Tropidophis pilsbryi explained

Tropidophis pilsbryi, commonly known as Pilsbry's dwarf boa or the Cuban white-necked dwarf boa, is a species of snake in the family Tropidophiidae.^[1] The species is endemic to Cuba.

Etymology

Both the specific name, pilsbryi, and one of the common names, Pilsbry's dwarf boa, are in honor of American malacologist Henry Augustus Pilsbry.^[2]

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies:

• Tropidophis pilsbryi pilsbryi Bailey, 1937 – eastern Cuba
• Tropidophis pilsbryi galacelidus Schwartz & Garrido, 1975 – central Cuba

Taxonomy

In 2002 Hedges elevated the subspecies T. p. galacelidus to a full species, T. galacelidus.

Description

Males of T. p. pilsbryi grow to a snout–vent length (SVL) of 295mm, and females grow to 260mm SVL. T. p. galacelidus can get larger, with a snout–vent length of 187mm in males, but 405mm SVL in females.

Reproduction

T. pilsbryi is viviparous.

Further reading

• Bailey JR (1937). "A review of some recent Tropidophis material". Proc. New England Zoöl. Club 16: 41–52. (Tropidophis maculatus pilsbryi, new subspecies, p. 42).
• Hedges SB (2002). "Morphological variation and the definition of species in the snake genus Tropidophis (Serpentes: Tropidophiidae) from eastern Cuba". Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London (Zool.) 68 (2): 83–90.
• Schwartz A, Henderson RW (1991). Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies: Descriptions, Distributions, and Natural History. Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida Press. 714 pp. . (Tropidophis pilsbryi, p. 641).
• 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. (Tropidophis pilsbryi, p. 195).

Notes and References

1. [:fr:Roy Wallace McDiarmid|McDiarmid RW]
2. [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]