Cerberus rynchops

Cerberus rynchops

Taxonavigation

Taxonavigation: Homalopsoidea

Superregnum: Eukaryota Cladus: Amorphea Cladus: Obazoa Cladus: Opisthokonta Cladus: Holozoa Cladus: Filozoa Cladus: Choanozoa Regnum: Animalia Subregnum: Eumetazoa Cladus: ParaHoxozoa Cladus: Bilateria Cladus: Nephrozoa Superphylum: Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordata Cladus: Olfactores Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Cladus: Eugnathostomata Cladus: Osteichthyes Cladus: Sarcopterygii Cladus: Rhipidistia Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes Cladus: Elpistostegalia Cladus: Stegocephali Superclassis: Tetrapoda Cladus: Reptiliomorpha Cladus: Amniota Cladus: Sauropsida Classis: Reptilia Cladus: Eureptilia Cladus: Romeriida Cladus: Diapsida Cladus: Neoreptilia Cladus: Parapleurota Cladus: Neodiapsida Cladus: Sauria Cladus: Lepidosauromorpha Superordo: Lepidosauria Ordo: Squamata Cladus: Toxicofera Subordo: Serpentes Cladus: Caenophidia Superfamilia: Homalopsoidea

Familia: Homalopsidae
Genus: Cerberus
Species: Cerberus rynchops

Name

Cerberus rynchops (Schneider, 1799)

• Holotype: iconotype, based on illustration in Russell’s (1796: 23, pl. 17)
• Type locality: “Ganjam”, Orissa State, India.

Combinations

• Hydrus rynchops Schneider, 1799: 246 [original combination]
• Enhydris rynchops — Sonnini & Latreille, 1801 [subsequent combination]
• Python rhynchops [sic] — Merrem, 1820: 90 [subsequent combination, unjustified emendation]
• Homalopsis rhynchops [sic] — Cantor, 1847 [subsequent combination]
• Cerberus rynchops — Günther, 1864: 279 [subsequent combination]
• Hurria rynchops — Stejneger, 1907: 304 [subsequent combination]

Synonyms

• Hydrus cinereus Shaw, 1802
• Coluber cerberus Daudin, 1803
• Hurria bilineata Daudin, 1803
• Python molurus Merrem, 1820 [not Coluber molurus (=Python molurus) Linnaeus, 1758]
• Cerberus grantii Cantor,1836
• Cerberus russelli Cuvier, 1828

References

Primary references

• Schneider, J.G. 1799. Historiae Amphibiorum naturalis et literariae. Fasciculus primus, continens Ranas, Calamitas, Bufones, Salamandras et Hydros in genera et species descriptos notisque suis distinctos. Frommani: Jenae. 264 pp. BHL Reference page. 

Additional references

• Murphy, J.C., Voris, H.K. & Karns, D.R. 2012. The dog-faced water snakes, a revision of the genus Cerberus Cuvier, (Squamata, Serpentes, Homalopsidae), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 3484(1): 1–34. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3484.1.1 Reference page. 

Links

• Murphy, J. 2010. IUCN: Cerberus rynchops  (Least Concern). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T176680A7282653. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T176680A7282653.en. Accessed on 03 December 2025.

Vernacular names

• Deutsch: Hundskopf-Wassertrugnatter
• English: Western Dog-faced Bockadam
• 日本語: キールウミワタリ