Aplopeltura

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha
Superordo: Lepidosauria
Ordo: Squamata
Subordo: Serpentes
Infraordo: Caenophidia
Superfamilia: Colubroidea

Familia: Pareidae
Subfamilia: Pareinae
Genus: Aplopeltura
Species (1): A. boa
Name

Aplopeltura Duméril, 1853: 463

Type species: Dipsas boa Schlegel, 1837 (in error) [=Amblycephalus boa Boie, 1828], by monotypy.

Synonyms

Aspidocercus Fitzinger 1843: 27 [nomen obligum].
Amblyodipsas Boie in Schlegel, 1826: 238 [nomen nudum preoccupied by Ambylocephalus Zedler, 1803 (Cestoda)].
Dipsas (part) Schlegel, 1837: 284.
Haplopeltura Boettger 1892: 134 [nomen emendatum].
Hoplopeltura Palacky, 1898: 102 [nomen incorrectum].
Hoplopelturus Briceño-Rossi 1934 [nomen incorrectum].
Aphopeltura Nutphand 1991 [nomen incorrectum].

References
Primary references

Duméril, A.M.C. 1853. Prodrome de la classification des reptiles ophidiens. Mémoires de l'Académie de Sciences de l'Institut de France 23: 399–536. BHL Reference page.

Additional references

Boettger, O. 1892. Listen von Kriechtieren und Lurchen aus dem tropischen Asien und aus Papuasien. Bericht über die Tätigkeit des Offenbach Verein für Naturkunde in den Vereinsjahren 2 Mai. 1887 bis 6 Mai 1891, Offenbach. 29–32: 65–164. Reference page.
Boundy, J. 2021. Snakes of the World: A Supplement. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group: Boca Raton, Florida. 273 pp. ISBN 9781138618138 ebook Paywall Reference page.
Fitzinger, L. 1843. Systema Reptilium. Fasciculus primus. Amblyglossae. Braumüller et Seidel: Wien. vi + 106 pp. BHL Reference page.
Nutphand, W. 1991. Snakes in Thailand. Bulletin of the Thai Zoological Center, Bangkok. 6(71): 133–144. (in Thai). Reference page.
Palacky, J. 1989. La distribution des ophidiens sur le globe. Mémoires de la Société Zoologique de France. 11: 88–125. BHL Open access Reference page.
Schlegel, H. 1826. Notice sur l'Erpétologie de I'ile de Java; par M Boié (Ouvrage manuscrit). Bulletin des Sciences Naturelles et de Géologie. 9(203): 233–240 BHL Open access Reference page.
Wallach, V., Williams, K.L. & Boundy, J. 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group: Boca Raton, Florida. 1237 pp. ISBN 9781138034006 ebook Paywall Reference page.

Links

Uetz, P. & Hallermann, J. 2021. Aplopeltura . The Reptile Database. Accessed on 22 October 2019.
Aplopeltura – Taxon details on Interim Register of Marine and Non-marine Genera (IRMNG).
Aplopeltura – Taxon details on Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

Aplopeltura is a genus of snakes of the family Pareidae. It contains a single species, Aplopeltura boa, the blunthead slug snake or blunt-headed slug-eating snake.[1][2] It is a small, non-venomous snake. The species can be found in southern Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines.[1]

The diet of A. boa consists of snails, especially operculate species. Their jaws are highly mobile, more so than most other vertebrates. With their mandibles, they cut the operculum off from their prey with a unique "sawing" motion. [4]

A. boa has been observed performing simple death feigning behavior. The snake rolls itself into a spiral with its belly up, staying still until the threat leaves. Unlike other death feigning snakes, A. boa does not emit a foul odor or open its mouth. [5]

Aplopeltura boa, Khao Sok National Park.

References

Grismer, L.; Diesmos, A.C.; Gonzalez, J.C.; Jose, R. & Inger, R.F. (2012). "Aplopeltura boa". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2012: e.T176342A1440473. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T176342A1440473.en. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
Aplopeltura at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 20 May 2016.
Duméril (1853). Prodrome de la classification des reptiles ophidiens, page 67.
Kojima, Yosuke. "Mandibular sawing in a snail-eating snake". Nature. Scientific Reports. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
Jablonski, Daniel. "Death feigning behaviour in Aplopeltura boa" (PDF). ResearchGate. Natural History Note. Retrieved 27 October 2021.