Polemon barthii
Encyclopedia
Polemon barthii, or the Guinea snake-eater, is a species
of venomous rear-fanged snake
in the Atractaspididae
family. It is endemic to Africa
.
explorer Heinrich Barth
.
Adults may attain a total length of 81 cm (31⅞ inches), with a tail 4 cm (1½ inch) long.
Dorsal scales smooth, without apical pits, arranged in 15 rows. Ventrals 221-226; anal plate entire; subcaudals 16-18, also entire.
Diameter of eye ⅓ to ½ its distance from the mouth. Rostral wider than high, barely visible from above. Internasals as long as or slightly shorter than the prefrontals. Frontal slightly broader than the supraocular, 1⅓ to 1½ times as long as broad, as long as its distance from the rostral, much shorter than the parietals. One preocular, in contact with the nasal. One or two postoculars. Temporals 1+1. Seven upper labials, third and fourth entering the eye. Four lower labials in contact with the anterior chin shield. First lower labial forming a suture with its fellow behind the mental. Two pairs of chin shields, the anterior pair longer than the posterior pair.
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...
of venomous rear-fanged 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...
in the Atractaspididae
Atractaspididae
The Atractaspididae are a family of snakes found in Africa and the Middle East. Currently, 12 genera are recognized.-Description:This family includes many genera formerly classed in other families, on the basis of fang type. It includes fangless , rear-fanged , fixed-fanged , and viper-like species...
family. It 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...
.
Etymology
The specific name, barthii, is in honor of GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
explorer Heinrich Barth
Heinrich Barth
Heinrich Barth was a German explorer of Africa and scholar.Barth is one of the greatest of the European explorers of Africa, not necessarily because of the length of his travels or the time he spent alone without European company in Africa, but because of his singular character.-Biography:Barth...
.
Description
Dorsally Polemon barthii is olive-gray, the dorsal scales edged with black. The back of the head is yellowish white. Ventrally it is yellowish white.Adults may attain a total length of 81 cm (31⅞ inches), with a tail 4 cm (1½ inch) long.
Dorsal scales smooth, without apical pits, arranged in 15 rows. Ventrals 221-226; anal plate entire; subcaudals 16-18, also entire.
Diameter of eye ⅓ to ½ its distance from the mouth. Rostral wider than high, barely visible from above. Internasals as long as or slightly shorter than the prefrontals. Frontal slightly broader than the supraocular, 1⅓ to 1½ times as long as broad, as long as its distance from the rostral, much shorter than the parietals. One preocular, in contact with the nasal. One or two postoculars. Temporals 1+1. Seven upper labials, third and fourth entering the eye. Four lower labials in contact with the anterior chin shield. First lower labial forming a suture with its fellow behind the mental. Two pairs of chin shields, the anterior pair longer than the posterior pair.