Rhinophis dorsimaculatus DERANIYAGALA, 1941
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Higher Taxa | Uropeltidae, Henophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Polkadot Earth Snake |
Synonym | Rhinophis dorsimaculatus DERANIYAGALA 1941 Rhinophis dorsimaculatus — SMITH 1943: 526 Rhinophis dorsimaculatus — GANS 1966 Rhinophis dorsimaculatus — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 136 Rhinophis dorsimaculatus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 650 |
Distribution | Sri Lanka Type locality: Coastal village of Marichchukate, North Western Province, Ceylon. |
Reproduction | ovovivparous |
Types | Holotype: lost, was NMSL (also as CNM 86) (now lost, fide Gans, 1966: 14 and Gower et al. 2016). Deraniyagala (1941) mentioned a second specimen. However, he did not explicitly designate it as a type or report a specimen number. Gans 1966 called this second specimen a paratype but it is also lost now (Gans 1966: 14). |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis: The species is readily distinguished from congeners by having 227 or more ventral scales; a large, dorsally carinate rostral shield; posterior margins of paired anals that are largely separated by the posteriormost ventral scale; and a distinctive colour pattern with bilaterally asymmetrical dark blotches within a broad, pale middorsal stripe and regularly punctate flanks (Gower & Wickramasinghe 2016). |
Comment | Only known from the 2 types and about 10 additional specimens. |
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