Xenophidion schaeferi, also known commonly as the Malayan spinejaw snake[2] or Schäfer's spiny-jawed snake,[1] is a species of snake in the monotypic family Xenophidiidae.[2] The species is endemic to Malaysia.

Xenophidion schaeferi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Superfamily: Bolyerioidea
Family: Xenophidiidae
Genus: Xenophidion
Species:
X. schaeferi
Binomial name
Xenophidion schaeferi

Etymology edit

The specific name, schaeferi is in honor of German herpetologist Christian Schäfer who collected the holotype.[3]

Geographic range edit

X. schaeferi is found in the Malaysian state of Selangor, in western Peninsular Malaysia.[1][2]

Habitat edit

The preferred natural habitat of X. schaeferi is forest.[1]

Reproduction edit

X. schaeferi is oviparous.[2]

DNA sequence divergence of sibling species edit

In the genus Xenophidion, there is one sister species, X. acanthognathus. Molecular analyses of a new specimen of X. acanthognathus reveal that it only differs from the holotype of X. schaeferi by a minimum sequence divergence of 0.27%.[4]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Grismer, L. (2012). "Xenophidion schaeferi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T192091A2038648. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T192091A2038648.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Xenophidion schaeferi at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 14 December 2018.
  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. (Xenophidion schaeferi, p. 234).
  4. ^ Quah, Evan S.H.; Grismer, L. Lee; Jetten, Thom; Wood, Perry L. Jr.; Miralles, Aurélien; Sah, Shahrul Anuar Mohd; Guek, Kurt H.P.; Brady, Matthew L. (2018-06-27). "The rediscovery of Schaefer's Spine-jawed Snake (Xenophidion schaeferi Günther & Manthey, 1995) (Serpentes, Xenophidiidae) from Peninsular Malaysia with notes on its variation and the first record of the genus from Sumatra, Indonesia". Zootaxa. 4441 (2): 366–378. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4441.2.10. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 30314015.

Further reading edit

  • Manthey U, Günther R (1995). "Xenophidion, a new genus with two new species of snakes from Malaysia (Serpentes, Colubridae)". Amphibia-Reptilia 16 (3): 229–240. (Xenophidion schaeferi, new species).