"Rosy Boas belong to a group of
snakes referred to as the Boidae. This group includes over 60 species of Boas
and Pythons found throughout the world. Members of the family Boidae are
diverse, occupying aquatic, terrestrial and arboreal habitats. Boidae includes
such drastically opposing members as the tiny forest dwelling southern Rubber
Boa all the way up to the world’s largest snake, the aquatic Anaconda. In North America
the family Boidae is represented by two closely related genera; Charina, the Rubber Boas and Lichanura, the Rosy Boas.
The taxonomy of the genus Lichanura has seen quite a few
changes and revisions over its nearly 150 year history. Even today experts
cannot agree on the best designation of specific and subspecific names. Many
hobbyists were eagerly awaiting the results of genetic research to shed light
on the taxonomic discussion. When genetic results on the species finally appeared,
the results seemed confusing because of the lack of concordance with traditional
taxonomy and with the widely held hobbyist designated pattern classes. The
constant nature of taxonomic revision is often misunderstood by hobbyists. An
explanation of this nature has been clearly summarized in the following
comments by Biologist and Rosy Boa taxonomist Dustin Wood.
“…in
science hypotheses concerning species delimitation, as well as any scientific
investigation, undergo constant revision
as new methods are developed and new knowledge is acquired. We must remember
that species names are just that, hypotheses…the names we attach to them are
human constructs based on the best available information at the time. And these
hypotheses should be retested from time to time as new data are acquired. But
there are inevitably going to be some difficult ‘taxa’. Not every biological
entity fits our definition of what a species is (and this is the reason we have
so many different definitions). This is because in reality speciation is a
process. Some taxa are in the early stages of speciation and others are at late
stages and others are inbetween, so this makes for “messy” or “fuzzy”
taxonomy.”
Example Figure:
Figure x. A representation of the relationships of each Rosy Boa pattern class type to one another based on molecular research by Wood, Fisher, and Reeder 2008.
Example Image:
Image x. the actual type specimen used by Cope in 1868 to describe the now defunct Lichanura trivirgata myriolepis, a name that has led to much taxonomic confusion. Photo courtesy of Ned Gilmore of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.
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