| Candoia bibroni | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Boidae |
| Genus: | Candoia |
| Species: | C. bibroni |
| Binomial name | |
| Candoia bibroni (A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1844) | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Candoia bibroni, commonly known as Bibron's bevel-nosed boa, Bibron's keel-scaled boa, the Pacific tree boa,[3] or the Fiji boa,[4] is a boa species endemic to Melanesia and Polynesia. Two subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.[3] Like all other boas, it is not venomous.
Etymology
The specific name, bibroni, is in honor of French herpetologist Gabriel Bibron.[5]
Description
C. bibroni is the largest member of the genus Candoia; adults can grow to up to 5 ft /1.5 meters in total length (including the tail). The color pattern usually consists of a pale brown, tan, or reddish-brown ground color overlaid with stripes, blotches, or spots. However, some individuals have no pattern at all.[4]
Geographic range
C. bibroni is found in Melanesia and Polynesia, including the eastern Solomon Islands (Olu Malau, Ugi, Rennell, Makira, Santa Ana, Santa Cruz, Bellona, Vanikoro and Utupua), the Banks Islands (Vanua Lava Island), Vanuatu, all three of the Loyalty Islands, the Fiji Islands (Rotuma, the Yasawa Group and the Lau Group), Western Samoa (Savaiʻi and Upolu Islands), and American Samoa (Taʻū Island).
The type locality given is "l'île Viti" (local name of Fiji Islands’ archipelago). Jacquinot and Guichenot (1853) list the type locality as "de l'archipel de Viti, Polynésie".[2]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of C. bibroni is forest, at altitudes from sea level to 1,600 m (5,200 ft).[1]
Feeding
C. bibroni hunts for food both on the ground and in the trees, preying on birds, lizards, and mammals, including bats.[4]
Reproduction
C. bibroni is viviparous.[6]
Subspecies
| Subspecies[3] | Taxon author[3] | Common name | Geographic range |
|---|---|---|---|
| C. b. australis | (Montrouzier, 1860) | Solomon Islands tree boa | Solomon Islands/Tonga Island |
| C. b. bibroni | (A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1844) | Pacific tree boa | the South Pacific Islands |
References
- 1 2 Allison A, Hamilton A, Tallowin O (2012). "Candoia bibroni ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T176188A1435600.en. Downloadedon 22 July 2021.
- 1 2 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
- 1 2 3 4 "Candoia bibroni ". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
- 1 2 3 Mehrtens JM (1987). Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
- ↑ Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Candoia bibroni, p. 25).
- ↑ Species Candoia bibroni at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
Further reading
- Boulenger GA (1893). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I., Containing the Families ... Boidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I-XXVIII. (Enygrus bibronii, pp. 106–107).
- Dumeril AMC, Bibron G (1844). Erpétologie générale ou Histoire naturelle complète des Reptiles. Tome sixième. Paris: Roret. xii + 609 pp. (Enygrus bibroni, new species, pp. 483–484). (in French).
- Schweizer H (1970). "Farbwechsel bei einer Pazifik-Boa (Candoia bibroni australis Montrousier, 1860) [= Color change in a Pacific Boa (Candoia bibroni australis Montrouzier, 1860)]". Aqua Terra 7 (2): 19–22. (in German).