Homalopsinae
Encyclopedia
Homalopsinae is a subfamily of Colubridae which contains some 10 genera
and about 4 dozen species
. They are typically stout-bodied water snakes, and all are mildly venomous. The genus Brachyorrhos may belong elsewhere. Two monotypic genera are notable for their unusual morphology: Erpeton
possesses a pair of short, fleshy appendages protruding from the front of the snout, and Bitia has uniquely enlarged palatine teeth. Cerberus
have been noted to use sidewinding
to cross slick mud flats during low tide. Fordonia and Gerarda are the only snakes known to tear their prey apart before eating it, pulling soft-shelled crabs through their coils to rip them apart prior to ingestion.
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...
and about 4 dozen 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...
. They are typically stout-bodied water snakes, and all are mildly venomous. The genus Brachyorrhos may belong elsewhere. Two monotypic genera are notable for their unusual morphology: Erpeton
Erpeton
Erpeton is a genus of water snake of the family Colubridae, which includes a single known species, the tentacled snake, Erpeton tentaculatum, which is native to South-East Asia. They are aquatic and extremely fast in catching their prey, small fish...
possesses a pair of short, fleshy appendages protruding from the front of the snout, and Bitia has uniquely enlarged palatine teeth. Cerberus
Cerberus (snake)
Cerberus is a small genus of water snakes in the family colubridae. Member species are common inhabitants of Southeast Asia's mangrove habitat and mudflats. Its name is that of the dog-like Greek mythological creature Cerberus....
have been noted to use sidewinding
Sidewinding
Sidewinding is a type of locomotion unique to caenophidian snakes, used to move across loose or slippery substrates. It is most often used by the Saharan horned viper, Cerastes cerastes, and the sidewinder rattlesnake, Crotalus cerastes, to move across loose desert sands, but it is also used by...
to cross slick mud flats during low tide. Fordonia and Gerarda are the only snakes known to tear their prey apart before eating it, pulling soft-shelled crabs through their coils to rip them apart prior to ingestion.