Phytolopsis punctata GRAY, 1849
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Higher Taxa | Homalopsidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Blackwater Mud Snake, Spotted Water Snake G: Gefleckte Wassertrugnatter |
Synonym | Phytolopsis punctata GRAY 1849: 68 Eurostus heteraspis BLEEKER 1859: 440 Homalopsis deissneri GIEBEL (nomen nudum, fide MÜLLER 1940) Tachyplotus hedemanni REINHARDT 1866: 151 Pythonopsis borneensis PETERS 1871: 576 Pythonopsis punctata — PETERS 1872 Hypsirhina hageni LIDTH DE JEUDE 1890: 20 Hypsirhina punctata — BOULENGER 1896: 3 Hypsirhina punctata — WERNER 1900: 490 Enhydris punctata — STEJNEGER 1907 Enhydris punctata — SMEDLEY 1931: 54 Enhydris punctata — GRANDISON 1978: 292 Enhydris punctata — BAUER et al. 1995: 74 Enhydris punctata — MURPHY 2007: 160 Enhydris punctata — WALLACH et al. 2014: 273 Phytolopsis punctata — MURPHY & VORIS 2014: 32 Phytolopsis punctate — HUSSON et al. 2018 (in error) |
Distribution | West Malaysia, Sarawak, Singapore, Indonesia (Bangka, Belitung, Kalimantan/Borneo, Sumatra); Brunei Darussalam; Type locality: see comment |
Reproduction | ovovivparous |
Types | Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.2.37 Holotype: MSNG 6735 [borneensis] Holotype: MLUHG [deissneri] |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus): Large bodied, dorsal scales in 25–27 rows; upper labials number 11–13, those behind eye horizontally divided; lower labials 12–15; ventrals 148–160; subcaudals 36–48; upper labial 5 or 5–6 under orbit; no suboculars; two pairs of chin shields, first pair very wide. Readily distinguished from Homalophis by lower number of scales at mid-body (29–33 in Homalophis), single supraocular (2 or 3 in Homalophis), and absence of subocular (MURPHY & VORIS 2014: 32). |
Comment | Distribution: original type locality given erroneously as India. Not on Java (Murphy 2007, de Lang 2017). Type species: Phytolopsis punctata GRAY 1849: 68 is the type species of the genus Phytolopsis GRAY 1849. |
Etymology | Murphy 2017 suggested this species was named after the Latin punctura = hole, prick, or puncture, and may refer to the bite (marks). The species does not always have any punctate pattern or spots but some specimens actually do. |
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