Dipsas

Dipsas is a genus of nonvenomous New World snakes in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae. The genus Sibynomorphus has been moved here. Species of the genus Dipsas are known as snail-eaters.

Dipsas is a genus of nonvenomous New World snakes in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae. The genus Sibynomorphus has been moved here. Species of the genus Dipsas are known as snail-eaters. ==Taxonomy== The genus Dipsas includes over 50 distinct species. The following species are recognized as being valid. Dipsas albifrons – Sauvage's snail-eater Dipsas alternans – Jan's snail-eater Dipsas andiana Dipsas aparatiritos Dipsas articulata – American snail-eater Dipsas baliomelas Dipsas bicolor – two-colored snail-eater Dipsas bobridgelyi – Bob Ridgely's snail-eater Dipsas bothropoides Dipsas brevifacies – snail-eating thirst snake, short-faced snail-eater Dipsas bucephala – neotropical snail-eater Dipsas catesbyi – Catesby's snail-eater Dipsas chaparensis Dipsas cisticeps – neotropical snail-eater Dipsas copei Dipsas elegans Dipsas ellipsifera Dipsas gaigeae – Gaige's thirst snail-eater, Gaige's thirst snake, zicatlinán Dipsas georgejetti – George Jett's snail-eater Dipsas gracilis – graceful snail-eater Dipsas incerta – Jan's snail-eater Dipsas indica – neotropical snail-eater Dipsas jamespetersi Orcés & Almendáriz, 1989 Dipsas klebbai – Klebba's snail-eate Dipsas latifrontalis – broad-fronted snail-eater, Venezuela snail-eater Dipsas lavillai Scrocchi, Porto & Rey, 1993 Dipsas maxillaris – Werner's thirst snake Dipsas mikanii (Schlegel, 1837) Dipsas neuwiedi (Ihering, 1911) – Neuwied's tree snake Dipsas nicholsi Dipsas oligozonata Orcés & Almendáriz, 1989 Dipsas oneilli Rossman & Thomas, 1979 – O'Neill's tree snake Dipsas oreas – Ecuador snail-eater Dipsas oswaldobaezi – Oswaldo Báez's snail-eater Dipsas pakaraima Dipsas palmeri – Palmer's snail-eater Dipsas pavonina – northern snail-eater Dipsas peruana – Peruvian snail-eater, Peru snail-eater Dipsas praeornata Dipsas pratti – Pratt's snail-eater Dipsas sanctijoannis – tropical snail-eater Dipsas sazimai Dipsas schunkii – Schunk's snail-eater Dipsas temporalis – temporal snail-eater Dipsas tenuissima – Taylor's snail-eater Dipsas trinitatis – Trinidad snail-eater Dipsas turgida (Cope, 1868) – Bolivian tree snake Dipsas vagrans (Dunn, 1923) – Dunn's tree snake Dipsas vagus (Jan, 1863) – Jan's tree snake Dipsas variegata – variegated snail-eater Dipsas ventrimaculata (Boulenger, 1885) – Boulenger's tree snake Dipsas vermiculata – vermiculate snail-eater Dipsas viguieri – Bocourt's snail-eater Dipsas welborni Dipsas williamsi Carillo de Espinoza, 1974 – Williams's tree snake Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Dipsas. ==Description== Dipsas species are slender, small to medium-sized snakes, often no longer than , and rarely longer than . Coloration and color pattern may vary, but often consist of black and brown, frequently with alternating rings separated by white. ==Distribution and habitat== Species in the genus Dipsas are found from southern Mexico through Central America and South America, as far as Argentina and Paraguay. ==Behavior and diet== Species in the genus Dipsas are mostly arboreal snakes that mainly feed on land snails and slugs. ==References== ==Further reading== Freiberg MA (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. . (Genus Dipsas, pp. 93–94). Laurenti JN (1768). Specimen medicum, exhibens synopsin reptilium emendatam cum experimentis circa venena et antidota reptilium austriacorum. Vienna: "Joan. Thom. Nob. de Trattnern". 214 pp. + Plates I-V. (Dipsas, new genus, pp. 89–90). (in Latin).

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