Xenodon guentheri

Xenodon guentheri, also known commonly as Günther's false fer-de-lance, is a species of snake in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Brazil.^[2]

Xenodon guentheri
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Xenodon
Species:	X. guentheri
Binomial name
Xenodon guentheri Boulenger, 1894

Etymology

The specific name, guentheri, is in honor of German-British herpetologist Albert Günther.^[3]

Common names

X. guentheri is known by several common names in Brazilian Portuguese including boipeva, chata, cobra-chata, and jararaca-falsa.^[4]

Geographic range

X. guentheri is found in southern Brazil,^[1][2] in the Brazilian states of Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, and Santa Catarina.^[1]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of X. guentheri is Araucaria angustifolia forest, at altitudes of 600–1,600 m (2,000–5,200 ft).^[1]

Defensive Behavior

When threatened, X. guentheri may exhibit defensive behaviors including body flattening, tail display, head triangulation, and fleeing.^[5]

Reproduction

X. guentheri is oviparous.^[2]

References

1. Silveira, A.L.; Prudente, A.L. da C.; Argôlo, A.J.S.; Abrahão, C.R.; Nogueira, C. de C.; Barbo, F.E.; Costa, G.C.; Pontes, G.M.F.; Colli, G.R.; Zaher, H. el D.; Borges-Martins, M.; Martins, M.R.C.; Oliveira, M.E.; Passos, P.G.H.; Bérnils, R.S.; Sawaya, R.J.; Cechin, C.T.Z; da Costa, T.B.G. (2020). "Xenodon guentheri ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T15183390A123739091. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
2. Species Xenodon guentheri at The Reptile Database
3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Xenodon guentheri, p. 111).
4. Gonzalez RC, Abegg AD, Mendes DMM, Silva MB, Machado-Filho PR, Mario-da-Rosa C, Passos DC, Ribeiro MV, Benício RA, Oliveira JCF (2020). "Lista dos Nomes Populares dos Répteis no Brasil – Primeira Versão". Herpetologia Brasileira 9 (2): 121–214. (Xenodon guentheri, p. 193). (in Portuguese).
5. Abegg AD, Ceron K, Lhanos FH (2018). "Xenodon guentheri (Günther's False Fer-de-lance). Defensive Behavior". Herpetological Review 49 (1): 141–142.

Further reading

• Boulenger GA (1894). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xi + 382 pp. + Plates I–XX. (Xenodon guentheri, new species, pp. 147–148 + Plate VII, figure 1, two views).
• Eiselt J (1963). "Zur Kenntnis der colubriden Schlangengattungen Procteria und Xenodon [= On the knowledge of the colubrid snake genera Procteria and Xenodon ]". Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien 66: 279–282. (in German).
• Freiberg M (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. ISBN 0-87666-912-7. (Xenodon guentheri, p. 113).
• Peters JA, Orejas-Miranda B (1970). "Catalogue of the Neotropical Squamata. Part 1. Snakes". Bulletin of the United States National Museum (297): 1–347. (Xenodon guentheri, p. 323).