Ficimia

Ficimia is a genus of colubrid snakes commonly known as hooknose snakes or hook-nosed snakes, which are endemic to North America. There are seven species within the genus.

Ficimia
Ficimia publia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Colubrinae
Genus: Ficimia
Gray, 1849
Species

See text

Synonyms

Geographic range

Species of Ficimia are found in Mexico, in the United States in the southern tip of Texas, and as far south as Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras.

Description

Hooknose snakes are typically gray or olive green in color, with brown or black blotching down the back, and a cream-colored underside. They grow to a total length of 5–11 in (13–28 cm) and have a distinct upturned snout, which is similar to that of hognose snakes (genus Heterodon), and is used to aid in burrowing in loose, sandy soil. The dorsal scales are smooth (keeled in Heterodon), and the anal plate is divided.[2]

Diet

Hook-nosed snakes feed primarily on spiders and centipedes.

Species

The following seven species are recognized.[3]

  • Ficimia hardyi Mendoza-Quijano & H.M. Smith, 1993 – Hardy's hook-nosed snake
  • Ficimia olivacea Gray, 1849 – Mexican hook-nosed snake
  • Ficimia publia Cope, 1866 – blotched hook-nosed snake
  • Ficimia ramirezi H.M. Smith & Langebartel, 1949 – Ramirez's hook-nosed snake
  • Ficimia ruspator H.M. Smith & Taylor, 1941 – Guerreran hook-nosed snake
  • Ficimia streckeri Taylor, 1941 – Strecker's hook-nosed snake
  • Ficimia variegata (Günther, 1858) – Tehuantepec hook-nosed snake

References
  1. 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. (Ficimia, pp. 270-271).
  2. Schmidt KP, Davis DD (1941). Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 365 pp. (Ficimia, pp. 202-203, Figure 65).
  3. "Ficimia ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.

Further reading
  • Gray JE (1849). Catalogue of the Specimens of Snakes in the Collection of the British Museum. London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Edward Newman, printer.) xv + 125 pp. (Ficimia, new genus, p. 80).


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