Protobothrops kaulbacki (SMITH, 1940)
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Higher Taxa | Viperidae, Crotalinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Kaulback’s lance-headed pitviper G: Kaulbacks Grubenotter Chinese: 缅北原矛头蝮 |
Synonym | Trimeresurus kaulbacki SMITH 1940: 485 Trimeresurus kaulbacki — SMITH 1943: 512 Trimeresurus kaulbacki — WELCH 1994: 117 Protobothrops kaulbacki — KRAUS et al. 1996 Protobothrops kaulbacki — LEVITON et al. 2003 Protobothrops kaulbacki — GUMPRECHT et al. 2004 Protobothrops kaulbacki — WALLACH et al. 2014: 572 |
Distribution | N Myanmar (= Burma), China (Yunnan ?), India (Arunachal Pradesh, Papum Pare District) Type locality: Pangnamdim, north of the Triangle, Upper Burma. |
Reproduction | oviparous (Smith 1940) |
Types | Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.19.23–24); 1943:512 |
Diagnosis | DIAGNOSIS (DIAGNOSTIC CHARACTERS). Scales in 23–25 longitudinal rows at midbody; body elongate, head long, massive, with narrow snout; canthus rostralis sharp; single large, squarish loreal; first upper labial completely separated from nasal by a suture; second upper labial anteriorly bordering facial pit; 8–10 scales in line between supraoculars; supraoculars usually single, flat, without a vertical projection; dull grayish or olive green with large, blackish rhombohedral dorsal blotches, either distinct or united to one another; smaller spots on sides; symmetrical yellow lines on head; subcaudals paired; ventrals 201–212; subcaudals 66–78, some of the anterior scutes may be single, others paired; hemipenes with spines. Total length males 1340 mm, females 1410 mm; tail length males 225 mm, females 230 mm. [after LEVITON 2003] |
Comment | Venomous! Distribution: see map in Guo et a. 2016: 383 (Fig. 1). Possibly in Yunnan (China) but records from there are questionable (Wang et al. 2022). Habitat: partly arboreal (Harrington et al. 2018). |
Etymology | Named after Lieutenant-Colonel Ronald John Henry Kaulback (1909-1995), a British intelligence officer, botanist and explorer who travelled extensively in Myanmar, Tibet, and China. The name has also been spelled s “Kaulbach”, e.g. in the National Portrait Gallery, London. |
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