Xenopeltis

Xenopeltis, the sunbeam snakes,<ref name="ITIS-F">{{#if:209608 | {{#invoke:template wrapper|wrap|_template=cite web|_exclude=id,ID,taxon

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| Template:Citation error }}</ref> are the sole genus of the monotypic family Xenopeltidae, the species of which are found in Southeast Asia. Sunbeam snakes are known for their highly iridescent scales. Three species are recognized, each one with no subspecies.<ref name="ITIS">{{#if:209609 | {{#invoke:template wrapper|wrap|_template=cite web|_exclude=id,ID,taxon

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| Template:Citation error }}</ref> Studies of DNA suggest that the xenopeltids are most closely related to the Mexican burrowing python (Loxocemus bicolor) and to the true pythons (Pythonidae).<ref name="Pyronetal2014">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Reynolds14">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Description

File:XenopeltisUnicolorRooij.jpg

Illustration of Xenopeltis unicolor

Adults can grow up to Template:Convert in length.<ref name="B&D01">Burnie D, Wilson DE. 2001. Animal. London: Dorling Kindersley. 624 pp. Template:ISBN.</ref> The head scales are made up of large plates much like those of the Colubridae, while the ventral scales are only slightly reduced. Pelvic vestiges are not present.<ref name="NRDB">Template:NRDB family</ref>

The dorsal color pattern is a reddish-brown, brown, or blackish color. The belly is an unpatterned whitish-gray.<ref name="Meh87">Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. Template:ISBN.</ref> The scales are highly iridescent.<ref name="NRDB"/>

Geographic range

They are found in Southeast Asia from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, east through Myanmar to southern China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Malay Peninsula and the East Indies to Sulawesi, as well as the Philippines.<ref name="McD99"/>

Behavior and diet

These snakes are fossorial, spending much of their time hidden. They emerge at dusk to actively forage for frogs, other snakes, and small mammals. They are not venomous, and kill their prey with constriction.<ref name="Meh87"/>

Species

Species<ref name="ITIS"/>	Taxon author<ref name="ITIS"/>	Common name	Geographic range<ref name="McD99"/>
X. hainanensis	Hu & Zhao, 1972		China: from Zhejiang west to Guangxi and south to Hainan Island
X. intermedius	Orlov, Snetkov., Ermakov, Nguyen, & Ananjeva, 2022		Vietnam
X. unicolorT	Reinwardt, 1827	common sunbeam snake<ref name="EMBL">Template:EMBL species</ref>	Myanmar (Tenasserim), the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, southern China (Guangdong and Yunnan), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, West Malaysia, Penang Island, Singapore Island and East Malaysia (Sarawak); in Indonesia, it is found on the islands of the Riau Archipelago, Bangka, Belitung, Sumatra, We, Simalur, Nias, the Mentawai Islands (Siberut), Borneo, Java, and Sulawesi; in the Philippines, it is found on the islands of Balabac, Bongao, Jolo and Palawan

^T) Type species.<ref name="McD99"/>

Captivity

These snakes are not very commonly kept as pets because of their high mortality rate in captivity. Shipping and the first six months in captivity are very stressful and often kill captive snakes. They also have very little tolerance of handling, with the resulting stress leading to premature death. Captive specimens should be provided with a temperature gradient and an easy to burrow substrate. The cage should be kept warm, but not hot, and they should be left alone.