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Cerberus rynchops

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Cerberus rynchops
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Homalopsidae
Genus: Cerberus
Species:
C. rynchops
Binomial name
Cerberus rynchops
(Schneider, 1799)
Synonyms[2]
  • Hydrus rynchops
    Schneider, 1799
  • Hydrus cinereus
    Shaw, 1802
  • Coluber cerberus
    Daudin, 1803
  • Python rhynchops
    — Merrem, 1820
  • Homalopsis cerberus
    — Fitzinger, 1826
  • Homalopsis molurus
    H. Boie, 1826
  • Homolopsis rhynchops
    — F. Boie, 1827
  • Cerberus cerberus
    Cuvier, 1829
  • Cerberus cinereus
    — Cantor, 1839
  • Cerberus rhynchops
    — Günther, 1864
  • Hurria rynchops
    — Stejneger, 1907
  • Cerberus rynchops
    — M.A. Smith, 1930

Cerberus rynchops, also known as the New Guinea bockadam, South Asian bockadam, bockadam snake, or dog-faced water snake, is a mildly venomous species of a snake in the family Homalopsidae.[1][2] It is native to coastal waters of South and Southeast Asia.[2] The species was re-delimited in 2012, allocating populations east and south of the west coast of Thailand to other species.[3]

Ecology and behaviour

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It is commonly found in mangroves, mudflats, streams, ponds, tidal pools, on algae patches, and has even been found burrowing into the mud.[citation needed] It is rear-fanged and is mildly venomous.[citation needed] An aquatic and nocturnal snake, it feeds mainly on fish and is known to consume eels.[citation needed]

In captivity, it is observed to move in a sidewinding direction on land.[citation needed] In the BBC series 'Life in Cold Blood' it was filmed adapting this sidewinding technique to jump across a mudflat in Singapore; up until then, no snakes were considered able to truly jump.[citation needed] It also has a prehensile tail that would suggest it could climb mangrove trees.[citation needed] It is now known to give birth to live young, numbering from 8 to 30, either in water or on land.[citation needed]

It is a quite docile, mild-tempered and a hardy snake; in recent years it has become a welcome addition to snake hobbyists in the Philippines.[citation needed] It also owes its popularity to its bright yellow to orange belly coloring, mostly of females.[citation needed] In the Philippines, particularly in the Central Visayas area, this snake is commonly known as the "tangkig".[citation needed]

Scalation

Description

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The visibility of upper jaw, giving it a dog-like appearance. Head long and distinct from neck. Eyes small and beady, with rounded pupils. Dorsum dark gray, with faint dark blotches and a dark line along the sides of the head, across the eyes. Center cream with two distinct rows of large, diffuse dark gray spots.[citation needed]

Scales are distinctly keeled. Midbody scale rows 21–25. Ventrals 132–160. Subcaudals 49–72.[citation needed]

Distribution and habitat

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Dog-faced Water Snake, Sundarban, India

This is a saltwater-tolerant species found in India (including Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, and northwestern Malaysia.[2] The eastern limit of its distribution with Cerberus schneiderii is uncertain.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Murphy, J. (2010). "Cerberus rynchops ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T176680A7282653. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T176680A7282653.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Cerberus rynchops at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 12 February 2019.
  3. ^ a b Murphy, J.C.; Voris, H.K.; Karns, D.R. (2012). "The dog-faced water snakes, a revision of the genus Cerberus Cuvier, (Squamata, Serpentes, Homalopsidae), with the description of a new species". Zootaxa. 3484: 1–34. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3484.1.1. Abstract (pdf)

Further reading

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  • Boulenger GA (1890). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. ("Cerberus rhynchops [sic]", pp. 374–375).
  • Karns DR, O'Bannon A, Voris HK, Weigt LA (2000). "Biogeographical implications of mitochondrial DNA variation in the Bockadam snake (Cerberus rynchops, Serpentes, Homalopsinae) in Southeast Asia". Journal of Biogeography 27: 391–402
  • Schneider JG (1799). Historiae Amphibiorum naturalis et literariae. Fasciculus primus, continens Ranas, Calamitas, Bufones, Salamandras et Hydros. Jena: F. Frommann. xiii + 264 pp. + corrigenda + Plate I. (in Latin).
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