Philodryas

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: Dipsadidae
Subfamilia: Xenodontinae
Genus: Philodryas
Species (23): P. aestiva – P. agassizii – P. amaru – P. argentea – P. arnaldoi – P. baroni – P. boliviana – P. chamissonis – P. cordata – P. erlandi – P. georgeboulengeri – P. laticeps – P. livida – P. mattogrossensis – P. nattereri – P. olfersii – P. patagoniensis – P. psammophidea – P. simonsii – P. tachymenoides – P. trilineata – P. varia – P. viridissima

Name

Philodryas Wagler, 1830: 185

Type species: Coluber olfersii Lichtenstein, 1823, by monotypy.

Synonyms

Pseudablabes Boulenger, 1896: 126 [synonymised by Zaher et al. (2009: 145)]
Type species: Eirenis agassizii Jan, 1863, by monotypy.
Platyinion Amaral, 1923: 91 [synonymised by Thomas & Fernandes (1996: 273)]
Type species: Platyinion lividum Amaral, 1923, by monotypy.
Xenoxybelis Machado, 1993: 99 [synonymised by Zaher et al. (2009: 145)]
Type species: Coluber argenteus Daudin, 1803

References
Primary references

Wagler, J.G. 1830. Natürliches System der Amphibien, mit vorangehender Classification der Säugetiere und Vögel. Ein Beitrag zur vergleichenden Zoologie.. J.G. Cotta'schen Buchhandlung: München, Stuttgart, & Tübingen. 354 pp. BHL Reference page.
Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume 3. British Museum (Natural History): London. 727 pp. BHL
Amaral, A. do. 1923. New genera and species of snakes. Proceedings of the New England Zoological Club 8: 85–105. BHL
Machado, S.R. 1993. A new genus of Amazonian vine snake (Xenondotinae: Alsophiini). Acta Biologica Leopoldensia 15(2): 99–108.
Thomas, R.A. & Fernandes, R. 1996. The systematic status of Platyinium lividum Amaral, 1923 (Serpentes: Colubridae: Xenodontinae). Herpetologica 52(2): 271–275.
Zaher, H., Grazziotin, F.G., Cadle, J.E., Murphy, R.W., Moura-Leite, J.C. & Bonatto, S.L. 2009. Molecular phylogeny of advanced snakes (Serpentes, Caenophidia) with an emphasis on South American xenodontines: a revised classification and descriptions of new taxa. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 49(11): 115–153. DOI: 10.1590/S0031-10492009001100001 Open access Reference page.

Links

Uetz, P. & Hallermann, J. 2021. Philodryas . The Reptile Database. Accessed on 1 October 2019.
Philodryas – Taxon details on Interim Register of Marine and Non-marine Genera (IRMNG).

Vernacular names
English: South American Green Racers

Philodryas is a genus of colubrid snakes endemic to South America,[2] commonly called green snakes.

Description

Species in the genus Philodryas share the following characters:

Head distinct from neck, with distinct canthus rostralis. Eye moderate or large. Pupil round. Body cylindrical or slightly laterally compressed. Tail long.

Dorsal scales arranged in 17 to 23 rows at midbody, more or less obliquely. Subcaudals divided (in two rows).

Maxillary teeth smallest anteriorly, 12–15, followed after a gap by two large grooved fangs located just behind the posterior border of the eye.[2]
Venom

Although colubrid snakes are usually harmless to humans, Philodryas are opisthoglyphous (rear-fanged) snakes[2] and can give a venomous bite.
Species and geographic ranges

There are 16 recognized species.[1][3]

Philodryas aestiva (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) – N Argentina, Bolivia, SE Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay
Philodryas agassizii (Jan, 1863) – Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay
Philodryas arnaldoi (Amaral, 1932) – Brazil
Philodryas baroni Berg, 1895 – N Argentina
Philodryas boliviana Boulenger, 1896 – Bolivia
Philodryas chamissonis (Wiegmann, 1834) – Chile
Philodryas cordata Donnelly & C. Myers, 1991 – Venezuela
Philodryas erlandi Lönnberg, 1902 – Paraguay, southeastern Bolivia, northern Argentina
Philodryas livida (Amaral, 1923) – Brazil
Philodryas mattogrossensis Koslowsky, 1898 – Bolivia, SW Brazil, Paraguay
Philodryas nattereri Steindachner, 1870 – WC Brazil, Paraguay
Philodryas olfersii (Lichtenstein, 1823) – Argentina, Bolivia, W Brazil, Paraguay, E Peru, Uruguay
Philodryas patagoniensis (Girard, 1858) – Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay
Philodryas psammophidea Günther, 1872 – Argentina, W & S Brazil
Philodryas trilineata (Burmeister, 1861) – Argentina
Philodryas varia (Jan, 1863)[4] – Argentina, Bolivia

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Philodryas.
References

"Philodryas ". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
Boulenger GA (1896). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ) ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xxiv + 727 pp. + Plates I-XXV. (Genus Philodryas, p. 127).
Genus Philodryas at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.

http://www.philodryas.com