Xenodon dorbignyi explained

Xenodon dorbignyi, the South American hognose snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to southern South America. There are four recognized subspecies.

Etymology

The specific name, dorbignyi, is in honor of French naturalist Alcide d'Orbigny.^[1]

Geographic range

X. dorbignyi is found in Argentina, southern Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of X. dorbignyi are forest and grassland, both with sandy soil.

Description

X. dorbignyi may attain a total length of, including a tail long.^[2] It resembles the sympatric venomous snake Bothrops alternatus.

Diet

X. dorbignyi preys upon insects, amphibians, and lizards.

Reproduction

X. dorbignyi is oviparous.

Subspecies

Four subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.

• Xenodon dorbignyi chacoensis
• Xenodon dorbignyi dorbignyi
• Xenodon dorbignyi orientalis
• Xenodon dorbignyi uruguayensis

Nota bene

A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Xenodon.

Further reading

• Bibron G (1854). In: Duméril A-M-C, Bibron G, Duméril A (1854). Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome septième. Première partie. Comprenant l'histoire des serpents non venimeux. [= ''General Herpetology or Complete Natural History of the Reptiles. Seventh Volume, First Part. Containing the Natural History of the Nonvenomous Snakes'' ]. Paris: Roret. xvi + 780 pp. (Heterodon dorbignyi, new species, pp. 772–774). (in French).
• Cope ED (1885). "Twelfth Contribution to the Herpetology of Tropical America". Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 22: 167–194. (Lystrophis dorbignyi, new combination, p. 193).
• Freiberg M (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. . (Lystrophis dorbignyi, pp. 103, 136 + photos on pp. 63, 130).
• Lema T (1994). "Lista commentada dos répteis occorentes no Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil ". Comunicações do Museo de Ciências e Tecnologia da Pontifícia Universidade do Rio Grande do Sul, Série Zoologia 7: 41–150. (Lystrophis dorbignyi chacoensis, new subspecies, p. 118; L. d. orientalis, new ssp., p. 119; L. d. uruguayensis, new ssp., p. 120). (in Portuguese).

Notes and References

1. [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]
2. [George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger GA]