LIST OF SOUTH AFRICAN SNAKES. 



445 



I 



Family COLUBRID^. 

 Synopsis of the South African Genera. 



I. Aglyphee, without grooved fangs in the upper jaw. — 



Harmless. 



A. Scales smooth, in 19 rows or more. 



1. Pupil round ; posterior maxillary teeth longest. 

 Scales in ig rows ; internasal not entering the nostril ; 



snout rounded . . 

 Scales in 27 to 31 rows ; internasal entering the nostril ; 

 snout with vertical sides, more or less prominent . . 



2. Pupil vertically elliptic or subelliptic ; anal 



entire. 



Scales in 19 rows ; frontal at least once and a half as 

 long as broad ; maxillary teeth equal 



Scales in 19 to 23 rows ; frontal broad and short ; pos- 

 terior maxillary teeth shortest 



Scales in 23 to 33 rows, with apical pits ; anterior 

 maxillary teeth strongly enlarged 



B. Scales smooth, in 15 or 17 rows. 



1. Tail short (sub-caudals not more than 50 pairs). 

 Pupil vertically elliptic ; rostral small ; anterior maxil- 

 lary teeth longest 



Pupil vertically elliptic ; rostral very large, with angular 

 horizontal edge ; posterior maxillary teeth strongly 

 enlarged 



Pupil round ; rostral small ; nasal single ; anterior 

 maxillary teeth longest 



2. Tail long (sub-caudals more than 80 pairs) ; 



pupil round ; posterior maxillary teeth 



longest. 

 Sub-caudals not keeled 

 Sub-caudals keeled and notched . . 



C. Scales keeled ; pupil vertically elliptic. 



Scales in 15 to 17 rows, of vertebral row enlarged and 

 bicarinate ; anterior maxillary teeth longest 



Scales in 23 to 27 rows, laterals very oblique and with 

 serrated keels ; teeth very small and few . . 



II. OpisthoglyphcB, with grooved fangs at the posterior 



end of the upper jaw. — More or less poisonous. 

 A. Eye moderate or large ; head more or less distinct 

 from neck. 



1. Subcaudals single ; pupil vertically elliptic ; 



parietals broken up into small shields 



2. Subcaudals in pairs. 



a. Pupil vertically elliptic ; scales in 17 or 

 19 rows. 

 Anal divided ; loreal separated from the eye by the prae- 

 ocular ; maxillary teeth decreasing in size pos- 



teriorly 

 Anal entire ; 



ocular ; 



teriorly 

 Anal entire : 



loreal separated from the eye by the prae- 

 maxillary teeth increasing in size pos- 



loreal entering the eye 

 b. Pupil round. 



a. Scales smooth (or feebly keeled on 

 the posterior part of the back) in 

 13 to 17 rows. 



Tropidonotus. 

 Pseudaspis. 



Ablabophis. 



Lamprophis. 



Boodon. 



Lycophidium. 



Prosymna. 

 Homalosoma. 



Chlorophis. 

 Philothamnus. 



Simocephalus. 

 Dasypeltis. 



Pythonodipsas. 



Tarbophis 



Leptodira. 

 Chamcetortus. 



