NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Somali Sand Boa
Eryx somalicus Scortecci, 1939
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
Eryx somalicus, known commonly as the Somali sand boa, is a species of small snake in the Boidae family. As its scientific name and common name suggest, it is found in Somalia, but may also be present in eastern Ethiopia.
Wikipedia contributors, Eryx somalicus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:06:02.598123+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Eryx somalicus Scortecci, 1939
- Name authority
- Scortecci, 1939
- Common name
- Somali Sand Boa
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Boidae
- Genus
- Eryx
- 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
- familyBoidae
- subfamilyErycinae
- genusEryx
- speciesEryx somalicus Scortecci, 1939
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Eryx. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Central Asia Sand BoaEryx elegans (Gray, 1849) | BoidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Javelin Sand BoaEryx jaculus (Linnaeus, 1758) | BoidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Arabian Sand BoaEryx jayakari Boulenger, 1888 | BoidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Brown Sand BoaEryx johnii (Russell, 1801) | BoidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Desert Sand BoaEryx miliaris (Pallas, 1773) | BoidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Whitaker’s sand boaEryx whitakeri Das, 1991 | BoidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Eryx borrii Lanza & Nistri, 2005 | BoidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Sand BoaEryx colubrinus (Linnaeus, 1758) | BoidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Common Sand BoaEryx conicus (Schneider, 1801) | BoidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Müller’s sand boaEryx muelleri (Boulenger, 1892) | BoidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
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=Eryx&species=somalicus 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:3BG9P. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.