Xenocalamus

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: Elapoidea

Familia: Atractaspididae
Subfamilia: Aparallactinae
Genus: Xenocalamus
Species: X. bicolor – X. mechowii – X. michelli – X. sabiensis – X. transvaalensis –
Name

Xenocalamus
Vernacular names
English: Quill-snouted Snakes

Xenocalamus is a genus of rear-fanged venomous snakes in the family Lamprophiidae. The genus is endemic to Africa. Five species are recognized as being valid.[1]

Description (diagnosis) of genus

Snakes of the genus Xenocalamus exhibit the following characters:

Maxillary very short, with five teeth gradually increasing in size and followed, after an interspace, by two large grooved fangs situated below the eye. Anterior mandibular teeth slightly larger than the posterior ones. Palate toothless.

Head small, not distinct from neck. Snout pointed, very prominent, very flattened. Rostral very large with obtuse horizontal edge, flat below. Eye minute, with round pupil. Nostril between two nasals, the posterior nasal very large. No loreal. Prefrontals absent (fused with the frontal). No anterior temporal.

Body cylindrical; tail very short, obtuse.

Dorsal scales smooth, without apical pits, arranged in 17 rows. Ventrals rounded; subcaudals in two rows.[2]
Species
Genus Xenocalamus -- 5 species

Species^[1]	Taxon author^[1]	Subspecies*^[1]	Common name^[3]	Geographic range^[3]
X. bicolor	Günther, 1868	australis lineatus machadoi maculatus pernasutus	slender quill-snouted snake	Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, Botswana, Republic of South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe.
X. mechowii	W. Peters, 1881	inornatus	elongate quill-snouted snake	Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo,
X. michelli	L. Müller, 1911	————	Michell's quill-snouted snake	southern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
X. sabiensis	Broadley, 1971	————	Sabi quill-snouted snake	Zimbabwe to Mozambique.
X. transvaalensis	Methuen, 1919	————	Transvaal quill-snouted snake	North Transvaal and Zululand in Republic of South Africa, southern Mozambique, Botswana.

*) Not including the nominate subspecies.
See also

Snakebite.

References

"Xenocalamus ". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
Boulenger GA (1896). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ), Amblycephalidæ, and Viperidæ. Trustees of the British Museum. London. pp. 247-248.

Xenocalamus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 12 May 2009.