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Sibynophis melanocephalus (GRAY, 1834)

IUCN Red List - sibynophis melanocephalus - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaColubridae, Sibynophiinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
SubspeciesSibynophis melanocephalus melanocephalus (GRAY in GRAY & HARDWICKE 1835)
Sibynophis melanocephalus insularis MERTENS 1927 
Common NamesE: Black-headed Collared Snake, Malayan Many-tooth Snake
G: Schwarzkopf-Vielzahnnatter 
SynonymLycodon melanocephalus GRAY in GRAY & HARDWICKE 1834
Lycodon catenatus GRAY in GRAY & HARDWICKE 1835: 85
Sibynophis melanocephalus — TAYLOR 1965: 696
Sibynophis melanocephalus — MANTHEY & GROSSMANN 1997: 392
Sibynophis melanocephalus — COX et al. 1998: 57
Sibynophis cf. melanocephalus — ROOIJEN & ROOIJEN 2006
Sibynophis melanocephalus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 673
Sibynophis melanochepalus — NURDIN & SETYAWATININGSIH 2023 (in error)

Sibynophis melanocephalus melanocephalus (GRAY 1834)
Lycodon melanocephalus GRAY in GRAY & HARDWICKE 1834
Ablabes melanocephalus — GÜNTHER 1858
Ablabes melanocephalus — STOLICZKA 1870: 183
Polyondontophis melanocephalus — BOULENGER 1890: 301
Sibynophis geminatus melanocephalus — BOURRET 1936
Sibynophis melanocephalus — TWEEDIE 1953: 63
Sibynophis melanocephalus melanocephalus — GAULKE (in press)
Enicognathus javanicus BLEEKER 1859
Ablabes (Enicognathus) flaviceps GÜNTHER 1866
Ablabes flaviceps — STOLICZKA 1873: 123
Enicognathus geminatus (partim) — DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 333
Enicognathus geminatus — LUDEKING 1860 (nec Coluber geminatus BOIE 1826)
Polyodontophis geminatus (partim) — BOULENGER 1890
Polyodontophis geminatus (nec Coluber geminatus BOIE 1826) — COHN 1905
Sibynophis geminatus (nec Coluber geminatus BOIE 1826) — SWORDER 1922
Sibynophis melanocephalus melanocephalus — MALKMUS et al. 2002

Sibynophis melanocephalus insularis (MERTENS 1927)
Sibynophis geminatus insularis MERTENS 1927: 240
Sibynophis melanocephalus insularis — GAULKE 1993 
DistributionIndonesia (Bangka, Belitung, Mentawai Archipelago, Nias, Riau Archipelago, Sumatra, Java fide COX et al. 1998, Borneo?);
Malaysia (Malaya, Pulau Tioman [HR 34:266] and East Malaysia);
Singapore; S Thailand, Vietnam

insularis: Indonesia (We). Type locality: Forest at Sabang, Poloe Weh [= We Is., off north Sumatra]

Type locality: Singapore  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: BMNH 1946.1.17.76, a male (T. Hardwicke).
Holotype: SMF 22094, male [insularis] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (melanocephalus): Taylor 1965: 696 
CommentSynonymy: “We follow Taylor (1965) and Morgan (1973) in considering this specis to be valid and distinct from Sibynophis geminatus (Boie, 1826). Morgan (1973) concluded that both taxa occur sympatrically on Sumatra. He also considered the holotype of Sibynophis geminatus insularis Mertens, 1927 (Mertens, 1927: 240; type-locality. - Forest at Sabang, Poloe Weh [= We Is., off north Sumatra]) to be an aberrant specimen of S. melanocephalus, although Morgan did not examine the specimen. According to Gaulke (1993: 151), the taxon Sibynophis geminatus insularis Mertens, 1927 (Mertens, 1927: 240) is valid. It should be regarded as Sibynophis melanocephalus insularis according to Gaulke (in press), whom we follow here.” (from David & Vogel 1996) 
EtymologyNamed after Greek melano meaning black and cephalus meaning head, thus the black-headed species.  
References
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  • Boulenger, George A. 1890. The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor & Francis, London, xviii, 541 pp. - get paper here
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