Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 42(3) 1999

Issue:

VOL 42(3) 1999

Keywords:

Fossil snake, Early Oligocene, Colubridae, USA

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Early Oligocene (Whitneyan) snakes from Florida (USA), the second oldest colubrid snakes in the North America

• J.A. HOLMAN

Abstract:

A new genus and species, Floridaophis auffenbergi, and new species, Nebraskophis oligocenicus, of colubrid snakes are reported from the Early Oligocene (Whit­neyan) 1-75 Local Fauna (Florida Natural History Museum Locality AL018) near Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida, USA. The snakes represent only the second record of the family Colubridae from the Oligocene of North America and are the second oldest colubrid snakes known from the continent. Floridaophis is perhaps most similar to Ameiseophis robinsoni HOLMAN of the Early to Middle Miocene of North America. Floridaophis was a very small snake that is thought to have been a terrestrial species based on its relatively high neural spine. Nebraskophis, also a very small snake, was pre­viously known only from the Middle to Late Miocene of Nebraska. It probably was fossorial or very secretive based on its obsolete neural spine. Both fossil snakes appear to be archaic genera with no known modern relatives. The presence of Nebraskophis in Florida suggests a connection to the continent during the Paleogene.