Snakes # 2 (Patreon)

Some more extant snake lineages. At top left, the erycine Eryx jaculus (erycines have an extensive fossil record), and immediately next to it the tropidophiid (wood snake) Tropidophis melanurus. At lower left is the lamprophiid Lamprophis aurora - the last taxon unambiguously associated with the genus Lamprophis following recent taxonomic revisions. Lamprophiids were included within Colubridae until recently. Erycines and tropidophiids of course belong to a very different part of the snake family tree.

Also included here is a non-snake: the legless anguid Ophisaurus (lower right). I've already done one or two anguids for The Big Book, but it occurred to me the other day that I hadn't previously done one of the legless anguines.

As usual, these extant taxa have all been illustrated from photos. I don't like drawing long-bodied, legless animals - I find them very awkward to draw - but I have to say that these are looking pretty good. Much more to come!

This might be the last time I get any new drawings done for a while - I now have to work hard (in 'spare time') to get my ZSL presentation finished. Event concerned happens on Nov 15th.

All the best and thanks as always for your awesome support!