Madagascarophis
Encyclopedia
Madgascarophis is a genus
of small, mildly venomous colubrid
snake
s native to the island of Madagascar
. They are commonly referred to as Malagasy Cat-eyed Snakes. There are four species
in the genus.
s, brown
s, yellow
s, green
s, and oranges with darker colored blotches. They have large eye
s with vertical pupil
s.
but capable of climbing and are strong swimmers. They feed on a variety of things, including chameleon
s and rodent
s. Their venom is mild and often not powerful enough to subdue their chosen prey items, so they also employ constriction
as necessary.
trade, and for educational research. The Ophidian Research Colony of the University of Texas at Tyler
is known to keep a breeding group of M. colubrinus.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of small, mildly venomous colubrid
Colubrid
A colubrid is a member of the snake family Colubridae. This broad classification of snakes includes about two-thirds of all snake species on earth. The earliest species of the snake family date back to the Oligocene epoch. With 304 genera and 1,938 species, Colubridae is the largest snake family...
snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s native to the island of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. They are commonly referred to as Malagasy Cat-eyed Snakes. There are four species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
in the genus.
Species
- Madagascarophis citrinus (BoettgerOskar BoettgerOskar Boettger was a German zoologist who was a native of Frankfurt am Main. He was an uncle of the noted malacologist Caesar Rudolf Boettger ....
, 1877) - Madagascarophis colubrinus
- Madagascarophis colubrinus colubrinus (SchlegelHermann SchlegelHermann Schlegel was a German ornithologist and herpetologist.-Early life and education:Schlegel was born at Altenburg, the son of a brassfounder. His father collected butterflies, which stimulated Schlegel's interest in natural history...
, 1837) - Madagascarophis colubrinus insularis (Domergue, 1987)
- Madagascarophis colubrinus occidentalis (Domergue, 1987)
- Madagascarophis colubrinus pastoriensis (Domergue, 1987)
- Madagascarophis colubrinus septentrionalis (Domergue, 1987)
- Madagascarophis meridionalis (Domergue, 1987)
- Madagascarophis ocellatus (Domergue, 1987)
Description
Madgascarophis species are small snakes, rarely exceeding 100 cm in adult size. They are highly variable in color, greyGrey
Grey or gray is an achromatic or neutral color.Complementary colors are defined to mix to grey, either additively or subtractively, and many color models place complements opposite each other in a color wheel. To produce grey in RGB displays, the R, G, and B primary light sources are combined in...
s, brown
Brown
Brown is a color term, denoting a range of composite colors produced by a mixture of orange, red, rose, or yellow with black or gray. The term is from Old English brún, in origin for any dusky or dark shade of color....
s, yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
s, green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
s, and oranges with darker colored blotches. They have large eye
Eye
Eyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...
s with vertical pupil
Pupil
The pupil is a hole located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to enter the retina. It appears black because most of the light entering the pupil is absorbed by the tissues inside the eye. In humans the pupil is round, but other species, such as some cats, have slit pupils. In...
s.
Behavior
Malagasy cat-eyed snakes are found in a wide variety of habitats throughout the island of Madagascar, from montane regions to rain forest. Primarily nocturnal and terrestrialTerrestrial animal
Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...
but capable of climbing and are strong swimmers. They feed on a variety of things, including chameleon
Chameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
s and rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s. Their venom is mild and often not powerful enough to subdue their chosen prey items, so they also employ constriction
Constriction
Constriction is a method used by various snake species to kill their prey. Although some species of venomous and mildly-venomous snakes do use constriction to subdue their prey, most snakes which use constriction lack venom. The snake initially strikes at its prey and holds on, pulling the prey...
as necessary.
In captivity
Madagascarophis colubrinus and Madagascar occellatus are frequently imported for the exotic petPet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
trade, and for educational research. The Ophidian Research Colony of the University of Texas at Tyler
University of Texas at Tyler
The University of Texas at Tyler, also referred to as UT Tyler, is a coeducational public university located in Tyler, Texas. Founded in 1971, it is a component institution of the University of Texas System....
is known to keep a breeding group of M. colubrinus.