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Dromicodryas bernieri (DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL, 1854)

IUCN Red List - Dromicodryas bernieri - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaPseudoxyrhophiidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Bernier's Striped Snake 
SynonymHerpetodryas Bernierii DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 211
Herpetodryas Bernierii — GÜNTHER 1859: 228
Herpetodryas bernieri var. trilineata BOETTGER 1877
Dromicodryas bernieri — BOULENGER 1893: 189
Dromicodryas bernieri ramavali KAUDERN 1922
Liopholidophis pseudolateralis GUIBÉ 1954: 245
Liopholidophis pseudolateralis — KREUTZ 1989
Dromicodryas bernieri — GLAW & VENCES 1994: 339
Dromicodryas bernieri — MERCURIO et al. 2006
Dromicodryas bernieri — SCHLÜTER 2013: 18
Dromicodryas bernierii — WALLACH et al. 2014: 243 
DistributionMadagascar, Nossi Be = Nosy Bé

Type locality: “Madagascar” (but see comment). Restricted to Madagascar fide Boulenger (1896: 190).  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesSyntypes: MCZ R-1966, USNM 6221; possibly with additional syntypes: MNHN 7244, 2012.456 (R.-P. Lesson & P. Garnot [Coquille Voyage], Aug. 1822–March 1825, both from Mauritius) and MNHN 7243 (Collected by Hérail, Madagascar). 
DiagnosisUnfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 1865 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentDromicodryas bernieri is superficially similar to species of Liopholidophis, expecially L. lateralis, but Dromicodryas differs fundamentally from all species of Liopholidophis in head shape and hemipenial morphology (Cadle 1998).

ramavali: Madagascar; syntype: NRM 30233

Type species: Herpetodryas Bernierii DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 211 is the type species of the genus Dromicodryas BOULENGER 1893.

Type locality: the original type locality (erroously) included “l’Ile de France,” (in error fide Brygoo 1983: 38). 
EtymologyNamed after Chevalier Alphonse Charles Joseph Bernier (1802-1858), a naval surgeon and botanist who collected in Madagascar (1831-1834).

The genus was probably named after Greek dromos = running, race, dromikos = fleet, swift, and Greek Dryas = a wood or tree nymph. 
References
  • Andersson, Lars Gabriel 1910. Reptiles and batrachians from the north-west of Madagascar collected by V. Kaudern, 1906-1907. Arkiv för Zoologi 7 (7): 1-15. - get paper here
  • ANDREONE F., F. GLAW, R. A. NUSSBAUM, C. J. RAXWORTHY, M. VENCES, and J. E. RANDRIANIRINA 2003. The amphibians and reptiles of Nosy Be (NW Madagascar) and nearby islands: a case study of diversity and conservation of an insular fauna. Journal of Natural History 37 (17): 2119–2149 - get paper here
  • Barbour, Thomas 1918. Vertebrata from Madagascar. 2. Amphibia and Reptilia. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard 61 (14): 479-489. - get paper here
  • Beolens, Bo; Michael Watkins, and Michael Grayson 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA - get paper here
  • BORA, PARFAIT; J. CHRISTIAN RANDRIANANTOANDRO, ROMA RANDRIANAVELONA, ELISOA F. HANTALALAINA, RAPHALI R. ANDRIANTSIMANARILAFY, DANIEL RAKOTONDRAVONY, OLGA R. RAMILIJAONA, MIGUEL VENCES, RICHARD K. B. JENKINS, FRANK GLAW, AND JÖRN KÖHLER 2010. AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE TSINGY DE BEMARAHA PLATEAU, WESTERN MADAGASCAR: CHECKLIST, BIOGEOGRAPHY AND CONSERVATION. Herp. Cons. Biol. 5 (1): 111-125
  • Borer, M. 2019. Auf Schlangensuche in Madagaskar. Reptilia (Münster) 24 (138): 66-79 - get paper here
  • Boulenger, G.A. 1893. Catalogue of the snakes in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) I. London (Taylor & Francis), 448 pp. - get paper here
  • Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the snakes in the British Museum, Vol. 3. London (Taylor & Francis), xiv + 727 pp. - get paper here
  • Brygoo, E. R. 1983. Les ophidiens de Madagascar. Mem. Inst. Butantan 46: 19-58 [1982] - get paper here
  • Cadle, John E. 2009. Sexual Dimorphism and Reproductive Biology in the Malagasy Snake Genus Liopholidophis (Lamprophiidae: Pseudoxyrhophiinae) Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. 60 (15): 461–502
  • Cadle,J.E. 1998. The identity of Leptophis varius FISCHER 1884 and placement of Liopholidophis pinguis PARKER 1925 in its synonymy. Journal of Herpetology 32 (3): 434-437 - get paper here
  • Cocca, W., G. M. Rosa, F. Andreone, G. Aprea, P. E. Bergò, F. Mattioli, V. Mercurio, J. E. Randrianirina, D. Rosado, M. Vences & A. Crottini 2018. The herpetofauna (Amphibia, Crocodylia, Squamata, Testudines) of the Isalo Massif, Southwest Madagascar: combining morphological, molecular and museum data. Salamandra 54 (3): 178-200 plus Supplementary Material - get paper here
  • D'Cruze, Neil; Annette Olsonn, David Henson, Sunil Kumar, and David Emmett. 2009. The Amphibians and Reptiles of the Lower Onilahy River Valley, a Temporary Protected Area in Southwest Madagascar. Herp. Cons. Biol. 4: 62-79 - get paper here
  • D'Cruze, Neil; Jeremy Sabel, Katie Green, Jeffrey Dawson, Carlie Gardner, Janine Robinson, Georgina Starkie, Miguel Vences, and Frank Glaw. 2007. The First Comprehensive Survey of Amphibians and Reptiles at Montagne des Francais, Madagascar. Herp. Cons. Biol. 2 (2): 87-99 - get paper here
  • Duméril, A.M.C., G. BIBRON & A.H.A. DUMÉRIL 1854. Erpétologie générale ou Histoire Naturelle complète des Reptiles. Vol. 7 (partie 1). Paris, xvi + 780 S. - get paper here
  • Evans, A. M., Marshal, J. P., & Alexander, G. J. 2021. Forest patch characteristics affect reptile occurrence in north‐western Madagascar. Austral Ecology - get paper here
  • FUKUYAMA, RYOBU; AKIHIRO ITOIGAWA & AKIRA MORI. 2022. Multimale breeding aggregations by “many-friends” snakes: courtship behaviours by Malagasy Pseudoxyrhophiine snakes, Dromicodryas bernieri and D. quadrilineatus, and their sexual size dimorphism. Herpetozoa 35: 225–229. - get paper here
  • Gandola, Robert, Stuart Graham, Marc Rabenandrasna and Catriona Hendry. 2013. Dromicodryas bernieri (Bernier's striped snake) diet. Herpetological Review 44 (4): 689-690 - get paper here
  • Gardner, Charlie J.; Xavier Vincke, Louise D. Jasper 2015. Additions to the urban herpetofauna of Toliara, southwest Madagascar. Herpetology Notes 8: 47-49 - get paper here
  • Guibé ,J. 1958. Les serpents de Madagascar. Memoires de l’Institut Scientifique de Madagascar 12: 189-260
  • Guibé, J. 1954. Étude de Liopholidophis lateralis (D. et B.) et description d'une expèce nouvelle (Reptilia). Mem. Inst. Sci. Madagascar ser. A., 12: 189-260
  • Günther,A. 1859. On the geographical distribution of reptiles. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3) 3: 221-237 - get paper here
  • Hyde Roberts, S., Sannolo, M., Longosoa, H. T., Clark, R., Jhaveri, L., Rosa, G. M., ... & Crottini, A. 2025. A littoral treasure trove: a comprehensive assessment of the herpetofauna of Sainte Luce, southeastern Madagascar. Systematics and Biodiversity 23(1): 2513472 - get paper here
  • Kreutz, R. 1989. Zur Kenntnis einiger Nattern aus Madagaskar. Herpetofauna 11 (61): 25-34 - get paper here
  • Mercurio, V., F. Mattioli, T.J. Razafindrabe & F. Andreone 2006. A possible attempt of predation of Liophidium vaillanti upon Dromicodryas bernieri observed in central-southern Madagascar (Serpentes: Colubridae). Salamandra 42 (2-3): 181-182 - get paper here
  • Nopper, J., Lauströer, B., Rödel, M.-O. and Ganzhorn, J. U. 2016. A structurally enriched agricultural landscape maintains high reptile diversity in sub-arid south-western Madagascar. J Appl Ecol., doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12752 - get paper here
  • Schlüter, Uwe 2013. Madagaskarleguane - Lebensweise, Pflege und Fortpflanzung. KUS-Verlag, 88 pp. - get paper here
  • Struijk, Richard P. J. H. 2014. Dromicodryas bernieri (Bernier's striped snake) diet. Herpetological Review 45 (3): 515 - get paper here
  • Struijk, Richard P. J. H. 2014. Dromicodryas bernieri Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 Bernier's Striped Snake. Climbing behaviour. African Herp News (61): 26-27 - get paper here
  • Van Beest, Piet 2004. Herpetologische waarnemingen op Madagascar - deel 2: Fianarantsoa en verder naar het zuiden. Lacerta 62 (3): 92-103 - get paper here
  • Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
 
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