NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Black Snake
Cubophis caymanus (Garman, 1887)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Cubophis caymanus, the Grand Cayman racer, is a diurnal species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to Grand Cayman Island. Its length typically ranges from 500–860 mm (20–34 in). The body is grey in color, with more distinct black, red and pink scales toward the head.
Wikipedia contributors, Cubophis caymanus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:18:46.650706+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Cubophis caymanus (Garman, 1887)
- Name authority
- (Garman, 1887)
- Common name
- Black Snake
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Colubridae
- Genus
- Cubophis
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderSerpentes Linnaeus, 1758
- infraorderAlethinophidia Nopcsa, 1923
- familyColubridae
- subfamilyDipsadinae
- genusCubophis
- speciesCubophis caymanus (Garman, 1887)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Cubophis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Swan Island racerCubophis brooksi (Barbour, 1914) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Little Cayman RacerCubophis ruttyi (Grant, 1941) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Cuban RacerCubophis cantherigerus (Bibron, 1843) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Cayman Brac RacerCubophis fuscicauda (Garman, 1888) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Bahamian RacerCubophis vudii (Cope, 1862) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Alsophis angulifer var. caymanus Garman, 1887 Garman, 1887 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Cubophis&species=caymanus Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:328SM. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.