Aparallactus

Aparallactus is a genus of rear-fanged venomous snakes found in Africa. Currently, 11 species are recognized.[1]

Aparallactus
Aparallactus modestus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Lamprophiidae
Subfamily:	Aparallactinae
Genus:	Aparallactus A. Smith, 1849

Common name: centipede eaters.

Description

Maxillary short, with 6-9 small teeth followed by a large grooved fang situated below the eye. Anterior mandibular teeth longest. Head small, not distinct from neck. Eye small, with round pupil. Nasal entire or divided; no loreal. Body cylindrical; tail moderate or short. Dorsal scales smooth, without pits, arranged in 15 rows. Ventrals rounded; subcaudals single (not divided or paired).[2]

Species

Genus Aparallactus -- 11 species
Species[1]	Taxon author[1]	Subspecies*[1]	Common name[3]	Geographic range[3]
A. capensis^T	A. Smith, 1849	bocagei luebberti punctatolineatus	Cape centipede-eater	Republic of South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A. guentheri	Boulenger, 1895	————	black centipede-eater	Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Angola, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zanzibar.
A. jacksonii	(Günther, 1888)	————	Jackson's centipede-eater	Ethiopia, north Tanzania, south Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda.
A. lineatus	(W. Peters, 1870)	————	lined centipede-eater	Guinea, Liberia, Ghana, Cameroon.
A. lunulatus	(W. Peters, 1854)	nigrocollaris scortecci	reticulated centipede-eater	Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Republic of South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana to Eritrea, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Somalia, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Botswana, Tanzania.
A. modestus	(Günther, 1859)	ubangensis	western forest centipede-eater	Central African Republic, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Gabon.
A. moeruensis	de Witte & Laurent, 1943	————	Zaire centipede-eater	South Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A. niger	Boulenger, 1897	————		Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast.
A. nigriceps	(W. Peters, 1854)	————	Mozambique centipede-eater	South eastern Mozambique around Inhambane.
A. turneri	Loveridge, 1935	————	Malindi centipede-eater	Coastal Kenya.
A. werneri	Boulenger, 1895	————	Usambara centipede-eater	Eastern Tanzania, Usambara and Uluguru Mountains.

*) Not including the nominate subspecies. ^T) Type species.

See also

• Snakebite.

References

1. "Aparallactus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 5 September 2007.
2. Boulenger 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 Aparallactus, pp. 255-256).
3. Aparallactus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 7 May 2009.

Further reading

• Branch, Bill. 2004. Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Genus Aparallactus, p. 63).