NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Western Forest Centipede-eater
Aparallactus modestus (Günther, 1859)
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.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Aparallactus modestus (Günther, 1859)
- Name authority
- (Günther, 1859)
- Common name
- Western Forest Centipede-eater
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Atractaspididae
- Genus
- Aparallactus
- 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
- familyAtractaspididae
- subfamilyAparallactinae
- genusAparallactus
- speciesAparallactus modestus (Günther, 1859)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Aparallactus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Zaire Centipede-eater.Aparallactus moeruensis de Witte & Laurent, 1943 | AtractaspididaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Black Centipede EaterAparallactus guentheri Boulenger, 1895 | AtractaspididaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Jackson’s centipede-eaterAparallactus jacksonii (Günther, 1888) | AtractaspididaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Black-headed Centipede EaterAparallactus capensis Smith, 1849 | AtractaspididaeChordata | 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 |
|---|---|
| Elapops plumbeater Cope, 1860 Cope, 1860 | synonym |
| Pariaspis plumbeatra Cope, 1860 Cope, 1860 | synonym |
| Elapops (Calamaria) petersii Jan, 1862 Jan, 1862 | synonym |
| Aparallactus ubangensis Boulenger, 1897 Boulenger, 1897 | synonym |
| Aparallactus batesii Boulenger, 1907 Boulenger, 1907 | synonym |
| Aparallactus flavitorques Boulenger, 1901 Boulenger, 1901 | synonym |
| Aparallactus congicus Werner, 1902 Werner, 1902 | synonym |
| Aparallactus dolloi Werner, 1902 Werner, 1902 | synonym |
| Aparallactus peraffinis Werner, 1897 Werner, 1897 | synonym |
| Elapops modestus Günther, 1859 Günther, 1859 | synonym |
| Aparallactus christyi Boulenger, 1910 Boulenger, 1910 | synonym |
| Aparallactus graueri Werner, 1924 Werner, 1924 | 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=Aparallactus&species=modestus 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:F88T. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.