• Source: Philodryas

Philodryas is a genus of colubrid snakes endemic to South America, commonly called green snakes.




Description


Species in the genus Philodryas share the following characters:
Head distinct from neck, with distinct canthus rostralis. Eye moderate or large. Pupil round. Body cylindrical or slightly laterally compressed. Tail long.
Dorsal scales arranged in 17 to 23 rows at midbody, more or less obliquely. Subcaudals divided (in two rows).
Maxillary teeth smallest anteriorly, 12–15, followed after a gap by two large grooved fangs located just behind the posterior border of the eye.




Venom


Although colubrid snakes are usually harmless to humans, Philodryas are opisthoglyphous (rear-fanged) snakes and can give a venomous bite.




Species and geographic ranges


There are 16 recognized species.

Philodryas aestiva (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) – N Argentina, Bolivia, SE Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay - Brazilian green racer, common green racer
Philodryas agassizii (Jan, 1863) – Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay - burrowing night snake
Philodryas arnaldoi (Amaral, 1932) – Brazil - Arnaldo's green race
Philodryas baroni Berg, 1895 – N Argentina - Baron's green racer
Philodryas boliviana Boulenger, 1896 – Bolivia - Bolivian racer
Philodryas chamissonis (Wiegmann, 1834) – Chile - Chilean green racer, Chilean long-tailed snake
Philodryas cordata Donnelly & C. Myers, 1991 – Venezuela
Philodryas erlandi Lönnberg, 1902 – Paraguay, southeastern Bolivia, northern Argentina - Miranda green racer
Philodryas livida (Amaral, 1923) – Brazil
Philodryas mattogrossensis Koslowsky, 1898 – Bolivia, SW Brazil, Paraguay - Miranda green racer
Philodryas nattereri Steindachner, 1870 – WC Brazil, Paraguay - Paraguay green racer
Philodryas olfersii (Lichtenstein, 1823) – Argentina, Bolivia, W Brazil, Paraguay, E Peru, Uruguay - Lichtenstein's green racer
Philodryas patagoniensis (Girard, 1858) – Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay - Patagonia green racer
Philodryas psammophidea Günther, 1872 – Argentina, W & S Brazil - Günther's green racer
Philodryas trilineata (Burmeister, 1861) – Argentina
Philodryas varia (Jan, 1863) – Argentina, Bolivia - Jan's green racer
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Philodryas.




References






Further reading



Wagler JG (1830). Natürliches System der Amphibien, mit vorangehender Classification des Säugthiere und Vögel. Ein Beitrag zur vergleichenden Zoologie. Munich, Stuttgart, and Tübingen: J.G. Cotta. vi + 354 pp. (Philodryas, new genus, p. 185). (in German and Latin).
https://serpientesdevenezuela.org/philodryas-viridissima/

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Dipsadinae
• Philodryas
• Philodryas baroni
• Philodryas olfersii
• Philodryas patagoniensis
• Philodryas aestiva
• Philodryas chamissonis
• Philodryas nattereri
• Philodryas boliviana
• Philodryas mattogrossensis
• Philodryas arnaldoi