Rhinophis

Sampaio, Filipa L., Narayanan, Surya, Cyriac, Vivek Philip, Venu, Govindappa & Gower, David J., 2020, A new Indian species of Rhinophis Hemprich, 1820 closely related to R. sanguineus Beddome, 1863 (Serpentes: Uropeltidae), Zootaxa 4881 (1), pp. 1-24 : 14

Key to the Indian species of Rhinophis

This is an updated version of the key presented by Cyriac et al. (2020), revised with the addition of R. karinthandani sp. nov. We have removed the relative rostral length character used in Cyriac et al.’s (2020) key because we are less convinced of its diagnostic value and because it can be difficult to measure. All six species are endemic to India and are the only members of this genus known to occur in India.

1 Number of dorsal scale rows just behind midbody 17......................................................... 2

- Number of dorsal scale rows just behind midbody 15......................................................... 3

2 Ventral shields fewer than 160............................................................... R. travancoricus

- Ventral shields more than 180.................................................................... R. goweri

3 Ventral surface with dark blotches in irregular, staggered, transverse half-bands.................................... 4

- Ventral surface with irregular dark speckles or spots.......................................................... 5

4 Only known specimen a female with 195 ventral and 5,5 subcaudal shields (from Cardamom Hills of Western Ghats, South of Palghat Gap)............................................................................. R. fergusonianus

- Ventral shields more than 215; subcaudals 6 or more pairs (from Wayanad region of Western Ghats, North of Palghat Gap)......................................................................................... R. melanoleucus

5 Subcaudals 5 (more typically 6)–11 (5– 7 females; 8– 11 males); venter background colour bright red in life (paler, more orangeyellow in smaller specimens).................................................................. R. sanguineus

- Subcaudals 4–8 (4– 5 females; 6– 8 males); venter background colour whitish (to pale pink anteriorly) in life.............................................................................................. R. karinthandani sp. nov.