Appendix A. A table showing mean adult body sizes, numbers of ventral and subcaudal scales, and microhabitat use in boid and pythonid snakes.
TABLE A1. Mean adult body sizes, numbers of ventral and subcaudal scales, and microhabitat use in boid and pythonid snakes. In each case, mean values are followed by standard deviations, ranges, and sample sizes. Numbers in parentheses in the microhabitat column represent the proportion of snakes of each taxon found in arboreal situations. SVL = snout-vent length. Sample sizes refer to the number of preserved specimens examined for each taxon.
Species |
Mean SVL ± SD (mm) |
Scalation |
Microhabitat |
Boids |
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Candoia carinata |
642.6 ± 225.7 (357 – 1324, n = 143) |
Ventrals: 160–200 Subcaudals: 38–56 |
Terrestrial (0) |
Candoia aspera |
556.6 ± 151.4 (335 – 950, n = 68) |
Ventrals: 131–146 Subcaudals: 15–21 |
Terrestrial (0.5) |
Candoia bibroni |
1028.3 ± 315.0 (470 – 1800, n = 57) |
Ventrals: 210–252 Subcaudals: 50–62 |
Arboreal (1.0) |
Boa constrictor amarali |
1451.6 ± 184.8 (1060 – 2130, n = 117) |
Ventrals: 226–263 Subcaudals: 43–52 |
Terrestrial (0.375) |
Boa constrictor constrictor |
1945.9 ± 506.7 (1162 – 3713, n = 111) |
Ventrals: 250–284 Subcaudals: 49–62 |
Terrestrial (0.300) |
Corallus caninus |
1284.6 ± 241.7 (835 – 1710, n = 36) |
Ventrals: 188–219 Subcaudals: 64–79 |
Arboreal (1.0) |
Corallus hortulanus |
1309.6 ± 169.5 (802 – 1887, n = 218) |
Ventrals: 258–297 Subcaudals: 105–137 |
Arboreal (0.960) |
Corallus cropanii† |
1278.7 ± 189.8 (1080 – 1510, n = 4) |
Ventrals: 179–200 Subcaudals: 51–53 |
Terrestrial (0.333) |
Epicrates c. cenchria |
1484.8 ± 174.5 (946 – 1838, n = 83) |
Ventrals: 246–279 Subcaudals: 45–68 |
Terrestrial (0.200) |
Epicrates c. assisi |
1212 ± 129.7 (988 – 1480, n = 43) |
Ventrals: 240–260 Subcaudals: 35–62 |
Terrestrial (0) |
Epicrates c. crassus |
1097 ± 106.5 (876 – 1371, n = 62) |
Ventrals: 214–247 Subcaudals: 33–52 |
Terrestrial (0) |
Sanzinia madagascariensis |
1394 ± 281.4 (1100 – 1910, n = 18) |
Ventrals: 199–232 Subcaudals: 35–46 |
Arboreal (1.0) |
Eunectes murinus |
2551.9 ± 748.8 (1335 – 4480, n = 39) |
Ventrals: 239–266 Subcaudals: 55–78 |
Aquatic (0) |
Eunectes notaeus |
1928.7 ± 308.2 (1515 – 2500, n = 10) |
Ventrals: 213–237 Subcaudals: 44–61 |
Aquatic (0) |
Eunectes deschauenseei |
1598 ± 263.3 (1200 – 2313, n = 25) |
Ventrals: 214–236 Subcaudals: 49–62 |
Aquatic (0) |
Pythonids |
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Aspidites melanocephalus |
1615.9 ± 320.4 (950 – 2550, n = 44) |
Ventrals: 315–359 Subcaudals: 60–70 |
Terrestrial (0) |
Aspidites ramsayi |
1519.7 ± 375.3 (972 – 2280, n = 43) |
Ventrals: 273–308 Subcaudals: 45–55 |
Terrestrial (0) |
Antaresia childreni |
715.2 ± 134.9 (390-990, n = 90) |
Ventrals: 251–300 Subcaudals: 38–57 |
Terrestrial (0) |
Antaresia stimsoni |
887.4 ± 183.5 (552 – 1270, n = 51) |
Ventrals: 243–302 Subcaudals: 38–53 |
Terrestrial (0) |
Antaresia maculosa |
783.3 ± 127.1 (575 – 1035, n = 23) |
Ventrals: 246–287 Subcaudals: 37–48 |
Terrestrial (0) |
Bothrochilus boa |
884.3 ± 198.0 (660 – 1310, n = 14), |
Ventrals: 245–267 Subcaudals: 47–52 |
Terrestrial (0) |
Leiopython albertisi |
1419.4 ± 307.8 (1115 – 2112, n = 11) |
Ventrals: 260–290 Subcaudals: 60–80 |
Terrestrial (0) |
Liasis fuscus |
1362.2 ± 222.4 (953 – 2200, n = 61) |
Ventrals: 271–286 Subcaudals: 72–89 |
Terrestrial (0) |
L. olivaceus |
1942.7 ± 392.1 (1100 – 2600, n = 59) |
Ventrals: 321–411 Subcaudals: 96–119 |
Terrestrial (0) |
Morelia kinghorni |
1929.1 ± 537.5 (1290 – 3450, n = 32) |
Ventrals: 270–348 Subcaudals: 80–120 |
Arboreal (0) |
M. viridis |
1144.3 ± 231.4 (840 – 1600, n = 17) |
Ventrals: 255–260 Subcaudals: 90–110 |
Arboreal (0) |
M. spilota spilota |
1606.4 ± 315.6 (1000-2220, n = 54) |
Ventrals: 261–280 Subcaudals: 71–85 |
Terrestrial (0.160) |
M. spilota variegata |
1495.8 ± 400.6 (720 – 2450, n = 90) |
Ventrals: 259–294 Subcaudals: 81–91 |
Arboreal (0.610) |
† Data on SVL refer to one female and three males. Ventral and subcaudal scale counts were obtained from published literature: Stull 1932, Hoge 1953, Boulenger 1961, Barker and Barker 1994, Cogger 2000, Dirksen 2002, Henderson 2002, Passos 2003, Vences and Glaw 2003.
LITERATURE CITED
Barker, D. G., and T. M. Barker. 1994. Pythons of the world. Volume I. Australia. Advanced Vivarium Systems, Mission Viejo, California, USA.
Boulenger, G. A. 1961. Catalogue of the snakes of the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I. British Museum of Natural History, London, UK.
Cogger, H. G. 2000. Reptiles and amphibians of Australia. Reed New Holland, Sydney, Australia.
Dirksen, L. 2002. Anakondas. Monographische revision der gattung Eunectes (Wagler, 1830). Natur und Tier-Verlag, Münster.
Henderson, R. W. 2002. Neotropical Treeboas. Natural history of the Corallus hortulanus Complex. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida, USA.
Hoge, A. R. 1953. A new genus and species of Boinae from Brazil. Xenoboa cropanii, gen. nov., sp. nov. Memórias dos Instituto Butanatan 25:27–34.
Passos, P. G. H. 2003. Sistemática do complexo E. cenchria (Linnaeus, 1978) com aproximações sobre filogenia de Epicrates Wagler, 1830 (Serpentes: Boidae). MSc thesis. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Stull, O. 1932. Five new subspecies of the family Boidae. Occasional Papers of the Boston Society of Natural History 8:25–30.
Vences, M., and F. Glaw. 2003. Phylogeography, systematics and conservation status of boid snakes from Madagascar (Sanzina and Acrantophis). Salamandra 39:181–206.