Cerberus (snake)

Cerberus (common name dog-faced water snakes) is a small genus of snakes in the family Homalopsidae.

Cerberus (snake)
Cerberus rynchops
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Homalopsidae
Genus:	Cerberus Cuvier, 1829
Species
Five, see text.

Geographic range and habitat

Member species of the genus Cerberus are common inhabitants of Southeast Asia's mangrove habitat and mudflats.

Etymology

The generic name, Cerberus, refers to the dog-like Greek mythological creature Cerberus.^[1]

Species

The following five species are recognized as being valid.^[2]

• Cerberus australis (Gray, 1842)
• Cerberus dunsoni Murphy, Voris & Karns, 2012
• Cerberus microlepis Boulenger, 1896
• Cerberus rynchops (Schneider, 1799)
• Cerberus schneiderii (Schlegel, 1837)

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Cerberus.