Erycinae

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The Erycinae are the Old World sand boas, a group of nonvenomous snakes in the Boidae family. They live in Europe, Asia Minor, Africa, Arabia, central and southwest Asia, India, Sri Lanka, and western North America. There are four genera and 18 valid species.

These snakes are stout and built for digging. They spend a lot of time burrowed in sand, with only their eyes and head exposed. The largest species, Eryx johnii, can reach about 120 cm in length, but most are around 60 cm. They have small eyes and tough scales to protect their skin from sand. Females are generally larger than males.

Erycinae have skulls and tails adapted for burrowing: the skull is more compact, and tail vertebrae are larger but fewer in number. They are found in southeastern Europe, various parts of Africa, Arabia, Asia, India, Sri Lanka, and parts of North and Central America. Fossils show erycines have been around for over 50 million years and were once widespread in North America; today only a few North American species remain. The oldest known erycine is Rageryx schmidi from the Eocene Messel Pit in Germany.

Behavior and diet: most of these snakes spend much time buried in the sand and ambush prey when it comes near. Their main food is rodents, but they also eat lizards and birds.

Reproduction: most Erycinae give birth to live young (ovoviviparous), but at least two species lay eggs—Eryx jayakari and Eryx muelleri.

Humans and trade: poaching and smuggling occur, especially in India, with many snakes ending up in the United States. Myths claim they have medicinal or wealth-bringing properties, which are not true. In the pet trade, Eryx colubrinus, Eryx conicus, and Eryx johnii are commonly available and often captive-bred. They are small, usually not aggressive, but can bite, and they spend most of their time hiding. Other species are less often kept or imported.

In short, Erycinae are nonvenomous, burrowing snakes with a long history and a wide distribution, adapted for life under the sand.