Rhinophis melanogaster (Gray, 1858)

Pyron, Robert Alexander, Ganesh, Sumaithangi Rajagopalan, Sayyed, Amit, Sharma, Vivek, Wallach, Van & Somaweera, Ruchira, 2016, A catalogue and systematic overview of the shield-tailed snakes (Serpentes: Uropeltidae), Zoosystema 38 (4), pp. 453-506 : 482

Rhinophis melanogaster (Gray, 1858)

( Fig. 7B )

Mytilia (Crealia) melanogaster Gray, 1858a: 261 . Four syntypes: BMNH 1946.1.16.94-97.Type locality: Ceylon ( Sri Lanka), specified as Meniakanda Group, Mousakanda Estate and Gammaduwa, in the East Matale hills fide da Silva (2009). See Gray (1858a).

Plectrurus ceylonicus Peters, 1859: 388 . Holotype: ZMB 3872. Type locality: ‘Ceylon’ ( Sri Lanka). Designated as a junior subjective synonym by Beddome (1886).

DISTRIBUTION. — This species has a relatively small range in the wet zone of Sri Lanka, Central and Uva provinces, c. 700-1300 m ( Somaweera 2006; Wallach et al. 2014).

DESCRIPTION

Maximum total length c. 250 mm, ventrals 141-166, subcaudals 6-10, dorsal scales in 17 rows at midbody (see Smith 1943). Typically exhibits non-descript color-pattern, with a dark brown or black dorsal and ventral coloration, and occasionally a yellowish-white wash or stripe down both sides of the body. The terminal scute of this species is less like the rugose tail plug of most other Rhinophis species, instead resembling an enlarged dorsal scale elongated vertically, terminating in a ridge or points.

REMARK

This species was formerly placed in Uropeltis (see McDiarmid et al. 1999; Wallach et al. 2014), but is clearly allied with Rhinophis based on phylogenies inferred using allozymes and DNAsequence data ( Fig. 1 ), rostral dividing the nasals, and enlarged keratinous shield, which exhibits ontogenetic hypertrophy.

Rhinophis oxyrhynchus ( Schneider, 1801) ( Fig. 7C )

Anguis oxyrhynchus Schneider, 1801: 341 . Two syntypes: ZMB 3825-3826. Type locality: East India, emended to Sri Lanka by Smith (1943).

Dapatnaya lankadivana Kelaart, 1853: 107 . Syntypes lost fide Gans 1966. Type locality:Trincomalee and Kandy, Sri Lanka. Designated as a junior subjective synonym by Beddome (1886).

Mytilia (Rhinophis) unimaculata Gray, 1858a: 261 . Two syntypes: BMNH 1946.1.16.90, BMNH 1946.1.17.1.Type locality: ‘Ceylon’ ( Sri Lanka). Designated as a junior objective synonym by Beddome (1886). See Gray (1858a).

DISTRIBUTION. — This species has a relatively large range in the lowland dry zone of Sri Lanka (c. 0-250 m), in the Northern, North- Western, North-Central and Eastern provinces ( De Silva 1980; Somaweera 2006; Karunarathna & Amarasinghe 2011; Kumarasinghe et al. 2013; Wallach et al. 2014).

DESCRIPTION

Maximum total length c. 400 mm, ventrals 211-227, subcaudals 5-7, dorsal scales in 17 or 19 rows at midbody (see Smith 1943). Uniformly dark color-pattern, dark brown dorsal and ventral coloration, a darker base on most scales, and occasional yellowish-white ventrolateral markings near the tail.

REMARKS

This species is the type species of the genus Rhinophis , and is one of the few taxa with an extensive range in north-eastern Sri Lanka. This species is also apparently the first named species of any uropeltid. We did not examine the type series; a lectotype and revised type locality should be chosen by future revisers.

Figures

FIG. 7. — Some uropeltid species photographed in life: A, Rhinophis homolepis Hemprich, 1820; B, R. melanogaster (Gray, 1858); C, R. oxyrhynchus (Schneider, 1801); D, R. philippinus (Cuvier, 1829); E, R. phillipsi (Nicholls, 1929) n. comb.; F, R. punctatus Müller,1832; G, R. saffragamus (Kelaart, 1853) n. comb.; H, R. sanguineus Beddome, 1863. Photos by RAP, RS, SRG, VS, A. Dey, R. Pethiyagoda, and S. Kehimkar.

FIG. 1. — Molecular phylogeny of Uropeltidae Müller, 1832 based on Bayesian inference of 5.248bp of DNA-sequence data from 6 genes. Numbers at nodes represent posterior probabilities.