Chilabothrus fordii, also known commonly as Ford's boa[4] and the Haitian ground boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae.[5] There are three recognized subspecies.
| Ford's boa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| illustration by G.H. Ford, for whom the species is named | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Boidae |
| Genus: | Chilabothrus |
| Species: | C. fordii |
| Binomial name | |
| Chilabothrus fordii (Günther, 1861) | |
| Synonyms[2][3][4] | |
Geographic range
C. fordii is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic),[1][4] including the surrounding islets of Île à Cabrit, Île de la Gonâve, Isla Catalina, and Isla Saona.[6]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of C. fordii is forest, at altitudes from sea level to 713 m (2,339 ft), but it has also been found in agricultural areas.[1]
Etymology
The specific name, fordii, is in honor of South African-born George Henry Ford,[7] artist at the British Museum (Natural History), "whose merits in herpetology are well known by his truly artistical [sic] drawings".[8]
Description
C. fordii is a small snake. Adults may attain a total length of 74 cm (29+1⁄8 in), which includes a tail 12.5 cm (4+7⁄8 in) long.
Dorsally, it has a ground color that is pale olive, yellowish, or reddish, overlaid by a series of transverse dark brown blotches, which are oval or kidney-shaped, with blackish borders. Some of these blotches may merge to form a wide wavy stripe in some places. Ventrally, it is yellowish, with small brown spots.
The smooth dorsal scales are arranged in 33-43 rows. The ventrals number 250-265; the anal plate is entire; and the subcaudals, which number 70-80, are also entire.
On the dorsal surface of the head, the large frontal contacts the supraoculars; the remainder is covered by small irregular plates. There are 13 or 14 upper labials, without labial pits.[2]
Diet
Reproduction
C. fordii is viviparous.[1][4]
Subspecies
Three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominate subspecies.
- Chilabothrus fordii fordii (Günther, 1861)
- Chilabothrus fordii agametus Sheplan & Schwartz, 1974
- Chilabothrus fordii manototus Schwartz, 1979
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Chilabothrus.
References
Further reading
- McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series), ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
- Reynolds RG, Henderson RW (2018). "Boas of the World (Superfamily Booidae): A Checklist with Systematic, Taxonomic and Conservation Assessments". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 162 (1): 1–58. (Chilabothrus fordii, p. 11).
- Reynolds RG, Niemiller ML, Hedges SB, Dornburg A, Peuente-Rolón AR, Revell LJ (2013). "Molecular phylogeny and historical biogeography of West Indian boid snakes (Chilabothrus)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 68 (3): 461–470.