Rhinophis sanguineus Beddome, 1863

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 : 485

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5252/z2016n4a2

publication LSID

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

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4579361

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A82A47-833D-FFA5-FC50-FDC0FBCC7C99

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Rhinophis sanguineus Beddome, 1863
status

 

Rhinophis sanguineus Beddome, 1863

( Fig. 7H View FIG )

Rhinophis sanguineus Beddome, 1863a: 47 . Beddome (1863a) reports collecting several syntypes, but Boulenger (1893a) reports only one male with 197 ventrals and nine subcaudals. Gans (1966) also states that only one syntype (BMNH 1864.3.9.2 now: 1946.1.16.54), catalogued as “one of the types”, is now known. Wallach et al. (2014) also list BMNH 1874.4.29.110 (= 1946.1.16.76) as a syntype, but this specimen is putatively the holotype of Rhinophis microlepis Beddome, 1863 (see Gans 1966). We designate BMNH 1946.1.16.54 as the lectotype, to remove any ambiguity.Type locality: Cherambadi, northern Kerala state, India.

Rhinophis microlepis Beddome, 1863a: 47 . Holotype: BMNH 1874.4.29.110 (= 1946.1.16.76). Type locality: Minchin estate, Kerala state, India. Designated as a junior subjective synonym by Beddome (1886). See Beddome (1863a).

DISTRIBUTION. — India, known from the Nilgiris northwards to the Agumbe hills, c. 750-1065 m (see Ferguson 1895; Wall 1919; Aengals & Ganesh 2013; Wallach et al. 2014; Ganesh 2015).

DESCRIPTION

Maximum total length c. 460 mm, ventrals 182-218 though Mason (1888) reported 166-183 from putatively conspecific populations in the Wullingy forests near Palghat, subcaudals 5-11, dorsal scales in 15 rows at midbody (see Wall 1919; Smith 1943; Constable 1949). Distinctive color-pattern, with a bluish-black dorsal coloration, bright-red venter with black mottling, and red streaks on the tail.

REMARKS

The original description ( Beddome 1863a) reports the collection of several syntypes, but apparently only a few were catalogued, and only one is now known ( Gans 1966). Boulenger (1893a) reports a large topotypic series collected by Beddome but does not refer to them as types; either they were collected at a later date, or they weren’t catalogued as types initially. The lower ventral count reported by Mason (1888) is of uncertain validity, and may represent a new or cryptic species from the Wullingy forests near Palghat. Records of this species exist from South of Palghat Gap ( Hutton 1949), but we did not examine the specimens to determine their validity.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Reptilia

Order

Squamata

Family

Uropeltidae

Genus

Rhinophis

Loc

Rhinophis sanguineus Beddome, 1863

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

Rhinophis sanguineus

BEDDOME R. H. 1863: 47
1863
Loc

Rhinophis microlepis

BEDDOME R. H. 1863: 47
1863
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