Common names: African bighead snake, wedge-snouted burrowing snake.

Hypoptophis 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...

, Hypoptophis wilsoni, 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.

Geographic range

Hypoptophis wilsoni is endemic to southern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...

 (formerly Zaire) and Zambia

Zambia

Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....

.

Type locality = "Inkongo, on the Sankuru River, in the Kasai Province of the Congo".

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 four teeth gradually increasing in size, followed, after an interspace, by two large grooved fangs situated below the eye. Anterior mandibular teeth slightly enlarged. Head small, not distinct from neck. Snout much depressed, very prominent. Rostral very large, with obtuse horizontal edge, concave below. Eye very small, with vertically elliptic pupil. Nostril in a semidivided nasal. No loreal. One preocular, in contact with the nasal. Body cylindrical; tail short. Dorsal scales smooth, without pits, arranged in 15 rows. Ventrals rounded; 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...

Hypoptophis wilsoni is completely blackish brown both dorsally and ventrally.

The holotype, a female, is 56 cm (22 inches) in total length, of which 10 cm (3⅞ inches) is tail.

Ventrals 118; anal plate entire; subcaudals 36, also entire.

Portion of rostral visible from above as long as its distance from the frontal. Internasals shorter than the prefrontals. Frontal as long as broad, slightly more than twice as broad as the small supraocular. Two postoculars, in contact with the anterior temporal. Temporals 1+1. Seven upper labials, third and fourth entering the eye. Four lower labials in contact with the anterior chin shield. Anterior chin shields slightly longer than the posterior chin shields.

Etymology

The specific name or epithet, wilsoni, is in honor of "Mr. H. Wilson" who presented the first specimen, which became the holotype, to the British Museum (Natural History).

External links

• Photograph of holotype of Hypoptophis wilsoni (and other African venomous snakes). http://www.megasphera.cz/africanvenomoussnakes/_private/photo_snakes%20AFR.htm