NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Braid Snake
Platyceps rhodorachis (Jan, 1863)
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
Platyceps rhodorachis the common cliff racer, Wadi racer, desert racer, braid snake, or Jan's cliff racer, is a species of snake found in Central Asia. Two subspecies are recognized: P. r. rhodorachis, the nominate subspecies, and P. l. subniger.
Wikipedia contributors, Platyceps rhodorachis; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:18:54.595814+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Platyceps rhodorachis (Jan, 1863)
- Name authority
- (Jan, 1863)
- Common name
- Braid Snake
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Colubridae
- Genus
- Platyceps
- 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
- subfamilyColubrinae
- genusPlatyceps
- speciesPlatyceps rhodorachis (Jan, 1863)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Platyceps. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Afar racerPlatyceps afarensis Schätti & Ineich, 2004 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Short RacerPlatyceps brevis (Boulenger, 1895) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Collared Dwarf RacerPlatyceps collaris (Müller, 1878) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Spotted Desert RacerPlatyceps karelini (Brandt, 1838) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Brahui RacerPlatyceps noeli Schätti, Tillack & Kucharzewski, 2014 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Platyceps scortecci (Lanza, 1963) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Variable SnakePlatyceps variabilis (Boulenger, 1905) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Glossy-bellied RacerPlatyceps ventromaculatus (Gray, 1834) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Dahl’s Whip SnakePlatyceps najadum (Eichwald, 1831) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Dahlak RacerPlatyceps largeni (Schätti, 2001) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Rogers' RacerPlatyceps rogersi (Anderson, 1893) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Banded RacerPlatyceps plinii (Merrem, 1820) | 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 |
|---|---|
| Zamenis rhodorachis Jan, 1863 Jan, 1863 | synonym |
| Coluber insulanus Mertens, 1965 Mertens, 1965 | synonym |
| Eremiophis rhodorhachis | synonym |
| Platyceps semifasciatus Blyth, 1860 Blyth, 1860 | synonym |
| Zamenis rhodorhachis var. tessellata Werner, 1910 Werner, 1910 | ambiguous synonym |
| Zamenis ventromaculatus Günther, 1858 Günther, 1858 | synonym |
| Etairejus rhodorachis Jan, 1857 Jan, 1857 | synonym |
| Zamenis ladacensis var. subnigra Boettger, 1893 Boettger, 1893 | synonym |
| Coluber rhodorachis kashmirensis Khan & Khan, 2000 Khan & Khan, 2000 | synonym |
| Gonyosoma dorsale Anderson, 1872 Anderson, 1872 | 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=Platyceps&species=rhodorachis 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:4JP7G. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.