Rhinophis melanogaster (Gray, 1858)

Pyron, Robert Alexander, Ganesh, Sumaithangi Rajagopalan, Sayyed, Amit, Sharma, Vivek, Wallach, Van & Somaweera, Ruchira, 2016, A catalogue and systematic overview of the shield-tailed snakes (Serpentes: Uropeltidae), Zoosystema 38 (4), pp. 453-506 : 482

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5252/z2016n4a2

publication LSID

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BFFD82EF-50C9-42BF-8493-DF57591EA4FF

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A82A47-8300-FF98-FF33-FAC6FA577D1E

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Rhinophis melanogaster (Gray, 1858)
status

 

Rhinophis melanogaster (Gray, 1858)

( Fig. 7B View FIG )

Mytilia (Crealia) melanogaster Gray, 1858a: 261 View in CoL . Four syntypes: BMNH 1946.1.16.94-97.Type locality: Ceylon ( Sri Lanka), specified as Meniakanda Group, Mousakanda Estate and Gammaduwa, in the East Matale hills fide da Silva (2009). See Gray (1858a).

Plectrurus ceylonicus Peters, 1859: 388 . Holotype: ZMB 3872. Type locality: ‘Ceylon’ ( Sri Lanka). Designated as a junior subjective synonym by Beddome (1886).

DISTRIBUTION. — This species has a relatively small range in the wet zone of Sri Lanka, Central and Uva provinces, c. 700-1300 m ( Somaweera 2006; Wallach et al. 2014).

DESCRIPTION

Maximum total length c. 250 mm, ventrals 141-166, subcaudals 6-10, dorsal scales in 17 rows at midbody (see Smith 1943). Typically exhibits non-descript color-pattern, with a dark brown or black dorsal and ventral coloration, and occasionally a yellowish-white wash or stripe down both sides of the body. The terminal scute of this species is less like the rugose tail plug of most other Rhinophis species, instead resembling an enlarged dorsal scale elongated vertically, terminating in a ridge or points.

REMARK

This species was formerly placed in Uropeltis (see McDiarmid et al. 1999; Wallach et al. 2014), but is clearly allied with Rhinophis based on phylogenies inferred using allozymes and DNAsequence data ( Fig. 1 View FIG ), rostral dividing the nasals, and enlarged keratinous shield, which exhibits ontogenetic hypertrophy.

Rhinophis oxyrhynchus ( Schneider, 1801) ( Fig. 7C View FIG )

Anguis oxyrhynchus Schneider, 1801: 341 . Two syntypes: ZMB 3825-3826. Type locality: East India, emended to Sri Lanka by Smith (1943).

Dapatnaya lankadivana Kelaart, 1853: 107 View in CoL . Syntypes lost fide Gans 1966. Type locality:Trincomalee and Kandy, Sri Lanka. Designated as a junior subjective synonym by Beddome (1886).

Mytilia (Rhinophis) unimaculata Gray, 1858a: 261 . Two syntypes: BMNH 1946.1.16.90, BMNH 1946.1.17.1.Type locality: ‘Ceylon’ ( Sri Lanka). Designated as a junior objective synonym by Beddome (1886). See Gray (1858a).

DISTRIBUTION. — This species has a relatively large range in the lowland dry zone of Sri Lanka (c. 0-250 m), in the Northern, North- Western, North-Central and Eastern provinces ( De Silva 1980; Somaweera 2006; Karunarathna & Amarasinghe 2011; Kumarasinghe et al. 2013; Wallach et al. 2014).

DESCRIPTION

Maximum total length c. 400 mm, ventrals 211-227, subcaudals 5-7, dorsal scales in 17 or 19 rows at midbody (see Smith 1943). Uniformly dark color-pattern, dark brown dorsal and ventral coloration, a darker base on most scales, and occasional yellowish-white ventrolateral markings near the tail.

REMARKS

This species is the type species of the genus Rhinophis , and is one of the few taxa with an extensive range in north-eastern Sri Lanka. This species is also apparently the first named species of any uropeltid. We did not examine the type series; a lectotype and revised type locality should be chosen by future revisers.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Reptilia

Order

Squamata

Family

Uropeltidae

Genus

Rhinophis

Loc

Rhinophis melanogaster (Gray, 1858)

Pyron, Robert Alexander, Ganesh, Sumaithangi Rajagopalan, Sayyed, Amit, Sharma, Vivek, Wallach, Van & Somaweera, Ruchira 2016
2016
Loc

Plectrurus ceylonicus

PETERS W. C. H. 1859: 388
1859
Loc

Mytilia (Crealia) melanogaster

GRAY J. E. 1858: 261
1858
Loc

Mytilia (Rhinophis) unimaculata

GRAY J. E. 1858: 261
1858
Loc

Dapatnaya lankadivana

KELAART E. F. 1853: 107
1853
Loc

Anguis oxyrhynchus

SCHNEIDER J. G. 1801: 341
1801
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