Tropidophis Explained

Tropidophis, common name Caribbean dwarf boas, wood snakes or West Indian wood snakes,^[1] is a genus of dwarf boas endemic to the West Indies and South America. Currently, either 17 or 33 species are recognized, depending on the authority.

Description

Adults grow to between 30and in total length (including tail). They are secretive and predominantly terrestrial, found in a variety of natural habitats, including rain forest, swamps, pine woods and scrub, as well as in the vicinity of human habitation. They have an interesting defensive habit of Autohaemorrhaging from the mouth, nostrils and eyes when disturbed.^[2] Some species also change colour over the course of the day.^[2]

Despite their relatively small size and secretive nature, some species may be susceptible to extirpation, mainly due to habitat alteration and introduced feral animals. The Navassa Island dwarf boa (T. bucculentus) has not been seen for 100 years and is believed to be extinct.

Distribution and habitat

Found in the West Indies, including Cuba, and in South America (Brazil, Peru and Ecuador).

Species

Species	Taxon author	Subsp.*	Common name	Geographic range
Tropidophis battersbyi	Laurent, 1949	0	Battersby's dwarf boa	Ecuador
Tropidophis bucculentus	(Cope, 1868)	0	Navassa Island dwarf boa	Navassa Island
Tropidophis canus	(Cope, 1868)	3	Bahamian pygmy boa constrictor	the Bahamas
Tropidophis caymanensis	Battersby, 1938	2	Cayman Islands dwarf boa	the Cayman Islands
Tropidophis feicki	Schwartz, 1957	0	broad-banded dwarf boa	western Cuba
Tropidophis fuscus	Hedges & Garrido, 1992	0	Cuban dusky dwarf boa	northeastern Cuba
Tropidophis greenwayi	Barbour & Shreve, 1936	1	Caicos Islands dwarf boa	the Caicos Islands
Tropidophis haetianus	(Cope, 1879)	5	Haitian dwarf boa	Hispaniola and adjacent islands
Tropidophis maculatus	(Bibron, 1840)	0	spotted red dwarf boa	western Cuba
Tropidophis melanurusT	(Schlegel, 1837)	2	dusky dwarf boa	Cuba and adjacent islands
Tropidophis nigriventris	Bailey, 1937	0	black-bellied dwarf boa	central Cuba
Tropidophis pardalis	(Gundlach, 1840)	0	leopard dwarf boa	Cuba and adjacent islands
Tropidophis paucisquamis	(F. Müller, 1901)	0	Brazilian dwarf boa	Brazil in Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo
Tropidophis pilsbryi	Bailey, 1937	1	Cuban white-necked dwarf boa	central and eastern Cuba
Tropidophis semicinctus	(Gundlach & W. Peters, 1864)	0	yellow-banded dwarf boa	western and central Cuba
Tropidophis taczanowskyi	(Steindachner, 1880)	0	Taczanowski's dwarf boa	Amazonian Peru and Ecuador
Tropidophis wrighti	Stull, 1928	0	Wright's dwarf boa	eastern Cuba

• ) Not including the nominate subspecies.

^T) Type species.

The Reptile Database includes these further species:

Species	Taxon author	Subsp.*	Common name	Geographic range
Tropidophis cacuangoae	(Hedges, Estrada & Díaz, 1999)	0		Ecuador
Tropidophis celiae	(Hedges, Estrada & Díaz, 1999)	0	Canasi dwarf boa	Cuba and adjacent islands
Tropidophis curtus	(Garman, 1887)	0	Northern Bahamas dwarf boa	the Bahamas
Tropidophis galacelidus	Schwartz & Garrido, 1975	0	Escambray white-necked dwarf boa	central Cuba
Tropidophis grapiuna	Curcio, Sales-Nunes, Suzart-Argolo, Skuk & Rodrigues, 2012	0		Brazil
Tropidophis hardyi	Schwartz & Garrido, 1975	0	Escambray small-headed dwarf boa	Cuba
Tropidophis hendersoni	Hedges & Garrido, 2002	0	Cuban khaki dwarf boa	Cuba
Tropidophis jamaicensis	Stull, 1928	0	Jamaican dwarf boa	Jamaica
Tropidophis leonae	Landestoy, 2023	0	Jaragua golden trope	Dominican Republic
Tropidophis morenoi	Hedges, Garrido & Díaz, 2001	0	zebra dwarf boa	Cuba
Tropidophis parkeri	Grant, 1941	0	Parker's dwarf boa[3]	Little Cayman Island
Tropidophis preciosus	Curcio, Sales Nunes, Suzart Argolo, Skuk & Rodrigues, 2012	0		Brazil
Tropidophis schwartzi	Thomas, 1963	0	Schwartz's dwarf boa	the Cayman Islands
Tropidophis spiritus	Hedges & Garrido, 1999	0	Sancti Spíritus dwarf boa	Cuba
Tropidophis steinleini	Díaz & Cádiz, 2020	0		Cuba
Tropidophis stejnegeri	Grant, 1940	0	Stejneger's dwarf boa	northern Jamaica
Tropidophis stullae	Grant, 1940	0	Stull's dwarf boa	southern Jamaica
Tropidophis xanthogaster	Domínguez, Moreno & Hedges, 2006	0	Guanahacabibes dwarf boa	Cuba

• ) Not including the nominate subspecies.

There are currently 33 species, in which 26 of them are West Indian and 15 of them are Cuban. The 15 species in Cuba are the most diverse.^[4]

Further reading

• Bibron G (1843). In: de la Sagra R (1843). Historia fisica, politica y natural de la isla de Cuba. Segunda parte historia natural. Tomo IV. Reptiles y peces. Paris: Bertrand. 255 pp. + Plates I-V. (Tropidophis, new genus, p. 124). (in Spanish).
• Boulenger GA (1893). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I., Containing the Families ... Boidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I-XXVIII. (Genus Ungalia [=''Tropidophis''], p. 110).
• Freiberg M (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. . (Genus Tropidophis, pp. 44, 80, 88, 188).
• Schwartz A, Thomas R (1975). A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. (12 species of Tropidophis, pp. 191–196).

Notes and References

1. [Hampton Wildman Parker|Parker HW]
2. 10.1163/156853806778190088 . 27 . 427–432 . Domínguez . Michel . species:Michel Domínguez . Luis V. Moreno . species:Luis V. Moreno . S. Blair Hedges . Stephen Blair Hedges . A new snake of the genus Tropidophis (Tropidophiidae) from the Guanahacabibes Peninsula of Western Cuba. Amphibia-Reptilia. August 2006. 3. free.
3. [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]
4. Hedges . S. Blair . November 2002 . Morphological variation and the definition of species in the snake genus Tropidophis (Serpentes, Tropidophiidae) . Bulletin of the Natural History Museum, Zoology Series . en . 68 . 2 . 83–90 . 10.1017/S0968047002000092 . 1475-2980.