Calamaria Explained

Calamaria is a large genus of dwarf burrowing^[1] snakes^[2] of the family Colubridae. The genus contains 66 recognized species.^[3] The genus is endemic to Asia.^[4]

Description

Species in the genus Calamaria share the following characteristics. The eight to 11 maxillary teeth are subequal; the anterior mandibular teeth are somewhat longer than the posterior ones. The head is not distinct from neck; the eye is small, with a round pupil; the nostril is pierced in a minute nasal scale. No loreal, internasal, or temporal scales are present; the preocular can be present or absent; the parietals contact the labials. The body is cylindrical, with smooth dorsal scales, without apical pits, in 13 rows. The tail is short; the subcaudals are paired.^[5]

Species

The following 67 described species in the genus Calamaria are recognized as being valid.

• Calamaria abramovi
• Calamaria abstrusa – Padang reed snake
• Calamaria acutirostris – pointed snout reed snake
• Calamaria albiventer – white-bellied reed snake
• Calamaria alcalai ^[6] – Alcala's reed snake
• Calamaria alidae – Bengkulu reed snake
• Calamaria andersoni – Anderson's reed snake
• Calamaria apraeocularis – Apreocular reed snake
• Calamaria arcana – Lingnan reed snake
• Calamaria banggaiensis – Banggai reed snake
• Calamaria battersbyi – Battersby's reed snake
• Calamaria bicolor – two-colored dwarf snake, bicoloured reed snake
• Calamaria bitorques – Luzon dwarf snake
• Calamaria boesemani – Boeseman's reed snake
• Calamaria borneensis – Bornean reed snake
• Calamaria brongersmai – Brongersma's reed snake
• Calamaria buchi – Dalat dwarf snake, Buch's reed snake
• Calamaria butonensis
• Calamaria ceramensis
• Calamaria concolor
• Calamaria crassa – thick reed snake
• Calamaria curta – dark-bellied reed snake
• Calamaria doederleini – Döderlein's reed snake
• Calamaria dominici – Dominic's reed snake
• Calamaria eiselti – Eiselt's reed snake
• Calamaria everetti – Everett's reed snake
• Calamaria forcarti – Forcart's reed snake
• Calamaria gervaisii – Gervais's worm snake, Philippine dwarf snake
• Calamaria gialaiensis – Gia Lai reed snake
• Calamaria grabowskyi – Grabowsky's reed snake
• Calamaria gracillima – slender reed snake
• Calamaria griswoldi – dwarf reed snake, lined reed snake
• Calamaria hilleniusi
• Calamaria ingeri
• Calamaria javanica – Javanese reed snake
• Calamaria joloensis – Jolo worm snake
• Calamaria lateralis – white-striped reed snake
• Calamaria lautensis
• Calamaria leucogaster – Ampat Lawang dwarf snake
• Calamaria linnaei – Linne's dwarf snake
• Calamaria longirostris
• Calamaria lovii – Lowi's reed snake
• Calamaria lumbricoidea – variable reed snake
• Calamaria lumholtzi – Lumholz's reed snake
• Calamaria margaritophora – stripe-necked reed snake Bleeker's dwarf snake
• Calamaria mecheli – Mechel's reed snake
• Calamaria melanota – Kapuas reed snake
• Calamaria modesta
• Calamaria muelleri – Mueller's reed snake
• Calamaria nebulosa – clouded reed snake
• Calamaria nuchalis – narrow-headed reed snake
• Calamaria palavanensis – Palawan worm snake
• Calamaria pavimentata – collared reed snake
• Calamaria pfefferi – Pfeffer's reed snake^[7]
• Calamaria prakkei – Prakke's reed snake
• Calamaria rebentischi – Rebentisch's reed snake
• Calamaria sangi – Sang's reed snake
• Calamaria schlegeli – pink-headed reed snake
• Calamaria schmidti – Schmidt's reed snake
• Calamaria septentrionalis – Hong Kong dwarf snake
• Calamaria strigiventris – striped-belly reed snake
• Calamaria suluensis – yellow-bellied reed snake, Sulu reed snake
• Calamaria sumatrana – Sumatran reed snake, Sumatra dwarf snake
• Calamaria thanhi ^[8] – Thanh's reed snake
• Calamaria ulmeri – Ulmer's reed snake
• Calamaria virgulata – Boie's dwarf snake, short-tailed reed snake
• Calamaria yunnanensis – Yunnan reed snake

Nota bene

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

See also

• Colubridae

Notes and References

1. http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/snakes/schmidts_reed-snake.htm Ecologyasia.com
2. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Calamaria.html Animaldiversity.Umich.edu
3. Web site: Biologi.lipi.go.id . 2010-05-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101225093715/http://www.biologi.lipi.go.id/bio_bidang/file_doc_bidang/calamaria_banggaiensis.pdf . 2010-12-25 . dead .
4. http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/snakes/schmidts_reed-snake.htm Ecologyasia.com
5. [George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger GA]
6. Weinell . Jeffrey L. . Leviton . Alan Edward . Brown . Rafe Marion . amp . A new species of reed snake, genus Calamaria (Colubridae: Calamariinae), from Mindoro Island, Philippines . Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology . 2021 . 14 . 2 . 1–14 . 10.26757/pjsb2020b14006. . (Calamaria alcalai, new species).
7. [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]
8. [:fr:Thomas Ziegler|Ziegler, Thomas]