Ficimia

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: Colubridae
Subfamilia: Colubrinae
Genus: Ficimia
Species: F. hardyi – F. olivacea – F. publia – F. ramirezi – F. ruspator – F. streckeri – F. variegata
Name

Ficimia Gray, 1849

Type species: Ficimia olivacea Gray, 1849
References

Gray, J. E. 1849. Catalogue of the specimens of snakes in the collection of the British Museum. London, i-xv; 1-125.
Ficimia at the New Reptile Database. Accessed on 13 sep 2008.

Vernacular names
English: Hooknose Snakes

Ficimia is a genus of colubrid snakes commonly known as hooknose snakes or hook-nosed snakes, which are endemic to North America. There are seven species within the genus.

Geographic range

Species of Ficimia are found in Mexico, in the United States in the southern tip of Texas, and as far south as Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras.
Description

Hooknose snakes are typically gray or olive green in color, with brown or black blotching down the back, and a cream-colored underside. They grow to a total length of 5–11 in (13–28 cm) and have a distinct upturned snout, which is similar to that of hognose snakes (genus Heterodon), and is used to aid in burrowing in loose, sandy soil. The dorsal scales are smooth (keeled in Heterodon), and the anal plate is divided.[2]
Diet

Hook-nosed snakes feed primarily on spiders and centipedes.
Species

The following seven species are recognized.[3]

Ficimia hardyi Mendoza-Quijano & H.M. Smith, 1993 – Hardy's hook-nosed snake
Ficimia olivacea Gray, 1849 – Mexican hook-nosed snake
Ficimia publia Cope, 1866 – blotched hook-nosed snake
Ficimia ramirezi H.M. Smith & Langebartel, 1949 – Ramirez's hook-nosed snake
Ficimia ruspator H.M. Smith & Taylor, 1941 – Guerreran hook-nosed snake
Ficimia streckeri Taylor, 1941 – Strecker's hook-nosed snake
Ficimia variegata (Günther, 1858) – Tehuantepec hook-nosed snake

References

Boulenger GA (1894). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers.) xi + 382 pp. + Plates I-XX. (Ficimia, pp. 270-271).
Schmidt KP, Davis DD (1941). Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 365 pp. (Ficimia, pp. 202-203, Figure 65).

"Ficimia ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.

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Further reading

Gray JE (1849). Catalogue of the Specimens of Snakes in the Collection of the British Museum. London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Edward Newman, printer.) xv + 125 pp. (Ficimia, new genus, p. 80).