Common name: centipede eaters.Aparallactus is a genus of rear-fanged mildly venomous snakes in the family Atractaspididae. The genus is endemic to Africa. 11 species are recognized as being valid.
Species in the genus Aparallactus have a short maxilla, with 6-9 small teeth followed by a large grooved fang situated below the eye. The anterior mandibular teeth are the longest. The head is small, not distinct from the neck. The eye is small, with a round pupil. The nasal is entire or divided. There is no loreal scale. The body is cylindrical. The tail is moderate or short. The dorsal scales are smooth, without pits, and are arranged in 15 rows. The ventrals are rounded. The subcaudals are single (not divided nor paired).[1]
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| Genus Aparallactus -- 11 species | ||||
| Species | Taxon author | Subspecies* | Common name | Geographic range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. capensisT | A. Smith, 1849 | bocagei luebberti punctatolineatus | Cape centipede-eater | Republic of South Africa, Eswatini, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of the Congo. |
| A. guentheri | Boulenger, 1895 | ———— | black centipede-eater | Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Angola, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zanzibar. |
| A. jacksonii | (Günther, 1888) | ———— | Jackson's centipede-eater | Ethiopia, north Tanzania, south Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda. |
| A. lineatus | (W. Peters, 1870) | ———— | lined centipede-eater | Guinea, Liberia, Ghana, Cameroon. |
| A. lunulatus | (W. Peters, 1854) | nigrocollaris scortecci | reticulated centipede-eater | Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Republic of South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana to Eritrea, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Somalia, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Botswana, Tanzania. |
| A. modestus | (Günther, 1859) | ubangensis | western forest centipede-eater | Central African Republic, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Gabon. |
| A. moeruensis | de Witte & Laurent, 1943 | ———— | Zaire centipede-eater | South Democratic Republic of the Congo. |
| A. niger | Boulenger, 1897 | ———— | Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast. | |
| A. nigriceps | (W. Peters, 1854) | ———— | Mozambique centipede-eater | South eastern Mozambique around Inhambane. |
| A. turneri | Loveridge, 1935 | ———— | Malindi centipede-eater | Coastal Kenya. |
| A. werneri | Boulenger, 1895 | ———— | Usambara centipede-eater | Eastern Tanzania, Usambara and Uluguru Mountains. |