Lycodon deccanensis GANESH, DEUTI, PUNITH, ACHYUTHAN, MALLIK, ADHIKARI & VOGEL, 2020
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Higher Taxa | Colubridae, Colubrinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | |
Synonym | Lycodon deccanensis GANESH, DEUTI, PUNITH, ACHYUTHAN, MALLIK, ADHIKARI & VOGEL 2020 Lycodon travancoricus – SCLATER 1891 (part.) Lycodon sp. – GANESH et al. 2018 Lycodon sp. – GANESH et al. 2020 Lycodon deccanensis — KALKI et al. 2020 |
Distribution | India (Karnataka) Type locality: Devarayana Durga (13.371°N, 77.210°E; 1,060 m asl) in Tumkur district, Karnataka, India. |
Reproduction | |
Types | Holotype: BNHS 3596, coll. K.G. Punith and Ashok Kumar Mallik in June 2012. Paratype: ZSI 13271 from South Arcot district, Tamil Nadu, India; Mus. Coll. Jaffa (also see Sclater 1891). |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A species of Lycodon inhabiting the Deccan plateau of India, characterized by: small size (total length < 470 mm); scales smooth, in 16–17:17:15 rows, without apical pits; usually 9 supralabials (10, in one case); ventrals 181–201 (n = 9) angulate laterally; anal plate undivided; subcaudals 68–78 (84; n = 8), paired; loreal in contact with internasal, separate from eye; nasal not in contact with prefrontal; anterior pair of genials subequal to posterior pair; supraocular usually contacting prefrontal; preocular usually not contacting frontal (preocular separating frontal, prefrontal, and supraocular in one case); dorsum brown in adults and black in juveniles, with white cross bars. Due to the slender body and smaller head, the new species superficially resembles the genus Dryocalamus, its higher midbody scale rows (17) and lower ventral counts (181–201; avg. 190; n = 9) [vs. rows 13–15; ventrals 200+ in Dryocalamus, see Smith 1943] clearly indicate this species belongs to the genus Lycodon, even if Dryocalamus is regarded as a valid genus (Ganesh et al. 2020). Additional details (3314 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
Comment | |
Etymology | Toponym, named after its region of occurrence – the Deccan plateau, a raised table land of late Cretaceous origin, situated between the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats of the Indian peninsula. |
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