Common names: Jan

Giorgio Jan

Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....

's snake.

Elapotinus 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 (opisthoglyphous) 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...

, Elapotinus picteti, 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...

. No 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 currently 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 five teeth gradually increasing in size and followed, after an interspace, by a large weakly grooved fang situated below the eye. Mandibular teeth decreasing in size posteriorly. Head small, not distinct from neck. Eye minute, with round pupil. Nostril between two nasals. No loreal. Body cylindrical; tail short. Dorsal scales smooth, without pits, in 17 rows. Ventrals rounded; subcaudals in two rows.

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 Elapotinus picteti is blackish, with a white upper lip and a white occipital collar. It has a white lateral line on either side. Ventrally it is brown, with the outer ends of the ventrals and adjacent first row of dorsal scales white.

It is known to attain a total length of 29 cm (11⅜ inches), with a tail 4 cm (1½ inch) long.

Dorsal scales in 17 rows. Ventrals 175; anal plate divided; subcaudals 36, also divided.

Rostral broader than deep, just visible from above. Internasals as long as broad, shorter than the prefrontals. Frontal 1½ times as long as broad, as long as its distance from the end of the snout, shorter than the parietals. Supraocular nearly as broad as long. Preocular minute. A small postocular. Temporals 1+2. Seven upper labials, third in contact with the prefrontal, third and fourth entering the eye. Four lower labials in contact with the anterior chin shield. Anterior chin shields a little longer than the posterior chin shields.

Etymology

The specific name or epithet, picteti, is in honor of François Jules Pictet de la Rive

François Jules Pictet de la Rive

François Jules Pictet de la Rive was a Swiss zoologist and palaeontologist.He was born in Geneva. He graduated B. Sc. at Geneva in 1829, and pursued his studies for a short time at Paris, where under the influence of Georges Cuvier, de Blainville and others, he worked at natural history and...

, 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....

 zoologist and palaeontologist.