Plectrurus perrotetii Duméril & Bibron, 1851

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 : 478

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.5252/z2016n4a2
publication LSID	urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BFFD82EF-50C9-42BF-8493-DF57591EA4FF
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A82A47-8304-FF9C-FF20-F944FB7A7FFC
treatment provided by	Felipe (2021-03-03 17:02:42, last updated by Plazi 2023-11-01 22:57:55)
scientific name	Plectrurus perrotetii Duméril & Bibron
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Treatment

Plectrurus perrotetii Duméril & Bibron in Duméril & Duméril, 1851

( Fig. 6E View FIG )

Plectrurus perrotetii Duméril & Bibron in Duméril & Duméril, 1851: 224.Numerous syntypes including BMNH 1886.3.21.6 (= 1946.1.1.41, MNHN-RA-0.170, MNHN-RA-0.190, MNHN-RA-6996, and ZMB 4036; others unknown, possibly c. 15-20 (see McDiarmid et al. 1999). Type locality: Nilgiri hills, Tamil Nadu state, India.

Plectrurus brevis . Nomen nudum from Günther (1875: 230; see McDiarmid et al. 1999).

Plectrurus davidsoni Beddome, 1886: 25 . Holotype: BMNH 1885.3.21.6 (= 1946.1.1.41). Type locality: Anaimalai hills, Kerala or Tamil Nadu state, India. Designated as a junior subjective synonym by Gans (1966).

DISTRIBUTION. — India, definitively known only from the upper Nilgiris (> 1800 m), including the Ootacamund Plateau, where it is very common ( Wall 1919; Whitaker & Captain 2004). Records from Coorg ( Whitaker & Captain 2004) would benefit from confirmation in the form of vouchered specimens. Reports South of Palghat Gap including Anaimalai and Meghamalai ( Hutton & David 2009) are doubtful, since none was reported from there previously ( Wall 1919, 1928; Roux 1928; Chandramouli & Ganesh 2010) or during our fieldwork ( Ganesh 2015).

DESCRIPTION

Maximum total length c. 440 mm, ventrals 144-180, subcaudals 6-12 (see Wall 1919; Smith 1943; Constable 1949; Rajendran 1985; Whitaker & Captain 2004). Color pattern typically a uniformly dark brown dorsum and lighter venter, and sometimes a reddish-orange stripe on the top of the tail.

REMARKS

The type species of Plectrurus . Common at several localities within its range, but records from the Anaimalais ( P.davidsoni ) may represent an undescribed species, based on variation in scale counts (see Rajendran 1985). A lectotype may need to be chosen by future revisers after phylogeographic revision if multiple cryptic species are found; we did not examine the syntypes for such a designation.

References

BEDDOME R. H. 1886. - An account of the earth-snakes of the peninsula of India and Ceylon. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 17: 3 - 33.

CHANDRAMOULI S. R. & GANESH S. R. 2010. - Herpetofauna of southern Western Ghats, Indi. - Reinvestigated after decades. Taprobanica 2: 72 - 85. https: // doi. org / 10.4038 / tapro. v 2 i 2.3145

CONSTABLE J. D. 1949. - Reptiles from the Indian Peninsula in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 103: 59 - 160.

DUMERIL A. M. C. & DUMERIL A. H. A. 1851. - Catalogue methodique de la collection des reptiles du Museum d'Histoire naturelle de Paris. Gide et Baudry, Paris, 224 p.

GANESH S. R. 2015. - Shieldtail snakes (Reptilia: Uropeltidae. - the Darwin's finches of south Indian snake fauna?, in KANNAN, P. (Ed.) Manual on Identification and Preparation of Keys of Snakes with Special Reference to their Venomous Nature in India. Proceedings by Government Arts College, Udhagamandalam, Tamilnadu, India, 13 - 24.

GANS C. 1966. - Liste der rezenten Reptilien und Amphibien. Uropeltidae. Das Tierreich 84: 1 - 29.

GUNTHER A. C. L. G. 1875. - Second report on collections of Indian reptiles obtained by the British Museum. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 43: 224 - 234.

HUTTON A. F. & DAVID P. 2009. - Notes on a collection of snakes from south India, with emphasis on the snake fauna of the Meghamalai Hills (High Wavy Mountains). Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 105: 299 - 316.

MCDIARMID R. W., CAMPBELL J. A. & TOURE T. 1999. - Snake Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. The Herpetologist's League, Washington, 511 p ..

RAJENDRAN M. 1985. - Studies in uropeltid snakes. Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, 132 p.

ROUX J. 1928. - Reptiles et amphibiens de l'Inde meridionale. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 35: 439 - 471.

SMITH M. A. 1943. - The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-Region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. 3 (Serpentes). Taylor & Francis, London, 583 p.

WALL F. 1919. - Notes on a collection of snakes made in the Nilgiri hills and adjacent Wynaad. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 26: 552 - 584.

WALL F. 1928. - The Poisonous Terrestrial Snakes of our British Indian Dominions (including Ceylon) and how to Recognize them, with Symptoms of Snake Poisoning and Treatment. Fourth edition. Bombay Natural History Society, 173 p.

WHITAKER R. & CAPTAIN A. 2004. - Snakes of India: the Field Guide. Draco Books, Chennai, 481 p.

Figures

FIG. 6. — Some uropeltid species photographed in life:A, Brachyophidium rhodogaster Wall,1921;B, Melanophidium punctatum Beddome,1871;C, M.wynaudense Beddome, 1863; D, Platyplectrurus madurensis Beddome, 1877; E, Plectrurus perrotetii Duméril & Bibron in Duméril & Duméril, 1851; F, Rhinophis blythii Kelaart, 1853; G, R. erangaviraji Wickramasinghe, Vidanapathirana, Wickramasinghe & Ranwella, 2009; H, R. goweri Aengals & Ganesh, 2013. Photos by RAP, RS, SRG, VS, A. Singh, K. Ukuwela, and R. Pethiyagoda.