OPHITES 119 



Ophites Wagler, Syst. Amph. (1830) 186; Dumeril and Bibeon, Erp. 



Gen. 7 (1854) 397; Gunthee, Cat. Col. Snakes (1858) 206; Rept. Brit. 



India (1864) 322; Jan, Elenco Sist. Ofid. (1868) 95; Stejneger, 



Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. 58 (1907) 356; Griffin, Philip. Journ. Sci. 



§ D 6 (1911) 258.* 

 Cercaspis Waglee, Syst. Amph. (1830) 191; Dumeril and Bibron, 



Erp. Gen. 7 (1854) 389; Gunthee, Cat. Col. Snakes (1858) 207; 



Rept. Brit. India (1864) 323; Jan, Elenco Sist. Ofid. (1863) 94. 

 Leptorhytaon Gunther, Cat. Col. Snakes (1858) 205; Rept. Brit. 



India (1864) 323. 

 Tetragonosoma Gunthee, Cat. Col. Snakes (1858) 253; Rept. Brit. 



India (1864) 320. 

 Tytleria Theobald, Cat. Rept. As. Soc. Mus. (1868) 66. 

 Lycodon Boulengee, Fauna Brit. India, Rept. (1890) 291; Cat. 



Snakes Brit. Mus. 1 (1893) 348; Boettgee, Ber. Senck. Nat. Ges. 



(1886) 114; Casto de Eleea, Cat. Fauna Filipinas 1 (1895) 437. 



"Maxillary bent inwards anteriorly in the adult, the three to 

 six anterior teeth increasing in size, fang-like, and separated by 

 a toothless interspace from the rest, seven to fifteen in number, 

 which increase in size posteriorly; anterior mandibular teeth 

 longest, fang-like. Head not or but slightly distinct from neck, 

 more or less depressed ; eye small or moderate, with vertically 

 elliptic pupil; nostril large or rather large. Body more or less 

 elongate, cylindrical or slightly compressed; scales smooth or 

 keeled, in 17 or 19 rows, with apical pits; ventrals with or 

 without a lateral keel. Tail moderate ; subcaudals single or 

 double." (Boulenger.) 



The genus is a comparatively large one with about eighteen 

 known species. It is distributed over southern Asia, and the 

 Malay Peninsula and Archipelago. Three species enter the 

 Philippines, but only the rare Ophites tessellatus (Jan) appears 

 to be confined to the Islands. The species best known in the 

 Philippines is Ophites aulicus (Linnteus), which is commonly 

 found about houses and stone walls. This species is known as 

 culebra casera and ahas-na-ttdog (sleeping snake) . The latter 

 name is indeed a good one, as it describes its characteristic habit 

 of remaining motionless when first disturbed. The species of this 

 genus appear to feed almost wholly on small lizards of the Gecko- 

 nidse and Scincid£e. They are absolutely harmless and rarely 

 attempt to bite. They thrive well in captivity and readily take 

 food. 



* Stejneger, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. 58 (1907) 356 b, has shown that the 

 long-accepted name Lycodon is fixed for a South American genus of 

 snakes, usually known as Lycognathus. The next name chronologically is 

 Ophites Wagler. 



