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Oligodon taeniolatus (JERDON, 1853)

IUCN Red List - Oligodon taeniolatus - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaColubridae, Colubrinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
SubspeciesOligodon taeniolatus taeniolatus (JERDON 1853)
Oligodon taeniolatus fasciatus (GÜNTHER 1864) 
Common NamesE: Streaked Kukuri Snake
G: Gestreifte Kukrinatter 
SynonymCoronella taeniolata JERDON 1853: 528 (nomen protectum)
Coluber taeniolatus DAUDIN 1803 (nomen oblitum)
Oligodon taeniolatus — WALL 1921
Xenodon dubium JERDON 1853 (fide SMITH 1943)
Oligodon subgriseum DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 59 (fide SMITH 1943)
Oligodon subgriseus — BEDDOME 1863: 306
Oligodon subgriseus — GÜNTHER 1864 (fide SMITH 1943)
Oligodon spilonotus GÜNTHER 1864 (fide SMITH 1943)
Oligodon fasciatus — GÜNTHER 1864 (fide SMITH 1943)
Oligodon elliotti — GÜNTHER 1864 (fide SMITH 1943)
Oligodon subgriseus alternans BETHANCOURT-FERREIRA 1897 (fide SMITH)
Oligodon subgriseus — WALL 1905: 298
Oligodon elliottii — WALL 1909: 533
Oligodon subgriseus — WALL 1919: 568
Oligodon taeniolatus var. ceylonicus WALL 1921: 240 (fide SMITH 1943)
Oligodon taeniolatus — SMITH 1943: 223
Oligodon taeniolatus — DAS 1996: 58
Oligodon taeniolatus ceylonicus — JANZEN et al. 2007
Oligodon taeniolatus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 503

Oligodon taeniolatus fasciatus (GÜNTHER 1864)
Oligodon taeniolatus fasciatus — MURTHY 2010 
DistributionIndia (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab [Dino Aulakh, pers. comm.], Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana), Pakistan, Sri Lanka, S Turkmenistan (SW Kopet-Dag), E Iran, Afghanistan

ceylonicus: Sri Lanka

fasciatus: India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

taeniolatus: Iran etc.; Type locality: non given  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesTypes: BMNH 1946.1.3.38-39 (and possibly additional specimens).
Syntype: USNM 6200 [Oligodon subgriseum]
Syntypes: BMNH 1946.1.4.11–12, collected by Col. Sykes [fasciatus]
Other specimens: TNHM (Kerala), see Ganesh et al. 2025. 
DiagnosisAdditional details, e.g. a detailed description or comparisons (2277 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentSimilar species: Has been confused with O. travancoricus. Many of the early species (spilonotus, ellioti, fasciatus) lumped by Boulenger as color varieties O. subgriseus, may be valid [F. WAGNER, pers. comm.].

Synonymy: Contia transcaspica NIKOLSKY 1903 has been resurrected from the synonymy of O. taeniolatus by Lee et al. 2023.

Distribution: Possibly in Bhutan (Lenz 2012). For a map see Sindaco et al. 2013, Lee et al. 2023: 5 (Fig. 1). Not in Nepal fide IUCN assessment (but very close to the SW border).

Genome: Ruchira et al. 2025. 
References
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