Miralia alternans (REUSS, 1834)

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Higher Taxa	Homalopsidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies
Common Names	E: Reuss’ Mud Snake, Reuss' Water Snake
Synonym	Brachyorrhos alternans REUSS 1834: 155 Brachyorrhos alternans — SCHLEGEL & MÜLLER 1845 Miralia alternans — GRAY 1842 Eurostus alternans — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 957 Hypsirhina alternans — JAN 1863 Hypsirhina (Ferania) alternans — STOLICZKA 1873: 125 Enhydris alternans — STEJNEGER 1907 Homalopsis decussata SCHLEGEL 1837 Enhydris alternans — MANTHEY & GROSSMANN 1997: 349 Enhydris alternans — MURPHY 2007: 88 Enhydris alternans — WALLACH et al. 2014: 270 Miralia alternans — MURPHY & VORIS 2014: 28 Miralia alternans — FUKUYAMA et al .2022
Distribution	Indonesia (Sumatra, Bangka, Belitung, Java, Borneo) Malaysia (East Malaysia) Type locality: Java
Reproduction	ovoviviparous
Types	Lectotype: SMF 19465 (formerly 9004,1a); also (erroneously) given as Holotype: ZMUC 6242)
Diagnosis	Diagnosis (genus): Smooth scales, nasals in contact; dorsal scales in 19 rows at mid-body; a tiny preocular scale; lower postocular does not extend below eye; fourth and fifth upper labials enter orbit; the ventrals number 120–143; eight upper labials; nasal cleft contacts second upper labial (MURPHY & VORIS 2014: 28).
Comment	Type species: Brachyorrhos alternans REUSS 1834: 155 is the type species of the genus Miralia GRAY 1842: 68. Habitat: unknown but reportedly in rivers (Iskandar 1987) and possibly burrowing (Muprhy 2007: 91).
Etymology	Named presumably after the alternating dark and light bands on the dorsum of this species (Murphy 2007).
References	David,P. & Vogel, G. 1996. The snakes of Sumatra. An annotated checklist and key with natural history notes. Bücher Kreth, Frankfurt/M. Duméril, A. M. C., Bibron, G. & DUMÉRIL, A. H. A., 1854. Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome septième. Deuxième partie, comprenant l'histoire des serpents venimeux. Paris, Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret: i-xii + 781-1536 - get paper here Fukuyama, I., Kodama, T., Eto, K., Matsui, M., Hossman, M. Y., & Nishikawa, K. 2022. Phylogenetic placement and diet of homalopsid snake Miralia alternans (Ruess, 1833). Zoological Research, 43(5), 734-737 - get paper here Lang, Ruud de 2017. The Snakes of Java, Bali and Surrounding Islands. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 435 pp. - get paper here Manthey, U. & Grossmann, W. 1997. Amphibien & Reptilien Südostasiens. Natur und Tier Verlag (Münster), 512 pp. (ISBN 3-931587-12-6) - get paper here Murphy, J.C. & Voris, H.K. 2014. A Checklist and Key to the Homalopsid Snakes (Reptilia, Squamata, Serpentes), with the Description of New Genera. FIELDIANA: LIFE AND EARTH SCIENCES (8): 1–43 - get paper here Murphy, John C. 2007. Homalopsid Snakes: Evolution in the Mud. Krieger Publishing, Malabar, Florida, 249 pp. Reuss, A. 1834. Zoologische Miscellen. Reptilien, Ophidier. [Coluber albiventris, Echis pavo]. Mus. Senckenbergiana, Frankfurt/M., 1: 129-162. - get paper here Stoliczka,F. 1873. Notes on some species of Malayan Amphibia and reptilia. J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 42: 111-126 - get paper here Stuebing, R.B., Inger, R.F. & Lardner, B. 2014. A field guide to the snakes of Borneo, second edition. Natural history Publications (Borneo) TEYNIÉ, ALEXANDRE; PATRICK DAVID, & ANNEMARIE OHLER 2010. Note on a collection of Amphibians and Reptiles from Western Sumatra (Indonesia), with the description of a new species of the genus Bufo. Zootaxa 2416: 1–43 - get paper here Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
External links	IUCN Red List National Center for Biotechnology Information Google images

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