Chilabothrus fordii

Chilabothrus fordii, also known commonly as Ford's boa^[4] and the Haitian ground boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae.^[5] There are three recognized subspecies.

Ford's boa
illustration by G.H. Ford, for whom the species is named
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Boidae
Genus:	Chilabothrus
Species:	C. fordii
Binomial name
Chilabothrus fordii (Günther, 1861)
Synonyms[2][3][4]
Pelophilus fordii Günther, 1861 Chilabothrus fordii — Jan, 1865 Chilabothrus maculatus J.G. Fischer, 1888 Epicrates fordii — Boulenger, 1893 Epicrates fordi [sic] — Schwartz & Thomas, 1975 Chilabothrus fordii — Reynolds et al., 2013

Geographic range

C. fordii is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic),^[1][4] including the surrounding islets of Île à Cabrit, Île de la Gonâve, Isla Catalina, and Isla Saona.^[6]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of C. fordii is forest, at altitudes from sea level to 713 m (2,339 ft), but it has also been found in agricultural areas.^[1]

Etymology

The specific name, fordii, is in honor of South African-born George Henry Ford,^[7] artist at the British Museum (Natural History), "whose merits in herpetology are well known by his truly artistical [sic] drawings".^[8]

Description

C. fordii is a small snake. Adults may attain a total length of 74 cm (29+1⁄8 in), which includes a tail 12.5 cm (4+7⁄8 in) long.

Dorsally, it has a ground color that is pale olive, yellowish, or reddish, overlaid by a series of transverse dark brown blotches, which are oval or kidney-shaped, with blackish borders. Some of these blotches may merge to form a wide wavy stripe in some places. Ventrally, it is yellowish, with small brown spots.

The smooth dorsal scales are arranged in 33-43 rows. The ventrals number 250-265; the anal plate is entire; and the subcaudals, which number 70-80, are also entire.

On the dorsal surface of the head, the large frontal contacts the supraoculars; the remainder is covered by small irregular plates. There are 13 or 14 upper labials, without labial pits.^[2]

Diet

C. fordii preys upon lizards and rodents.^[1]

Reproduction

C. fordii is viviparous.^[1][4]

Subspecies

Three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominate subspecies.

• Chilabothrus fordii fordii (Günther, 1861)
• Chilabothrus fordii agametus Sheplan & Schwartz, 1974
• Chilabothrus fordii manototus Schwartz, 1979

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Chilabothrus.