taxonID	type	description	language	source
5F4F8428C91C4600FF1BFC1D438298CB.taxon	discussion	The account of Coronella violacea in “ Indian Serpents-Innocuous-Collected, figured & described (1831 – 1837) ” includes a fully colored illustration drawn by Cantor himself accompanied by five pages of handwritten notes. The type specimen depicted by the drawing (as Coronella violaceus [sic]) was sketched in a coiled position involving the body, tail, lateral edges of the ventral surface, and left side of the head (Fig. 1). Scales were drawn throughout the body and head but are absent along the tail. A note on the same page states that the drawing was completed on 6 June 1836 “ from a specimen in spirits ”. The written description includes a brief diagnosis written in Latin followed by a longer account in English. A full transliteration of the species account is provided in Appendix 1. Cantor notes he obtained the holotype from a “ Mr. Bonnevie of Rungpore ” in 1836, who collected the snake underneath a thatched roof. The “ Bonnevie ” he mentions was likely Honoratus Bonnevie (1803 – 1854), a merchant born at Falkensten Manor in Horten, Norway who was active in British India during the same time as Cantor. Bonnevie left for Copenhagen in 1820 and volunteered to work at sea on the East Indiaman merchant ship “ Antoinette ” (Bonnevie & Bonnevie 1931). This experience allowed him to travel extensively until he gained employment in British India on an indigo plantation in 1825. By 1831, Bonnevie had purchased and began managing his own plantation in present-day Rangpur. The operation was lucrative, and his brother, Carl Siegfried Bonnevie (1804 – 1856), a naval officer who rose to the rank of Lieutenant Captain, and later Captain by the time of his death, travelled to Rangpur from 1841 – 1849 to help run the plantation (Seland 1979). Notably, Carl had a recorded interest in natural history, as his name is mentioned several times as a collector or donor of specimens to the Asiatic Society of Bengal in Calcutta (Anonymous 1844; Blyth 1849). At the time of his death, Honoratus Bonnevie made routine trips back from British India and Norway, but contracted cholera during his final visit to Bengal (Bonnevie & Bonnevie 1931). Cantor (1839) acknowledged the help of several colleagues who gave him access to specimens and illustrations, but strangely Honoratus Bonnevie was never mentioned among them. However, Cantor’s manuscript makes it clear he relied on an auxiliary account of the holotype by Bonnevie to complete his description. The remaining notes provide body and tail measurements (presumably in British English feet, inches, and lines), ventral and subcaudal scale counts, and color pattern of the head, dorsal and ventral surfaces. There is no reference to the dentition of this species, yet other descriptions in the same manuscript have tooth counts (Tillack et al. 2021; Deepak et al. 2021; Lee et al. 2025). Assuming the drawing accurately reflects the scalation of the holotype, it is possible to count the number of supralabial and temporal scales on the left side of the head (Fig. 1). My counts of these features are as follows: supralabials 8, scale one smallest, scales 4 – 5 in contact with eye, scales 6 – 7 scale largest; temporals 2 + 2, lower anterior temporal blocked from contacting postoculars. In addition, there are two postoculars behind the eye, one preocular, one loreal and no evidence of a presubocular. It is unknown whether Cantor added preventrals in his abdominal (ventral) scale count, or if the holotype lacked preventrals altogether, but this should only reflect a quantitative difference of 1 – 2 scales from specimens counted according to the Dowling (1951) method. The whereabouts of the holotype (Cantor 1839) are unknown. Coronella violacea was not recorded in any historical catalog of snakes in the NHMUK collection, where other material collected by Cantor has been stored (Günther 1858; Boulenger 1894). As a result, the holotype of Coronella violacea should be considered lost. Comparisons with other Oligodon taxa Several color pattern characteristics in the account of Coronella violacea are absent in Oligodon native to Bangladesh and northeast India. They include an immaculate reddish violet dorsal surface, no head markings (specifically, an ocular and temporal bar or a nuchal chevron), and a plain white (“ pearl ”) ventral surface with a yellowish throat. Native members of the Oligodon arnensis and Oligodon taeniolatus Groups, including Oligodon melaneus Wall, 1909, Oligodon russelius (Daudin, 1803) and Oligodon taeniolatus (Jerdon, 1853), do not have a red dorsal surface, and the latter two species possess banded or blotched color patterns (Smith 1943; Bandara et al. 2022; Das et al. 2022). Likewise, members of the Oligodon theobaldi Group, specifically Oligodon dorsalis Gray, 1834, Oligodon erythrogaster Boulenger, 1907, and Oligodon theobaldi (Günther, 1868) also lack a reddish dorsal surface and possess patterns consisting of dark vertebral and lateral stripes (Boulenger 1907; Wall 1923; Smith 1943). Lastly, two additional species, Oligodon erythrorhachis Wall, 1910 and Oligodon melanozonatus Wall, 1922, have light or dark crossbands on the dorsal surface and do not have an immaculate belly (Wall 1910, 1922, 1923; Smith 1943). Three out of four remaining Oligodon in range of Coronella violacea have been taxonomically associated with this name in the past (Oligodon albocinctus, Oligodon “ cinereus ” and Oligodon cyclurus). However, several morphological features disagree with the description of Coronella violacea. First, specimens of O. albocinctus have a dorsal coloration consisting of bands, crossbars or blotches (Lee et al. 2025). Next, populations of O. “ cinereus ” from Bangladesh and India have a reddish dorsal coloration, but all have a dorsal color pattern consisting of dark crossbars or reticulations and normally possesses dark rectangular spots on the ventral surface (Wall 1923; Agarwal et al. 2010; David et al. 2011). Further, O. albocinctus and O. “ cinereus ” have head markings in the form of an ocular bar, a temporal bar and a nuchal chevron, although they can be indistinct in specimens of the latter taxon. Lastly, the maximum number of ventral scales reported from O. “ cinereus ” (156 – 189) is seven scales lower than the given count of Coronella violacea of 196, and the minimum number of subcaudals in O. albocinctus is nine scales higher (47 – 70 versus 38 in Coronella violacea) (both data ranges taken from Lee et al. 2025). The most pertinent species to compare Coronella violacea with is O. cyclurus. Smith (1943) noted examples of his “ Form II ” of O. cyclurus that were bright red in coloration, and earlier authors recorded specimens from Myanmar that “ were exactly the colour of a boiled shrimp ” (Wall & Evans 1900: 350). Although these specimens agree with the coloration of Coronella violacea, most O. cyclurus have a brown dorsal surface. Even in specimens that exhibit a red coloration, all O. cyclurus possess the following characteristics: 1) distinct series of dark vertebral / paravertebral stripes and lateral stripes across the body; 2) black reticulations on the edges of dorsal scales that form a streaked pattern on the body; and 3) three dark markings on the head, including a ocular bar, temporal bar and arrow-shaped nuchal chevron (David et al. 2011). These features are obvious in Cantor’s watercolor illustration of Coronella cyclura (Lee et al. 2025: Fig. 1 B) but are absent in the illustration of Coronella violacea (Fig. 1). Smith (1943) ’ s definition of O. cyclurus had a broader range of ventral and subcaudal scale counts (161 – 195 and 36 – 58, respectively), but the revised counts of this species are narrower. Wagner (1975) gave a range of 160 – 173 ventrals and 30 – 48 subcaudals, David et al. (2011) recorded 159 – 178 ventrals for Indian and Bangladeshi specimens, and Lee et al. (2025) recorded 159 – 189 ventrals and 29 – 57 subcaudals. The number of ventral scales of Coronella violacea (196) is seven scales higher than the maximum ventral count reported in any populations of Oligodon cyclurus, and significantly lower than the range from populations native to Bangladesh and India. Given these discrepancies, it is clear that the current assignment of Coronella violacea as a junior synonym of O. cyclurus is incorrect. The final species, O. kheriensis, is the only member of Oligodon with a color pattern and body scalation that unambiguously matches the holotype description of Coronella violacea. All specimens of O. kheriensis agree with this taxon by having a plain immaculate dorsal and ventral coloration without dark head markings, stripes, spots or reticulations on the body or head (Fig. 2). It further agrees with Coronella violacea by having dorsal scales edged with white, resulting in a semi-reticulated pattern when the interstitial skin is partially exposed, and by having yellow pigment on the labial and gular region of the head. Both color pattern features are mentioned in Cantor’s handwritten notes and are figured in his illustration (Fig. 1). In terms of scalation, the number of ventral scales of Coronella violacea matches the holotype of O. kheriensis (196 ventrals fide David et al. 2011) and its subcaudal count of 38 paired scales also agrees with the range of that species (38 – 47; see Table 1). The only features that may present a discrepancy is the “ reddish violet ” dorsal color of Coronella violacea, which differs from the “ coral red ” coloration characterizing O. kheriensis in life. However, it is important to note that Cantor only had access to the holotype after it was already preserved “ in spirits ” and relied on a secondary account of its color pattern to complete his description (Appendix 1). In snakes, red color pigment normally degrades quickly after being exposed to ethanolbased preservative fluids, especially if specimens are exposed heavily to light. This is the case for the holotype of O. kheriensis, which was entirely bleached when figured by David et al. (2011). Other photos of preserved O. kheriensis exhibit differences in color pigmentation. One specimen from Mahendranagar, Nepal figured in Schleich & Kästle (2002) is light red, whereas a specimen from Panchagar, Bangladesh is brown vertebrally (Romon et al. 2021: Fig. 1). I therefore consider the color differences between O. kheriensis and Coronella violacea to be trivial, as it is possible they result from preservation artefacts or artistic liberties taken by Cantor due to the circumstances of how the latter taxon’s holotype was collected. A summary of morphological comparisons between Coronella violacea and other taxonomically confused Oligodon can be found in Table 1. Oligodon kheriensis was only known from the holotype when Smith (1943) synonymized it under O. cyclurus. The type locality (Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, India) is 875 km west-northwest of present-day Rangpur, Bangladesh, a considerable distance from where Cantor (1839) originally obtained the Coronella violacea holotype. Nonetheless, both localities are positioned along a continuous east-to-west gradient of alluvial habitat in the Indo-Gangetic plain. Several other amphibian and reptile taxa native to the Indian subcontinent have geographic ranges that follow a similar longitudinal gradient (Das 1996; Agarwal et al. 2014; Gowande et al. 2021; Dufresnes et al. 2022), and recent records of O. kheriensis suggest it follows a comparable distributional pattern along the Terai region and Ganges floodplain. At present, literature and electronic records have documented this species as far east as Assam State, India and Panchagar District, Bangladesh (Sutradhar & Nath 2013; Nath et al. 2021; Romon et al. 2021). The Panchagar locality is only ~ 94 km northwest of Rangpur, and additional localities reported by Nath et al. (2021) from Cooch Behar district, West Bengal State, India, are even closer (~ 67 km northeast of Rangpur). Nomenclatural conclusions All of the morphological characters mentioned in the descriptions of Coronella violacea are an exact match with Oligodon kheriensis. The only discrepancies can be explained by the condition of Cantor’s holotype, which may have lost the coral red coloration that characterizes O. kheriensis in life. An immediate conclusion of these findings is that Coronella violacea is a senior synonym of O. kheriensis and therefore has priority over the latter name. Article 23.9 of the Code (Reversal of Precedence) allows authors to protect the status of younger names by declaring their senior synonyms as nomina oblita (ICZN 1999). This act requires two stipulations. Article 23.9.1.1 states that “ the senior synonym or homonym has not been used as a valid name after 1899 ”. Article 23.9.1.2, states that “ the junior synonym or homonym has been used for a particular taxon, as its presumed valid name, in at least 25 works, published by at least 10 authors in the immediately preceding 50 years and encompassing a span of not less than 10 years ”. The name O. kheriensis satisfies the criteria of Article 23.9.1.2 since it has been cited in well over 25 published works in the past 50 years. Alas, Coronella violacea does not satisfy Article 23.9.1.1 because it has been used as valid under various combinations by multiple authors after 1899, including Oligodon violaceus (Wall 1923), Simotes violaceus pallidocinctus (Bourret 1934), Holarchus violaceus swinhonis (Mell 1931) and inadvertently in sources as late as 2006 (Fitch 1981; Greene 1997; Mahler & Kearney 2006) (see also Wall 1899; Stanley 1914; Wall 1923; Schmidt 1927; Pope 1935; Bourret 1936; Smith 1943; Deuve 1970). Since the rules permitting reversal of precedence are not met, the only way to preserve the usage of O. kheriensis is to petition the plenary power of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (the Commission) to suppress Coronella violacea. The Code explicitly allows for cases involving prevailing use to be referred to the Commission (Articles 23.9.3, 75.6, 81 and 82), but I have elected not to follow this procedure. This decision may be interpreted as disruptive by end users who are more familiar with the name O. kheriensis. I am also aware that this study follows a backdrop of publications that have criticized authors for enforcing the priority of older names in favor of approaches preserving younger and more frequently-used nomina (Wüster et al. 2025; Böhme et al. 2025). However, I am not convinced these arguments apply in this example, although I acknowledge stability is a primary objective in recent editions of the Code (see Savage 1991). The Code states that plenary applications to the Commission should be done “ When an author discovers that the existing name-bearing type of a nominal species-group taxon is not in taxonomic accord with the prevailing usage of names and stability or universality is threatened … ” (my emphasis) (Article 75.6). Recommendation # 1 in Appendix B further states that “ An author should not change the prevailing usage of names, or the sense in which they are used, unless this is required for scientific reasons (i. e. the reclassification of taxa) … ” (again, my emphasis) (ICZN 1999). Here, the perception of stability and prevailing usage applies to a single species (O. kheriensis) that has only been used as valid since Schleich & Kästle (2002) (but see Das 1996). A plenary request to suppress O. kheriensis necessitates a protracted process of case submission, peer review and publication in the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, followed by a period of commentary and discussion by both the general public and the Commission, which as Wüster et al. (2025: 392) admit, can take several years. Article 82.1 of the Code would allow the use of O. kheriensis to be maintained until a ruling is made, but there is no guarantee that a plenary decision will favor the younger name. An unsuccessful petition may risk causing greater nomenclatural instability if the Commission rules in favor of Coronella violacea and suppresses O. kheriensis after an ephemeral era of prevailing use. Such an elongate series of events might be worthwhile for nomina that have greater significance outside the scientific community (Dubois 2010), but most references that cite O. kheriensis in the primary literature, while prolific, are largely restricted to taxonomic papers, faunal checklists and distribution notes (Pandey 2012; Maurya et al. 2017; Bhattarai et al. 2020, 2025; Nath et al. 2021; Ranjan et al. 2021; Rai et al. 2022). Further, O. kheriensis is not designated as a threatened species in Nepal, Bangladesh or India, and it is listed by the IUCN Red List as “ Least Concern ” (Limbu et al. 2022). Due to the narrow use of the name “ kheriensis ” outside the specialist herpetological literature, it is my opinion that stability and prevailing usage are not necessarily threatened if an older name is reinstated in its place. A similar example where historical evidence resulted in nomenclatural changes to the South Asian snake fauna was the reinstatement of Platyceps plinii (Merrem, 1820) over the more widely used name for the banded racer Agryogena fasciolata, along with the reinstatement of Lycodon fasciolatus (Shaw, 1802) over wolf snake nomina Lycodon annmallensis (Günther, 1864) and Lycodon osmanhilli Taylor 1950) (Deepak et al. 2021). Platyceps plinii was rarely cited in the literature under its original combination (Coluber plinii), but the decision to reintroduce the name was scientifically justified because the specimen depicted in the description of Coluber fasciolata (viz. Agryogena fasciolata) belongs to a Lycodon (viz. Lycodon fasciolatus), making its application to the banded racer untenable. Despite this short-term disruption, it is unlikely that Platyceps plinii and Lycodon fasciolatus will change in the future. Both names were rapidly incorporated into the herpetological lexicon and are now used widely throughout the primary literature (Patel & Kalki 2022; Mohapatra et al. 2024). Like the case of Platyceps plinii, the reason why Coronella violacea should replace O. kheriensis is scientific in nature. Taxonomic progress has led to a gradual reclassification of the Oligodon species involved in this case (Smith 1943; Campden-Main 1970; Saint Girons 1972; Wagner 1975; Schleich & Kästle 2002; David et al. 2008, 2011; Lee et al. 2025). These contributions, along with Cantor’s description and illustration, make it clear that no author applied the name “ violacea ” to the correct species of Oligodon, or if they did, they applied the name to species with broader taxonomic definitions than currently understood (Smith 1943). As a result, there is a pressing need to resolve the historical entanglements between Coronella violacea and the variety of Oligodon species it has been confused with by identifying this name with a conspecific taxon. And, since the holotype is lost, there is also a need to designate a neotype for Coronella violacea so that any ambiguity regarding its taxonomic status is resolved. Applying the epithet violacea to the snake currently known as O. kheriensis acts as a parsimonious solution to these issues by providing an objective decision on how the former name ought to be used. To achieve these ends, I formally designate the holotype of Oligodon kheriensis (ZSI-K 20391) as the neotype of Coronella violacea, an act that permanently links the two nomina with one another in accordance with Article 75.3 of the Code. A counterargument for the selection of specimen ZSI-K 20391 is that its collection locality (Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, India) is a considerable distance (875 km) from the original type locality of Coronella violacea (Rangpur, Bangladesh), which may run contrary to ICZN Article 75.3.6 (i. e., “ evidence that the neotype came as nearly as practicable from the original type locality ”). However, a review of vouchered, literature and electronic records of O. kheriensis (Appendix 2) indicates the species is poorly represented in natural history museums and most preserved specimens are only known from university or personal collections that may not satisfy ICZN Article 75.3.7, where a neotype must be “ the property of a recognized scientific or educational institution … with proper facilities for preserving name-bearing types, and that makes them accessible for study ”. The holotype (ZSI-K 20391) is in fact the closest specimen in a well-recognized institution available for neotype designation, so I select it for that purpose. These decisions act as a robust basis for the long-term stability of Coronella violacea by expeditiously shifting to an older, yet correct name based the taxonomic and historical updates made to Oligodon over the past few decades. I provide an updated synonymy, diagnosis and biological summary of Coronella violacea below, now as:	en	Lee, Justin L. (2026): The identity of Coronella violacea Cantor, 1839, a senior synonym of Oligodon kheriensis Acharji & Ray, 1936 (Squamata: Colubridae). Zootaxa 5785 (2): 334-351, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5785.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5785.2.5
5F4F8428C919460FFF1BF900474E99DC.taxon	materials_examined	Neotype. ZSI-K 20391, designated herein. Adult male collected from “ forest camp in North Kheri Division, Eastern Circle, Kheri-Lakhimpur, in the United Provinces ” (now Kheri, Lakhimpur Kheri District, Uttar Pradesh, India) (Acharji & Ray 1936).	en	Lee, Justin L. (2026): The identity of Coronella violacea Cantor, 1839, a senior synonym of Oligodon kheriensis Acharji & Ray, 1936 (Squamata: Colubridae). Zootaxa 5785 (2): 334-351, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5785.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5785.2.5
5F4F8428C919460FFF1BF900474E99DC.taxon	discussion	To fulfil the qualifying conditions for neotype designation in Article 75.3 of the Code, specimen ZSI-K 20391 is chosen for the purpose of clarifying the taxonomic status of the name Coronella violacea and to permanently associate that name with Oligodon kheriensis (ICZN Article 75.3.1). A revised diagnosis of this species is provided below to satisfy Article 75.3.2, and I refer readers to detailed descriptions and illustrations of the neotype provided by both Acharji & Ray (1936) and David et al. (2011) so that Article 75.3.3 is satisfied. All evidence points to the original holotype (depicted in Cantor’s unpublished sketch in “ Indian Serpents ”) being lost, and the specimen is not present in any extant collections where Cantor material remains extant (Article 75.3.4). The neotype is fully consistent with the original description of the holotype (Article 75.3.5) and is the only practicable specimen occurring in the same zoogeographic region in a recognized scientific research collection (Articles 75.3.6 and 75.3.7, respectively).	en	Lee, Justin L. (2026): The identity of Coronella violacea Cantor, 1839, a senior synonym of Oligodon kheriensis Acharji & Ray, 1936 (Squamata: Colubridae). Zootaxa 5785 (2): 334-351, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5785.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5785.2.5
5F4F8428C919460FFF1BF900474E99DC.taxon	materials_examined	Holotype. Lost, specimen depicted by watercolor drawing in “ Indian Serpents-Innocuous-Collected, figured & described (1831 – 1837) ”, archived in the Bodleian Library, Oxford University, UK. Collected prior to 6 June 1836 from “ Rungpore ” (now Rangpur, Rangpur District, Bangladesh [approximately 25.749 ºN, 89.247 ºE]).	en	Lee, Justin L. (2026): The identity of Coronella violacea Cantor, 1839, a senior synonym of Oligodon kheriensis Acharji & Ray, 1936 (Squamata: Colubridae). Zootaxa 5785 (2): 334-351, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5785.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5785.2.5
5F4F8428C919460FFF1BF900474E99DC.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. A medium to large sized species of Oligodon. Tail short to moderate (relative tail length 0.108 – 0.148). Dorsal scales in 19 – 19 – 17 rows, smooth. Ventral scales 187 – 196, no keeling. Cloacal plate entire. Subcaudal scales 38 – 47, paired. Total body scales 230 – 242. Subcaudal ratio 0.162 – 0.196. Maxillary teeth 8, posterior two teeth enlarged, laterally compressed, blade-like. Internasals and prefrontals present. Loreal present, preoculars 1 – 2, presubocular normally absent (present as single scale in one specimen), postoculars 2. Temporals 2 + 2 (rarely 1 + 1 or 1 + 2). Supralabials 8, fourth and fifth scale in contact with eye. Infralabials 8, first 4 – 5 scales in contact with anterior chin shields. Dorsal surface plain, coral red to orange red in life. Head also plain, dark ocular, temporal and nuchal markings absent. Vertebral region of body occasionally darker than flanks. Margins of dorsal scales and interstitial skin white. Outermost dorsal scale rows along flanks orange to yellow. Supralabial and gular region yellow. Ventral underside yellow or white, immaculate.	en	Lee, Justin L. (2026): The identity of Coronella violacea Cantor, 1839, a senior synonym of Oligodon kheriensis Acharji & Ray, 1936 (Squamata: Colubridae). Zootaxa 5785 (2): 334-351, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5785.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5785.2.5
5F4F8428C919460FFF1BF900474E99DC.taxon	discussion	Data derived from the following literature sources: Acharji & Ray (1936), Schleich & Kästle (2002), David et al. (2011), Kästle et al. (2013), Sutradhar & Nath 2013, Maurya et al. (2017), Nath et al. (2021), Romon et al. (2021) and Verma et al. (2021), all recorded as Oligodon kheriensis. Some new morphological variation reported here deserve further elaboration. Specifically, Nath et al. (2021) display a photographed specimen with two preocular scales. Another specimen photographed by Prajjwal Ray (iNaturalist obs. 130281390) from West Bengal State, India has one presubocular scale on the right side of the head. Lee et al. (2024) placed O. violaceus stat. reinstat. (as O. kheriensis) in the Oligodon cinereus Group based on phylogenetic evidence from a single unpublished sequence on GenBank (MN 418885.1), though morphological evidence supporting this position in the form of hemipenial morphology or external scalation remains untested.	en	Lee, Justin L. (2026): The identity of Coronella violacea Cantor, 1839, a senior synonym of Oligodon kheriensis Acharji & Ray, 1936 (Squamata: Colubridae). Zootaxa 5785 (2): 334-351, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5785.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5785.2.5
