Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 41(1) 1998

Issue:

VOL 41(1) 1998

Keywords:

Fossil snakes, Upper Eocene, Boidae, England

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A new genus of small boid snake from the Upper Eoceneof Hordle Cliff, Hampshire, England

• J.A. HOLMAN
• David L. HARRISON

Abstract:

A new genus and species of boid snake, Totlandophis thomasae gen. et sp. nov. is described from the Rodent Bed of the Totland Bay Member. MP 17 (Headon Hill For­mation) of Hordle Cliff, Hampshire (Upper Eocene). England. The new genus represents an archaic boid taxon that probably did not survive beyond the Eocene and apparently has no close living relatives. Based on its small size and moderately depressed neural arch, it may represent the subfamily Erycinae. However, its caudal vertebrae are presently un­known, thus the boid subfamily of the new taxon cannot be determined.