The only questionable animal is in the monotypic genus Calabaria. Due to it's burrowing habits, Calabaria reinhardtii's relationships with other pythons are somewhat distorted and obscured by characters that have evolved (or have been lost) as a result of it's fossorial nature.
This snake is sometimes described as Eryx reinhardtii but there is plenty of conflicting evidence that suggests any similarities to the boas are as a result of convergent evolution (Kluge, 1993; Forstner, 1995). In fact, Arnold Kluge has suggested the inclusion of Lichanura and Calabaria within Charina.
Perhaps the Calabar Burrowing Python is neither a boa or a python and is in a class all it's own. However, C. reinhardtii is currently taxonomically described as a python.
Cheers,
R
Edit: I have recently heard tell of two Erycines that produce eggs, and if this is the case, then there may be an entire addendum to the boa taxonomic tree. Much like the monotremes are to placental mammals, these "Erycines" will be to Boas.....
Last edited by Removed_2815; 01-27-04 at 04:13 PM..
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