Common names: Cameroon racer.

Poecilopholis is a monotypic

Monotypic

In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...

 genus

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...

 created for the fangless venomous snake

Venomous snake

"Poisonous snake" redirects here. For true poisonous snakes, see Rhabdophis.Venomous snakes are snakes which have venom glands and specialized teeth for the injection of venom...

 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...

, Poecilopholis cameronensis, which is endemic to Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

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Geographic range

As the specific name implies, Poecilopholis cameronensis is found in Cameroon

Cameroon

Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...

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Description of genus

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...

 (diagnosis)

Maxillary with about ten small subequal teeth. Head small, not distinct from neck. Eye small, with round pupil. Nostril pierced in a single nasal. No internasals. Only one prefrontal, in contact with the rostral. No loreal, preocular in contact with the nasal. Body cylindrical; tail short. Dorsal scales smooth, without apical pits, in 15 rows. Subcaudals in two rows.

Description of 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...

Dorsally blackish olive, the lateral scales with whitish centers. Upper lip and a triangular patch from behind the upper labials to the outer border of the parietal white. Ventrally white, the ventral scales edged with dark olive.

The type specimen is 52 cm (20½ inches) in total length, with a tail 43 mm (1⅝ inch) long.

Dorsal scales smooth, without apical pits, in 15 rows. Ventrals 178; anal plate divided; subcaudals also divided.

Snout rounded. Rostral bent over the snout between the rather large nasals, forming a suture with the single prefrontal. Prefrontal twice as broad as long. Frontal slightly longer than broad, slightly longer than the prefrontal, ⅔ the length of the parietals. One preocular, and two postoculars. An elongate anterior temporal. Five upper labials, third entering the eye. Three lower labials in contact with the anterior chin shield. Two pairs of small chin shields, the anterior pair slightly shorter than the posterior pair.