Sahyadriophis beddomei (GÜNTHER, 1864)
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Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Natricinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Nilgiri Keelback, Beddome’s Keelback, Beddome’s grass snake |
Synonym | Tropidonotus beddomii GÜNTHER 1864: 269 (nom. nov. pro Spilotes vittatus) Spilotes vittatus BEDDOME 1863: 308 Tropidonotus beddomei — BOULENGER 1890: 344 Tropidonotus beddomi — WALL 1919: 560 Rhabdophis beddomei — WALL 1923: 605 (in part) Natrix beddomei — SMITH 1943: 306 Natrix beddomei — SHARMA 1976 Amphiesma beddomei — DAS 1996: 53 Amphiesma beddomei — MURTHY 2010 Hebius beddomei — GUO et al. 2014 Amphiesma beddomii — WALLACH et al. 2014: 28 Sahyadriophis beddomei — PATEL et al. 2023 |
Distribution | India (Maharashtra, Western Ghats, Kerala, Tamil Nadu) Type locality: “Nilgherries, India” via lectotype designation. |
Reproduction | oviparous |
Types | Lectotype: BMNH 1946.1.15.32 (fide Patel et al. 2023) |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis. A medium-sized natricid ranging from SVL 177 to 495 with 19 keeled dorsal scales at mid-body; eight supralabials (rarely seven or nine); ventrals 140–145 ♂, 143–152 ♀ and subcaudals 71–76 ♂, 62–68 ♀; maxilla with 18 teeth, 12 pterygoid and 20–22 palatine teeth; pterygoid-palatine oriented nearly parallel to the head and does not converge or diverge posteriorly; TaL/TL 0.22–0.26 ♂. Additional morphological characteristics of the species are provided in Table 3 in Patel et al. 2023. Additional details (74 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
Comment | Nomenclature: The name Spilotes vittatus is preoccupied by Tropidonotus vittatus - BOIE 1827 = Xenochrophis vittata (L.). The original description is available online (see link below). |
Etymology | Named after Richard Henry Beddome, 1830–1911, British army officer and botanist. |
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