Coluber mortuarius Daudin, 1803

Published, First, 2012, 3473, Zootaxa 3473, pp. 1-60 : 9

Coluber mortuarius Daudin, 1803

Coluber mortuarius Daudin, 1803: 187 ; based on Russell (1796: 33, pl. 28, “Naugealled Keaka”).—Type locality. “Bengale, aux environs de Ganjam”, namely “Bengal, near Ganjam”, State of Orissa, India.—Onomatophore. Holotype: specimen depicted by Russell (1796: pl. 28).

Status. A taxon here regarded as a subjective synonym of Xenochrophis piscator ( Schneider, 1799) . Synonymized (in error) with Coluber stolatus Linnaeus, 1758 by Merrem (1820: 123); synonymized with Tropidonotus umbratus Daudin by Schlegel (1837: 309). This taxon is available as X. mortuarius should dark coloured, large specimens inhabiting northeastern India prove to be distinct from X. piscator as defined below.

Comments. Russell’s specimen has an especially dark pattern. We have met this obscured pattern mostly in specimens from northeastern India, often associated with a large size in adult females (see below). The status of the holotype of this species and of others depicted by Russell not mentioned here is planned to be discussed elsewhere .