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Alsophis antillensis (SCHLEGEL, 1837)

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Higher TaxaColubridae, Dipsadinae, Alsophiini, Serpentes (snakes) 
Subspecies 
Common NamesAntilles Racer, Leeward Racer 
SynonymPsammophis antillensis SCHLEGEL 1837: 214
Dromicus leucomelas — DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 666
Dromicus Antillensis — DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 659
Alsophis antillensis — GARMAN 1887: 282
Dromicus antillensis — BOULENGER 1894: 123
Dromicus leucomelas — BOULENGER 1894: 123
Alsophis antillensis - SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1991: 566
Alsophis antillensis — CROTHER 1999
Alsophis antillensis — HEDGES et al. 2009 
DistributionGuadeloupe, Marie-Galante; Virgin Gorda (Barbout 1917)

Type locality: Guadeloupe. Map legend:
TDWG region - Region according to the TDWG standard, not a precise distribution map.

NOTE: TDWG regions are generated automatically from the text in the distribution field and this does not always work properly. We are working on it.
 
TypesSyntypes: MNHN 3547-3548. 
CommentAlsophis antillensis sanctonum and Alsophis antillensis danforthi have been elevated to species status and re-assigned, respectively. See entry for A. sanctonum.

Illustrations see Henderson and Sajdak, 1986.

Type species: Psammophis antillensis SCHLEGEL 1837 is the type species of the genus Alsophis FITZINGER 1843.

Diagnosis (genus): Species in this genus have 19–23 midbody scale rows, 184–220 ventrals, 94–138 subcaudals, two apical scale pits, eight upper labials, 10 lower labials, 18–21 maxillary teeth, and 21–26 dentary teeth (Table 2). Alsophis differs in at least one of these characters from all alsophiine genera except Borikenophis and Hypsirhynchus. Alsophis differs almost completely from Hypsirhynchus in ventrals (184–220 versus 123–189 in Hypsirhynchus). It differs from most Borikenophis (163–187), except for B. sanctaecrucis (191–198), in having a higher number of ventrals (184–220).

Diagnosis (genus): Hemipenes bicalyculate; enlarged intrasul‐ cal spines present on each side of the sulcal region; lobular crotch and medial surfaces of the lobes almost completely nude; capitular overhanging edge com‐ posed of a thin fringe of tissue (fide ZAHER et al. 2009). Note that Zaher’s diagnosis also included Borikenophis sanctaecrucis. 
References
  • Boulenger, George A. 1894. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ. British Mus. (Nat. Hist.), London, xi, 382 pp. - get paper here
  • Breuil, H. 2002. Histoire Naturelle des Amphibiens et Reptiles de l’Archipel Guadeloupéen: Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy. Patrimoines naturels 54: 339 pp.
  • Cochran, D. M. 1938. Reptiles and amphibians from the Lesser Antilles collected by Dr. S. T. Danforth. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 51:147-155. - get paper here
  • Cope, E.D. 1879. Eleventh contribution to the herpetology of tropical America. Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. 18: 261-277.
  • Crother, Brian I. 1999. PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AMONG WEST INDIAN XENODONTINE SNAKES (SERPENTES; COLUBRIDAE) WITH COMMENTS ON THE PHYLOGENY OF SOME MAINLAND XENODONTINES. Contemporary Herpetology 2 - 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
  • Garman, S. 1887. On West Indian reptiles in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge, Mass. Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. 24: 278-286. - get paper here
  • Henderson, R.W., and Sajdak, R.A. 1986. West Indian racers: disappearing act or a second chance?. Lore (Milwaukee Public Museum) 36(3):13-18.
  • Malhotra, A. & Thorpe, R.S. 1999. Reptiles & Amphibians of the Eastern Caribbean. MacMillan, London & Oxford
  • Malhotra, Anita; Thorpe, Roger S.; Hypolite, Eric; James, Arlington. 2007. A report on the status of the herpetofauna of the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies. Applied Herpetology 4 (2):177-194
  • Parker, H. W. 1933. Some amphibians and reptiles from the Lesser Antilles. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (10) 11:151-158.
  • Schlegel, H. 1837. Essai sur la physionomie des serpens. Partie Générale: xxviii +251 S. + Partie Descriptive: 606 S. + xvi. La Haye (J. Kips, J. HZ. et W. P. van Stockum) - get paper here
  • Schwartz,A. & Henderson,R.W. 1991. Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies. University of Florida Press, Gainesville, 720 pp.
  • White, Lauren A. and Peter J. Muelleman. 2008. Juvenile pattern and ontogenetic pattern changes in Dominican Racers. Iguana 15 (3):157-159
  • Zaher, Hussam; Grazziotin, Felipe Gobbi; Cadle, John E.; Murphy, Robert W.; Moura-Leite, Julio Cesar 2009. Molecular phylogeny of advanced snakes (Serpentes, Caenophidia) with an emphasis on South American Xenodontines: a revised classification and descriptions of new taxa. Pap. Avulsos Zool. (São Paulo) 49 (11): 115-153 - get paper here
 
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