Dendrelaphis bifrenalis (BOULENGER, 1890)
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Dendrelaphis bifrenalis
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| Higher Taxa | Colubridae, Ahaetuliinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Boulenger's Bronzeback |
| Synonym | Dendrophis bifrenalis BOULENGER 1890: 338 Dendrophis bifrenalis — BOULENGER 1894: 80 Dendrophis bifrenalis — WALL 1921: 215 Dendrophis boiga bifrenalis — MEISE & HENNIG 1932 Ahaetulla bifrenalis — SMITH 1943: 246 Ahaetulla bifrenalis — TAYLOR 1950: 554 Dendrelaphis bifrenalis — DAS 1996: 55 Dendrelaphis bifrenalis — KARUNARATHNA & AMARASINGHE 2011 Dendrelaphis bifrenalis — WALLACH et al. 2014: 215 Dendrelaphis bifrenalis — AENGALS et al. 2022 |
| Distribution | Sri Lanka, India (Tamil Nadu) Type locality: Ceylon |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Lectotype: BMNH 1946.1.6.4, designated by Danushka et al. 2020; paralectotypes: BMNH 94.9.11.20, Ceylon; BM 1905.3.25.98, Pundaluoya, 4000 feet, Ceylon; USNM 267765, Labugama, Sri Lanka. A fourth specimen marked as type in the collection of the British Museum (BM 94.9.11.20), should not be regarded as part of the type series. |
| Diagnosis | Dendrelaphis bifrenalis is the smallest among the Sri Lankan Dendrelaphis, and can be easily distinguished from its congeners by the presence of a red tongue and two loreal scales (De Silva 1980). However, this description matches both D. bifrenalis and a new species, D. wickrorum (see the latter for a more detailed diagnosis). Colouration. Over 160 years in preservative (Fig. 3), dorsally dark bluish black; a white colour longitudinal ventro-lateral line starts from anterior body up to the level of vent; dorsal head blue; black transverse ventro-lateral cross bars on the anterior part of the body; a black band (two-scale wide) from posterior nasal across the eye beyond the neck, afterwards connect with black transverse ventro-lateral cross bars (bands); ventral side creamy yellow. In life (based on Figures 5, 8, 9B and observations), dorsally dark bluish green; a cream colour longitudinal ventro-lateral line starts from anterior body up to the level of vent; dorsal head greenish blue; black transverse ventro-lateral cross bars on the anterior part of the body, in between cross bars luminous blue, brown and gray colour; a black band from posterior nasal across the eye beyond the neck, afterwards connect with black transverse ventrolateral cross bars; vertebral column usually orange or light brown, distinct on the anterior part of the body; ventral side light greenish yellow, throat white. |
| Comment | Dendrelaphis bifrenalis is the smallest of the five Dendrelaphis in Sri Lanka and can be easily distinguished from its congeners by the presence of a red tongue, and two loreal scales (de Silva 1980). Distribution: Has been (erroneously ?) reported from India by WALL 1921: 158. Not in India fide I. Das (pers. comm., 25 July 2012), but recently confirmed from India by Aengals et al. 2022. See maps in Danushka et al. 2020: 96 (Fig. 10) and Aengals et al. 2022: 29 (Fig. 3). Similar species: D. giri. The paratype of D. girii from Sirumalai and a voucher specimen previously identified as D. girii from Meghamalai (both from Tamil Nadu, India) are actually D. bifrenalis (Aengals et al. 2022). Behavior: diurnal Habitat: fully arboreal (Harrington et al. 2018) |
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