Xenopeltis
{{Short description|Genus of snakes}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Xenopeltis unicolor 86904248.jpg
| image_caption = Sunbeam snake (X. unicolor)
| parent_authority = Bonaparte, 1845
| taxon = Xenopeltis
| authority = Reinwardt, 1827
| synonyms = Family:
- Scaptophes {{small|Fitzinger, 1843}}
- Xenopeltina {{small|Bonaparte, 184S}}
- Tortricidae {{small|Jan, 1863}}
- Xenopeltidae {{small|Cope, 1864}}
- Xenopeltinae {{small|Nopcsa, 1928}}McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. {{ISBN|1-893777-00-6}} (series). {{ISBN|1-893777-01-4}} (volume).
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Genus:
}}
Xenopeltis, the sunbeam snakes,{{ITIS |id=209608 |taxon=Xenopeltidae |access-date=17 August 2007}} are the sole genus of the monotypic family Xenopeltidae, the species of which are found in Southeast Asia. Sunbeam snakes are known for their highly iridescent scales. Three species are recognized, each one with no subspecies.{{ITIS |id=209609 |taxon=Xenopeltis |access-date=17 August 2007}} Studies of DNA suggest that the xenopeltids are most closely related to the Mexican burrowing python (Loxocemus bicolor) and to the true pythons (Pythonidae).{{cite journal|last1=Pyron|first1=R. A.|last2=Reynolds|first2=R. G.|last3=Burbrink|first3=F. T.|title=A Taxonomic Revision of Boas (Serpentes: Boidae)|journal=Zootaxa|date=2014|volume=3846|issue=2|pages=249–260|url=https://home.gwu.edu/~rpyron/publications/Pyron_et_al_2014a.pdf|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.3846.2.5|pmid=25112250}}{{cite journal|last1=Reynolds|first1=RG|last2=Niemiller|first2=ML|last3=Revell|first3=LJ|title=Toward a Tree-of-Life for the boas and pythons: multilocus species-level phylogeny with unprecedented taxon sampling|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|date=2014|volume=71|pages=201–213|url=http://www.rgrahamreynolds.info/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Reynolds_etal_2014_MPE.pdf |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2013.11.011|pmid=24315866|bibcode=2014MolPE..71..201G }}
Description
File:XenopeltisUnicolorRooij.jpg]]
Adults can grow up to {{convert|1.3|m|in|abbr=on}} in length.Burnie D, Wilson DE. 2001. Animal. London: Dorling Kindersley. 624 pp. {{ISBN|0-7894-7764-5}}. The head scales are made up of large plates much like those of the Colubridae, while the ventral scales are only slightly reduced. Pelvic vestiges are not present.{{NRDB family|page=xenopeltidae.php|family=Xenopeltidae|date=3 November|year=2008}}
The dorsal color pattern is a reddish-brown, brown, or blackish color. The belly is an unpatterned whitish-gray.Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. {{ISBN|0-8069-6460-X}}. The scales are highly iridescent.
Geographic range
They are found in Southeast Asia from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, east through Myanmar to southern China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Malay Peninsula and the East Indies to Sulawesi, as well as the Philippines.
Behavior and diet
Species
| cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;"
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Taxon author !bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Common name |
| X. hainanensis
| |style="width:40%"|China: from Zhejiang west to Guangxi and south to Hainan Island |
| X. intermedius
|Orlov, Snetkov., Ermakov, Nguyen, & Ananjeva, 2022 | |style="width:40%"|Vietnam |
| X. unicolorT
|Reinwardt, 1827 |common sunbeam snake{{EMBL species|genus=Xenopeltis|species=unicolor|date=17 August|year=2007}} |Myanmar (Tenasserim), the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, southern China (Guangdong and Yunnan), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, West Malaysia, Penang Island, Singapore Island and East Malaysia (Sarawak); in Indonesia, it is found on the islands of the Riau Archipelago, Bangka, Belitung, Sumatra, We, Simalur, Nias, the Mentawai Islands (Siberut), Borneo, Java, and Sulawesi; in the Philippines, it is found on the islands of Balabac, Bongao, Jolo and Palawan |
T) Type species.
Captivity
These snakes are not very commonly kept as pets because of their high mortality rate in captivity. Shipping and the first six months in captivity are very stressful and often kill captive snakes. They also have very little tolerance of handling, with the resulting stress leading to premature death. Captive specimens should be provided with a temperature gradient and an easy to burrow substrate. The cage should be kept warm, but not hot, and they should be left alone.
References
{{Commons}}
{{Reflist}}
{{snake_families}}
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q736378|from2=Q15125515}}
Category:Reptiles of Southeast Asia