Antilles racer
The Antilles racer (Alsophis antillensis) is a species of snake found in the Caribbean, on the Lesser Antilles islands of Montserrat, Dominica, and Guadeloupe. It is common only on Dominica, where it can be found in all areas except the highest elevations, possibly due to the absence of the mongoose on that island.
| Antilles racer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Antilles racer in Rosalie, Dominica. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Alsophis |
| Species: | A. antillensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Alsophis antillensis Schlegel, 1837 | |
| Subspecies | |
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Psammophis antillensis | |
It can reach nearly a meter in length. It feeds on lizards and small rodents. It rarely bites humans, but may release a foul-smelling (though harmless) cloacal secretion when disturbed.
The Dominican population is alternately described as an endemic subspecies A. a. sibonius, or as an endemic species, A. sibonius. It has a brown ground color, with lighter brown or white splotches that may alternate to form a zig-zag pattern. A. a. manselli is restricted to Montserrat. Populations on Guadeloupe and Marie-Galante have possibly been extirpated.
References
- Malhotra, Anita; Thorpe, Roger S.; Hypolite, Eric; James, Arlington (2007), "A report on the status of the herpetofauna of the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies", Appl. Herpetol., 4: 177–94, doi:10.1163/157075407780681365
- Malhotra, Anita; Thorpe, Roger S. (1999), Reptiles & Amphibians of the Eastern Caribbean, Macmillan Education Ltd., pp. 27, 38–39, 75, 84, 87, 88, 122, ISBN 0-333-69141-5
- Powell, Robert; Henderson, Robert W. (2005), "Conservation Status of Lesser Antillean Reptiles", Iguana, 12 (2): 63–77
External links
Media related to Alsophis antillensis at Wikimedia Commons- Alsophis antillensis at the Reptile Database