Calamaria is a large genus of dwarf burrowing snakes of the family Colubridae. The genus contains 66 recognized species. The genus is endemic to Asia.

Description

Species in the genus Calamaria share the following characteristics. The eight to 11 maxillary teeth are subequal; the anterior mandibular teeth are somewhat longer than the posterior ones. The head is not distinct from neck; the eye is small, with a round pupil; the nostril is pierced in a minute nasal scale. No loreal, internasal, or temporal scales are present; the preocular can be present or absent; the parietals contact the labials. The body is cylindrical, with smooth dorsal scales, without apical pits, in 13 rows. The tail is short; the subcaudals are paired.

Species

The following 67 described species in the genus Calamaria are recognized as being valid.

• Calamaria abramovi

• Calamaria abstrusa – Padang reed snake

• Calamaria acutirostris – pointed snout reed snake

• Calamaria albiventer – white-bellied reed snake

• Calamaria alcalai – Alcala's reed snake

• Calamaria alidae – Bengkulu reed snake

• Calamaria andersoni – Anderson's reed snake

• Calamaria apraeocularis – Apreocular reed snake

• Calamaria arcana – Lingnan reed snake

• Calamaria banggaiensis – Banggai reed snake

• Calamaria battersbyi – Battersby's reed snake

• Calamaria bicolor – two-colored dwarf snake, bicoloured reed snake

• Calamaria bitorques – Luzon dwarf snake

• Calamaria boesemani – Boeseman's reed snake

• Calamaria borneensis – Bornean reed snake

• Calamaria brongersmai – Brongersma's reed snake

• Calamaria buchi – Dalat dwarf snake, Buch's reed snake

• Calamaria butonensis

• Calamaria ceramensis

• Calamaria concolor

• Calamaria crassa – thick reed snake

• Calamaria curta – dark-bellied reed snake

• Calamaria doederleini – Döderlein's reed snake

• Calamaria dominici – Dominic's reed snake

• Calamaria eiselti – Eiselt's reed snake

• Calamaria everetti – Everett's reed snake

• Calamaria forcarti – Forcart's reed snake

• Calamaria gervaisii – Gervais's worm snake, Philippine dwarf snake

• Calamaria gialaiensis – Gia Lai reed snake

• Calamaria grabowskyi – Grabowsky's reed snake

• Calamaria gracillima – slender reed snake

• Calamaria griswoldi – dwarf reed snake, lined reed snake

• Calamaria hilleniusi

• Calamaria ingeri

• Calamaria incredibilis

• Calamaria javanica – Javanese reed snake

• Calamaria joloensis – Jolo worm snake

• Calamaria lateralis – white-striped reed snake

• Calamaria lautensis

• Calamaria leucogaster – Ampat Lawang dwarf snake

• Calamaria linnaei – Linne's dwarf snake

• Calamaria longirostris

• Calamaria lovii – Lowi's reed snake

• Calamaria lumbricoidea – variable reed snake

• Calamaria lumholtzi – Lumholz's reed snake

• Calamaria margaritophora – stripe-necked reed snake Bleeker's dwarf snake

• Calamaria mecheli – Mechel's reed snake

• Calamaria melanota – Kapuas reed snake

• Calamaria modesta

• Calamaria muelleri – Mueller's reed snake

• Calamaria nebulosa – clouded reed snake

• Calamaria nuchalis – narrow-headed reed snake

• Calamaria palavanensis – Palawan worm snake

• Calamaria pavimentata – collared reed snake

• Calamaria pfefferi – Pfeffer's reed snake

• Calamaria prakkei – Prakke's reed snake

• Calamaria rebentischi – Rebentisch's reed snake

• Calamaria sangi – Sang's reed snake

• Calamaria schlegeli – pink-headed reed snake

• Calamaria schmidti – Schmidt's reed snake

• Calamaria septentrionalis – Hong Kong dwarf snake

• Calamaria strigiventris – striped-belly reed snake

• Calamaria suluensis – yellow-bellied reed snake, Sulu reed snake

• Calamaria sumatrana – Sumatran reed snake, Sumatra dwarf snake

• Calamaria thanhi – Thanh's reed snake

• Calamaria ulmeri – Ulmer's reed snake

• Calamaria virgulata – Boie's dwarf snake, short-tailed reed snake

• Calamaria yunnanensis – Yunnan reed snake

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described with a different name.

References