Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 43(1-2) 2000
Early Oligocene (Whitneyan) snakes from Florida (USA), a unique booid
Abstract:
A new genus and species of small booid snake, Conantophis alachuaensis is reported from the Early Oligocene (Whitneyan) I-75 Local Fauna (Florida Natural History Museum Locality AL01 8) near Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida, USA. This unique snake, represented by cervical and trunk vertebrae, is distinguished by its exceedingly dorsoventrally flattened vertebrae, especially those occurring in the posterior part of the trunk region, and by its massive, distinctively-shaped vertebral hemal keels. We are unable to identify this new genus to the subfamilial level with certainty, although we suggest there is some possibility that it may be related to the dwarf boa family Tropidophiidae.
