Prosymna (snake)

The Prosymna is a special kind of snake that belongs to its own group called a genus. It is part of the elapoid snakes, which are known for their unique traits. Right now, Prosymna is the only genus in a family called Prosymnidae.

Earlier, scientists thought Prosymna belonged to another family called Lamprophiidae, but new research shows it is different enough to have its own family. This helps scientists understand how these snakes are related to others and how they have evolved over time.

Geographic range

The genus Prosymna is only found in Sub-Saharan Africa. This means these snakes live only in this part of the world and nowhere else.

Species

Here are the different kinds of Prosymna snakes that scientists have identified:

• Prosymna ambigua Bocage, 1873
• Prosymna angolensis Boulenger, 1915
• Prosymna bivittata F. Werner, 1903
• Prosymna confusa Conradie, Keates, Baptista & Lobón-Rovira, 2022 – plain shovel-snout snake
• Prosymna frontalis (W. Peters, 1867)
• Prosymna greigerti Mocquard, 1906
• Prosymna janii Bianconi, 1862
• Prosymna lineata (W. Peters, 1871)
• Prosymna lisima Conradie, Keates, Baptista & Lobón-Rovira, 2022 – Kalahari shovel-snout snake
• Prosymna meleagris (J.T. Reinhardt, 1843)
• Prosymna ornatissima Barbour & Loveridge, 1928
• Prosymna pitmani Battersby, 1951
• Prosymna ruspolii (Boulenger, 1896)
• Prosymna semifasciata Broadley, 1995
• Prosymna somalica H. Parker, 1930
• Prosymna stuhlmanni (Pfeffer, 1893)
• Prosymna sundevalli (A. Smith, 1849)
• Prosymna visseri V. FitzSimons, 1959

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses means the snake was first named in a different group before being placed in Prosymna.