Leioheterodon madagascariensis (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)

Open encyclopedia reference

Leioheterodon madagascariensis, the Malagasy, Madagascar or Madagascan giant hognose (snake), is a harmless species of pseudoxyrhophiid snake endemic to the island nation of Madagascar. The species is also found on the country's smaller islands of Nosy Be, Nosy Mangabe, and Nosy Sakatia, as well as on the Comoros archipelago, in the Mozambique Channel. It is thought, by some, to have been introduced to the Grande Comoro. Mature giant hognose snakes can measure between 130 and 180 cm (4 ft. to nearly 6 ft., or between 1-2 meters) in length, and be roughly the thickness of an average adult human's arm. Similarly to the Heterodon or Lystrophis genera of new-world hognoses, the Madagascar giant hognose, when threatened, will raise its head, open its mouth and inflate the skin around its neck and chin, superficially mimicking a cobra (or even a bearded dragon) in defensive posture, in an attempt to look larger and more intimidating.

Wikipedia contributors, Leioheterodon madagascariensis; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T14:33:32.413680+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Leioheterodon madagascariensis (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)

Name authority

(Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Reptilia

Order

Squamata

Family

Pseudoxyrhophiidae

Genus

Leioheterodon

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.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
9. orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
10. suborderSerpentes Linnaeus, 1758
11. infraorderAlethinophidia Nopcsa, 1923
12. familyPseudoxyrhophiidae
13. genusLeioheterodon
14. speciesLeioheterodon madagascariensis (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Leioheterodon. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 76 records assigned to Pseudoxyrhophiidae.

Names & synonyms

Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.

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.

1. Duméril, A.M.C., G. BIBRON & A.H.A. DUMÉRIL. (1854). Erpétologie générale ou Histoire Naturelle complète des Reptiles. Vol. 7 (partie 1). Paris, Xvi + 780 S. 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.

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:3SYQ2. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.