Eastern bronzeback tree snake

description

Description of BNHS 3553. A summary of the morphometrics, scalations, and coloration characters of the individuals from Surat is given in Table 2. TBL 1065 mm; SVL 735 mm; tail 330 mm; 189 ventrals (2 preventrals); 120 divided subcaudals in incomplete tail; cloacal shield undivided; one loreal scale; 10 / 11 (L / R) infralabials; first infralabials touch at the mental groove; 3 sublabials, first sublabial (medium sized) touches only 6 and 7 (L and R) infralabials, 9 supralabials, supralabials 4,5,6 (L), 4,5,6 (R) touch the eye (fourth with posterior corner); preoculars 2 (L), 1 (R) two preoculars on left side second preocular below the first one is very small and one preocular on right side, three postoculars, postoculars are almost equal in length except the top most postocular which is slightly larger than other two postoculars; temporal formula: 2 + 2 + 2 (L), 2 + 2 + 2 (R) (shape and size of upper temporals varies, first temporal is smallest second is longest and third is thickest but infra temporals are almost uniform in shape and size); dorsal formula: 15: 15: 9; vertebral scales enlarged, larger than the scales of the first dorsal row; both width and length of the dorsal sca

Report of stray sightings of Dendrelaphis proarchos (Wall, 1909) (Serpentes: Colubridae) in Surat, Gujarat, western India

diagnosis

Diagnosis of Surat specimens. The Surat specimens exhibit the following characters (Table 2): (1) vertebral scales distinctly enlarged, larger than the dorsals of the first row; (2) 185 – 194 ventrals; (3) 139 – 142 divided subcaudals in complete tails; (4) 15 dorsal scale rows at midbody; (5) cloacal shield undivided in all individuals (i. e., 100 % undivided cloacal shield); (6) one loreal scale; (7) three supralabials touching the eye; (8) a moderate first sublabial that touches two infralabials; (9) 11 – 12 temporal scales; (10) preoculars 1 or 2; (11) 2 or 3 postoculars; (12) maximum total length 1150 mm; (13) a black temporal stripe that does not starts on the postnasal or loreal, but starts on the center of the eye follows postoculars (middle or second postocular) covers the majority of the temporal region and extends onto the neck; (14) vertebral stripe absent, (15) a distinct, bright ventrolateral stripe bordered by one black line at the bottom; (16) dorsal instertitial color blue; (17) tongue color red with black tip.

Report of stray sightings of Dendrelaphis proarchos (Wall, 1909) (Serpentes: Colubridae) in Surat, Gujarat, western India

materials_examined

Material examined (n = 1 preserved, 6 uncollected). BNHS 3553, adult male, collected on 29 th July 2016 from Navjivan Hyundai, Surat, Gujarat (21.1711 ° N 72.8308 ° E) by Pratik D. Shinde, Mehul N. Thakur and Dikansh S. Parmar. The uncollected specimens (n = 6): individual 1, adult male, collected on 18 th May 2015 from Udhna BRC (21.1564 ° N 72.8442 ° E); individual 2, adult male, collected on 10 th October 2017 from Abhva (21.1210 ° N 72.7659 ° E); individual 3, adult male, collected on 17 th February 2020 from Chandni chowk Piplod (21.1659 ° N 72.7748 ° E); individual 4, adult male, collected on 27 th February 2020 from Agam shopping center Vesu (21.1358 ° N 72.7713 ° E); individual 5, adult male, collected on 15 th March 2020 from Navsari bazaar Water works (21.1882 ° N 72.8225 ° E); individual 6, adult female, collected on 4 th April 2020 from Jash residency Vesu (21.1467 ° N 72.7697 ° E), all rescued from Surat by Pratik D. Shinde, Mehul N. Thakur, and Dikansh S. Parmar.

Report of stray sightings of Dendrelaphis proarchos (Wall, 1909) (Serpentes: Colubridae) in Surat, Gujarat, western India

diagnosis

DIAGNOSIS (BASED ON NEW MATERIAL). — From a total of 34 Dendrelaphis specimens collected from the Mizoram State, 22 of them were morphologically diagnosed as D. proarchos based on the combination of: 1) bronze-coloured body with bluish interstitial skin and a black lateral stripe separating cream dorsolateral stripe from whitish underside; 2) enlarged vertebral scales; 3) Ve 180 - 190 in males, 186 - 195 in females; 4) paired Sc 142 - 163 in males, 138 - 146 in females; 5) undivided As in 36.4 % of the specimens; 6) Ls single; 7) PrO 1; 8) PoO 2 - 3; 9) Te 2 + 2 or 2 + 3, rarely 3 + 2 or 1 + 2; 10) 4 th – 6 th SLE; 11) IF 9 - 10, rarely 11; 12) SL 8 - 9; 13) DSR 15: 15: 9 in males, 15: 15: 11 in females, rarely nine rows in females; and 14) average relative RTaL 0.35 (0.31 - 0.37) in males, 0.33 (0.33 - 0.34) in females. The hemipenis is not bilobate, and extends up to seven caudal plates; a prominent sulcus spermaticus runs up to the tip; a sinuous fold is present at about the middle of the organ, and the distal area is covered by somewhat evenly distributed small spines. The new materials divulged a new upper limit of Sc range i. e, 138 - 163 (sex pooled) vs 138 - 156 (Vogel & va

Contributions to the taxonomic status and molecular phylogeny of Asian Bronzeback Snakes (Colubridae, Ahaetuliinae, Dendrelaphis Boulenger, 1890), from Mizoram State, Northeast India