Abstract

There are currently 66 different recognized species within the superfamily Booidea, whose representatives inhabit six continents, with some of these species being endemic to islands. While we are more familiar with certain species, there are species that we know next to nothing about. By using traits such as body size, which is a measurement that uses the distance between the snout and vent, which is a valuable measurement that can provide insight into the habitat and diet of a species. Along with ontogenetic color change, which is a one-time shift in the colorations and patterns between the juvenile and adult life stages. Using characteristics including body size and ontogenetic color change, we may be able to gain insight into how these characteristics may have evolved and persisted among the different families of Booidea. After collecting DNA samples from 62 different species, excluding Corallus blombergi, Eryx borrii, Eryx somalicus, and Eryx whitakeri (which did not have an available DNA sequence), a phylogeny was created in order to visualize the evolution of body size and ontogenetic color change. This study aimed to use a phylogenetic tree based on the current DNA sequences from the aforementioned 62 species to examine the evolution of body sizes and ontogenetic color change in the superfamily Booidea. By doing so, we hope to ascertain patterns of evolution of body size and ontogenetic color change to provide insight into the diversification of traits in the family Booidea.

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