Uropeltis phipsonii ( Mason, 1888 )

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 : 496-497

Uropeltis phipsonii ( Mason, 1888)

( Fig. 9B )

Silybura phipsonii Mason, 1888: 184 .

TYPE MATERIAL. — Two syntypes: BMNH 1897.7.19.2-3 (= 1946.1.16.33-34).

TYPE LOCALITY. — Bombay Ghats, “ Bombay Presidency”, northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra state, India.

DISTRIBUTION. — India; northern Western Ghats, including the Pune and Mulshi hills, c. 0-500 m ( Wallach et al. 2014).

DESCRIPTION

Maximum total length c. 280 mm, ventrals 138-157, subcaudals 7-12, dorsal scales in 17 rows at midbody. The tail is firmly Smith’s (1943) state II (our Type V), resembling that of U. ceylanica or U. macrolepis in being sharply truncated at a c. 45° angle, with thickened, enlarged, multicarinate shield scales, and terminating in an enlarged, rugose scute with two points. Snout is “Alternate Rounded”. Highly variable color-pattern, with a primarily dark brown to black dorsum and venter, irregular broken crossbands of yellow dots occurring the length of the body, and yellow striped on either side of the mouth and tail. The single specimen dissected had a larger left lung (5.8% of SVL) than any other Uropeltis specimen examined (mean of 2.5%). Among all uropeltids, only U. myhendrae (4.3%) and R. saffragamus (4.7%) have left lungs larger than 4% of SVL.

REMARKS

Has been considered a synonym of Uropeltis rubrolineata (see Wallach et al. 2014), but this relationship seems extremely unlikely (see U. rubrolineata account). We concur with Whitaker & Captain (2004) that extralimital populations from the southern Western Ghats ( Smith 1943; Rajendran 1985) require re-evaluation. Morphologically similar populations exist in southern Eastern Ghats ( Boulenger 1893a; Ganesh & Arumugam 2016). We did not examine the type series; a lectotype should be chosen by future revisers. Molecular data suggest that this species as understood here and previously is actually a complex consisting of multiple cryptic lineages, which are closely related or even paraphyletic with respect to the U. macrolepis complex ( Fig. 1 ).

Uropeltis pulneyensis (Beddome, 1863) ( Fig. 9C )

Plectrurus pulneyensis Beddome, 1863b: 228 . Nine syntypes: BMNH 1946.1.17.6, MNHN-RA-1895.78, and ZSI 4381, 6948, 6950, and 6972-75. Type locality: Palani hills, western Tamil Nadu state, India. See Beddome (1863b).

Silybura guentheri Beddome, 1878b: 801 . Holotype: BMNH 1883.1.12.34 (= 1946.1.16.74). Type locality: High Wavy Mountains, Tamil Nadu state, India. Designated as a junior subjective synonym by Boulenger (1893a). See Beddome (1878b).

DISTRIBUTION. — India; Palni hill complex including Kodaikanal and Munnar hills, at elevations> 1200 m ( Wall 1923; Roux 1928; Rajendran 1985; Wallach et al. 2014; Ganesh 2015).

DESCRIPTION

Maximum total length c. 380 mm, ventrals 156-180, subcaudals 6-13, dorsal scales in 17 rows midbody ( Smith 1943; Constable 1949). Tail is cylindrical, shortened, and rounded off, with an enlarged terminal scute, Smith’s (1943) state III and our Type III. Snout is “Alternate Pointed” but not extremely acute, although rostral divides nasals. Non-descript colorpattern, with a dark brown dorsal and ventral coloration, a yellow stripe beginning on the labials and extending partially down the body, occasional yellow specks on the dorsum, and bright yellow bars or blotches on the venter and tail.

REMARKS

We retain this species in Uropeltis , but it may be allied with Rhinophis based on the rostral dividing the nasals, and a tail shield resembling R. melanogaster and R. phillipsi n. comb. ( Smith 1943). Theobald (1868) reported a collecton of three U. pulneyensis from Kelaart, taken near Kandy, which he took to indicate a Sri Lankan origin for the species, which thus also occurred on the Indian mainland. However, we can find no other reference to these specimens or the presence of U. pulneyensis in Sri Lanka. It seems likely that these were actually R. saffragamus , stated to be highly similar to U. pulneyensis by Beddome (1886), or another species, and we suggest that U. pulneyensis does not occur in Sri Lanka.

Figures

FIG. 9. — Some uropeltid species photographed in life: A, Uropeltis madurensis (Beddome, 1878); B, U. phipsonii (Mason, 1888); C, U. pulneyensis (Beddome, 1863); D, U. shorttii (Beddome, 1863). Photos by SRG and S. Ramchandran.

FIG. 1. — Molecular phylogeny of Uropeltidae Müller, 1832 based on Bayesian inference of 5.248bp of DNA-sequence data from 6 genes. Numbers at nodes represent posterior probabilities.