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Rhabdophis chrysargos (SCHLEGEL, 1837)

IUCN Red List - Rhabdophis chrysargos - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaColubridae (Natricinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Specklebelly Keelback
G: Gefleckte Wassernatter 
SynonymTropidonotus chrysargos SCHLEGEL 1837: 3
Natrix chrysargus H. BOIE in F. BOIE 1827 (nomen nudum)
Tropidonotus junceus CANTOR 1847
Tropidonotus junceus — BLYTH 1856: 716
Amphiesma chrysargos — JAN 1863
Amphiesma chrysargum — DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 739
Leptophis albomaculatus — DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 541
Tropidonotus chrysargus — GÜNTHER 1858
Tropidonotus junceus — GÜNTHER 1864
Tropidonotus (Amphiesma) chrysargus — BOETTGER 1883
Tropidonotus chrysargos — FISCHER 1885: 3
Tropidonotus (Amphiesma) chrysargus var. juncea — BOETTGER 1887
Tropidonotus maculatus var. torquatus MOCQUARD 1890: 139
Tropidonotus chrysargus — BOULENGER 1893: 258
Natrix chrysarga — STEJNEGER 1907: 265
Tropidonotus chrysargus — WALL 1909: 145
Tropidonotus chrysargus — LIDTH DE JEUDE 1922: 243
Natrix chrysarga — TAYLOR 1922: 87
Rhabdophis chrysargus — WALL 1923
Natrix chrysarga — SMEDLEY 1932
Natrix crysarga (sic) — MERTENS 1934
Rhabdophis chrysargus chrysargus — BOURRET 1936
Natrix chrysarga — SMITH 1943
Rhabdophis chrysarga — MALNATE 1960
Rhabdophis chrysargus — TAYLOR 1965: 862
Natrix chrysarga — HENDRICKSON 1966: 67
Rhabdophis chrysargus — GRANDISON 1978: 293
Rhabdophis chrysarga — MANTHEY & DENZER 1982
Rhabdophis chrysargos — MANTHEY & GROSSMANN 1997: 387
Rhabdophis chrysargus [sic] — COX et al. 1998: 46
Rhabdophis chrysarga — STUEBING & INGER 1999
Rhabdophis chrysargos — ZIEGLER 2002: 256
Rhabdophis chrysargos — WALLACH et al. 2014: 634 
DistributionBrunei Darussalam;
Indonesia (Anambas Archipelago, Bali, Flores, Java, Kalimantan, Mentawai Archipelago, Nias, Simeulue, Sumatra, Ternate, Borneo, ),
Philippines (Balabac, Culion, Busuanga, Palawan),
Laos, S Burma (Myanmar), S Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam (Hoa Binh),
Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia, Pulau Tioman);
China (Hainan)

Type locality: “Java”; “Mt. Megamendung, Westjava” (fide MANTHEY & GROSSMANN 1997)  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesLectotype: RMNH RENA.10426 (old registration number RMNH RENA.1051), paralectotypes: RMNH RENA.1051, RMNH RENA. 1052. 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: A relatively small water snake (total length to 715 mm.). Maxillary teeth, 27-35, curved backwards rather strongly, the last two strongly and abrupted enlarged; nine supralabials; temporals, 2 + 2. Scales in 19 rows, all keeled except anterior part of outer scalerow; relatively low number of ventrals, (155-165); subcaudals, 80 to 101. A whitish color edged with black; labials cream or yellow with black sutures and a cream line running up from mouth angle; dorsolateral series of lighter spots (whitish or pinkish) with small blackish spots on each side; the black color may form a line across dorsum. Light spots absent on anterior fifth of body; outer part of ventrals with double rows of small black spots and a median ventral row also present. (Taylor 1965: 862)


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CommentSome species of this genus are venomous although this particular species may be harmless (Peter Verhaart, pers. comm.).

Distribution: The latest record of this species from Sulawesi is from SCHLEGEL 1837. Specimens also may have been confused with R. chrysargoides. DE LANG & VOGEL (2005) thus consider this species as doubtful for this island. Not in Hong Kong fide Francis 2021.

Synonymy: partly fide BOULENGER 1891.

Behavior: diurnal. 
References
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