Common names: Revoil's short snake.

Brachyophis is a monotypic

Monotypic

In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...

 genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 created for the rear-fanged venomous snake

Venomous snake

"Poisonous snake" redirects here. For true poisonous snakes, see Rhabdophis.Venomous snakes are snakes which have venom glands and specialized teeth for the injection of venom...

 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

, B. revoili, found in Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

. Currently, 3 subspecies

Subspecies

Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...

 are recognized.

Description (diagnosis) of genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

Maxillary very short, with two or three small teeth, followed, after an interspace, by a large grooved fang. Mandibular teeth increasing in length to the third. Head small, not distinct from neck. Snout depressed, sharp-edged. Eye minute, with round pupil. Nostril in a single nasal, which does not touch the rostral, the internasal forming a suture with the first upper labial. No loreal. No temporals. A large azygous occipital shield. Body remarkably short, cylindrical; tail extremely short. Dorsal scales smooth, without pits, in 15 rows. Ventrals obtusely angulate laterally; subcaudals single.

Description of species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

Dorsally Brachyophis revoili is either grayish white with irregular brown crossbands, or dark brown with irregular white crossbands. The ventral scales are broadly edged with brown in front.

One of the type specimens is 25.5 cm (10 inches) in total length, with a tail only 1.5 cm (½ inch) long.

Dorsal scales arranged in 15 rows. Ventrals only 104-115; anal plate divided; subcaudals 11-13, not divided.

Portion of the rostral visible from above at least as long as its distance from the frontal. Rostral wedged in between the internasals, which are shorter than the prefrontals. Frontal hexagonal, longer than broad, longer than its distance from the end of the snout, shorter than the parietals. A large pentagonal occipital, the point of which is wedged between the parietals. A small preocular. Two small postoculars. Seven upper labials, second and third in contact with the prefrontal, third and fourth entering the eye, fifth and sixth largest and in contact with the parietal. Two pairs of large chin shields, separated from each other on the median line by two series of small scales.

Subspecies

Subspecies	Taxon author	Common name	Geographic range
B. r. cornii	Scortecci, 1932		coastal central Somalia Somalia Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory... .
B. r. krameri	Lanza, 1966		northern end of central Somalia Somalia Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory... .
B. r. revoili	Mocquard, 1888	Revoil's short snake	Somalia Somalia Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory... , Kenya Kenya Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east... .

Etymologies

The specific name, revoili, is in honor of Georges Révoil, who collected the type specimen.

The subspecific name, cornii, is in honor of Guido Corni, an Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 explorer and governor of Italian Somalia.

The subspecific name, krameri, is in honor of Eugen Kramer, a Swiss

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 herpetologist and professor.