Tupa (nyoka)

Tupa
Tupa mdogo mweusi (Gonionotophis nyassae)
Uainishaji wa kisayansi
Himaya: Animalia (Wanyama) Faila: Chordata (Wanyama wenye ugwe wa neva mgongoni) Nusufaila: Vertebrata (Wanyama wenye uti wa mgongo) Ngeli: Reptilia (Wanyama wenye damu baridi na magamba ngozini) Oda: Squamata (Mijusi, mijusi-nyungunyungu na nyoka) Nusuoda: Serpentes (Nyoka) Oda ya chini: Alethinophidia (Nyoka wasio vipofu) Familia: Lamprophiidae (Nyoka walio na mnasaba na chata) Fitzinger, 1843 Nusufamilia: Lamprophiinae (Nyoka wanofanana na chata) Fitzinger, 1843 Jenasi: Gonionotophis Boulenger, 1893
Ngazi za chini
Spishi 15: G. brussauxi (Mocquard, 1889) G. capensis (A. Smith, 1847) G. chanleri (Stejneger, 1893) G. crossi (Boulenger, 1895) G. egbensis (Dunger, 1966) G. gabouensis (Trape & Mané, 2005) G. grantii (Günther, 1863) G. guirali (Mocquard, 1887) G. klingi Matschie, 1893 G. laurenti (De Witte, 1959) G. nyassae (Günther, 1888) G. poensis (A. Smith, 1847) G. savorgnani (Mocquard, 1887) G. stenophthalmus (Mocquard, 1887) G. vernayi (Bogert, 1940)

Tupa ni spishi za nyoka za jenasi Gonionotophis katika familia Lamprophiidae. Wamepewa jina hili kwa sababu mwili wao una umbo wa tupa yenye pande tatu.

Nyoka hawa ni wafupi hadi warefu kiasi, kati ya sm 30 na 160. Kichwa cha spishi ndefu kinafanana na kile cha kambare. Kwa kawaida rangi yao ni nyeusi, kijivu au kahawia. Tupa kusi anaweza kuwa na mlia mweupe mgongoni.

Tupa huenda polepole na kuwinda usiku. Hula amfibia na watambaachi, ikijumuisha hata nyoka wengine.

Nyoka hawa hawana sumu na kwa kawaida hawang'ati wakishikwa na watu.

Spishi

• Gonionotophis brussauxi, Tupa Mdogo wa Mocquard (Mocquard's lesser file snake)
• Gonionotophis capensis, Tupa Kusi (Cape file snake)
• Gonionotophis chanleri, Tupa Kahawia (Unicolor file snake)
• Gonionotophis crossi, Tupa Magharibi (Crosse's file snake)
• Gonionotophis egbensis, Tupa wa Nijeria (Dunger's file snake)
• Gonionotophis gabouensis, Tupa wa Senegali (Gabou file snake)
• Gonionotophis grantii, Tupa Mdogo wa Grant (Savanna lesser file snake)
• Gonionotophis guirali, Tupa wa Mocquard (Mocquard's file snake)
• Gonionotophis klingi, Tupa wa Matchie (Matchie's African ground snake)
• Gonionotophis laurenti, Tupa wa Kongo (Laurent's file snake)
• Gonionotophis nyassae, Tupa Mdogo Mweusi (Black file snake)
• Gonionotophis poensis, Tupa-misitu Magharibi (Western forest file snake)
• Gonionotophis savorgnani, Tupa wa Gaboni (Congo file snake)
• Gonionotophis stenophthalmus, Tupa Macho-madogo (Small-eyed file snake)
• Gonionotophis vernayi, Tupa wa Angola (Angola file snake)

Picha

• 
  Tupa kusi

Marejeo

• Spawls, S., Howell, K., Drewes, R. & Ashe, J. (2002) A field guide to the Reptiles of East Africa. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, USA.

Viungo vya nje

• Hazinadata ya watambaachi

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