syria Jordan LebanonM vaillanti Mocquard 1888 Somali two headed snake Ethiopia Kenya Somalia eastern Sudan Tanzania and Uganda Not including the nominate subspecies T Type speciesReferences edit a b Boulenger GA 1896 Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum Natural History Volume III Containing the Colubridae Opisthoglyphae and Proteroglyphae London Trustees of the British Museum Natural History Taylor and Francis printers xiv 727 pp Plates I XXV Genus Micrelaps p 248 a b c d Micrelaps Integrated Taxonomic Information System Retrieved 17 August 2007 Das Sunandan Greenbaum Eli Meiri Shai Bauer Aaron M Burbrink Frank T Raxworthy Christopher J Weinell Jeffrey L Brown Rafe M Brecko Jonathan Pauwels Olivier S G Rabibisoa Nirhy Raselimanana Achille P Merila Juha 2023 03 01 Ultraconserved elements based phylogenomic systematics of the snake superfamily Elapoidea with the description of a new Afro Asian family Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 180 107700 doi 10 1016 j ympev 2022 107700 hdl 10138 352742 ISSN 1055 7903 New Snake Family Identified Tel Aviv University 2023 03 02 Retrieved 2023 03 03 a b Genus Micrelaps at The Reptile Database Accessed 17 August 2007 Further reading editBottger O 1880 Die Reptilien und Amphibien von Syrien Palaestina und Cypern Berichte uber die Senckenbergische naturforschender Gesellschaft in Frankfurt am Main 1880 132 219 Micrelaps new genus p 136 in German and Latin Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Micrelaps amp oldid 1182028588, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
