dasypeltinæ

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. A subfamily of Colubridæ, typified by the genus Dasypeltis, having the body slender, the maxillary teeth few and rudimental, and the hypapophyses of several vertebræ piercing the throat and capped with enamel, thus forming a series of esophageal teeth. From this remarkable structure the group is also called Rhachiodontidæ, after the genus Rhachiodon, one of the several synonyms of Dasypeltis. Besides Dasypeltis, the subfamily includes the genus Elachistodon.