Erycinae
Sign in to saveThe Erycinae, also known as the Old World sand boas, are a subfamily of nonvenomous snakes in the family Boidae. Species of the subfamily Erycinae are found in Europe, Asia Minor, Africa, Arabia, central and southwestern Asia, India, Sri Lanka, and western North America. Four genera comprising 18 species are currently recognized as being valid.
~4 min read
Encyclopedic overview
12 sectionsContents
- Description
- Distribution and habitat
- Behavior
- Feeding
- Reproduction
- Smuggling and poaching in India
- Captivity
- Genera
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
The Erycinae, also known as the Old World sand boas, are a subfamily of nonvenomous snakes in the family Boidae. Species of the subfamily Erycinae are found in Europe, Asia Minor, Africa, Arabia, central and southwestern Asia, India, Sri Lanka, and western North America. Four genera comprising 18 species are currently recognized as being valid.
==Description== Erycinae is a subfamily of stout-bodied snakes, all of which are competent burrowers. The largest, E. johnii, rarely exceeds in total length (including tail). Most grow to around in total length. They have small eyes and hard, small scales to protect their skin from the grit of sand. A great deal of sexual dimorphism exists, with females generally becoming much larger than males.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Erycinae” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.