Arrhyton Explained

Arrhyton is a genus of New World snakes, commonly known as island racers or racerlets, in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae. The genus contains nine described species.^[1]

Description

Snakes of the genus Arrhyton share the following characters. The maxillary bone is short, with eight small teeth, which are followed, after a large interspace by a strongly enlarged fang. The mandibular teeth are small and equal. The head is slightly distinct from the neck. The eye is rather small, with a round pupil. The body is cylindrical in cross-section. The dorsal scales are smooth, without apical pits, and are arranged in 15 or 17 rows. The ventrals are rounded. The tail is moderately long. The subcaudals are in two rows.^[2]

Geographic range

Species in the genus Arrhyton are found in Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the British Virgin Islands.

Species

The following species are recognized as being valid.

• Arrhyton ainictum – Cuban island racer
• Arrhyton albicollum – Gibara white-collared racerlet
• Arrhyton dolichura – Habana island racer
• Arrhyton procerum – Zapata long-tailed groundsnake
• Arrhyton redimitum – Oriente brown-capped racerlet
• Arrhyton supernum – Oriente black groundsnake
• Arrhyton taeniatum – Günther's island racer
• Arrhyton tanyplectum – San Vincente island racer
• Arrhyton vittatum – common island racer

Nota bene

A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Arrhyton.

Further reading

• Günther A (1858). Catalogue of Colubrine Snakes in the Collection of the British Museum. London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xvi + 281 pp. (Arrhyton, new genus, p. 240, 244).
• 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. (Arrhyton dolichurum, p. 177; A. taeniatum, p. 178; A. vittatum, pp. 178–179).

Notes and References

1. CCTJZ . Arrhyton . 18 November 2024.
2. Book: George Albert Boulenger . Boulenger . GA . 1894 . Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ . London . Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History) . xi, 1–382 + Plates I–XX.