Craspedocephalus strigatus (Gray, 1842)

Mallik, Ashok Kumar, Srikanthan, Achyuthan Needamangalam, Ganesh, Sumaithangi Rajagopalan, Vijayakumar, Seenapuram Palaniswamy, Campbell, Patrick D., Malhotra, Anita & Shanker, Kartik, 2021, Resolving pitfalls in pit viper systematics - A multi-criteria approach to species delimitation in pit vipers (Reptilia, Viperidae, Craspedocephalus) of Peninsular India reveals cryptic diversity, Vertebrate Zoology 71, pp. 577-619 : 577

Craspedocephalus strigatus (Gray, 1842)

Figures 23 , 24 , 25

Atropos darwini Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854

Trigonocephalus (Cophias) neelgherriensis Jerdon, 1854

Lachesis strigatus - Boulenger, 1896

Lachesis strigata - Wall, 1919

Trimeresurus strigatus - Smith, 1943

Protobothrops strigatus - Kraus et al., 1996

Craspedocephalus strigatus - Wallach et al., 2014

Type Locality.

Originally in error, mentioned as "Cape of Good Hope?" and “Madras” subsequently emended to Madras Presidency (=Tamil Nadu) by Boulenger (1896) (see Wallach et al. 2014).

Etymology.

Latinized from its stem word ‘strigate’ alluding to the pattern streaked with colourful, alternate, transverse bars.

Type.

Syntypes NHMUK 1946.1.18.79 and NHMUK 1946.1.18.78 from Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu by T.C. Jerdon in 1850.

Material examined.

Syntypes NHMUK 1946.1.18.79 and NHMUK 1946.1.18.78 from Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu by T.C. Jerdon in 1850; CESS142 from Silent Valley , Kerala by Saunak Pal and Mrugank Prabhu in 2010; BNHS 2617 and BNHS 2618 from Coonor by C.Gray in 1917; BNHS 2619 from Coonor by Maj. Frank Wall in 1911; BNHS 2621 from Ooty by Maj. Frank Wall in 1912 .

Lineage diagnosis (also see Whitaker & Captain, 2004).

A species of Craspedocephalus (L8) endemic to the Western Ghats, characterized by having the following combination of characters: 2nd supralabial (usually) not bordering the anterior margin of loreal pit (vs. always bordering in the C. malabaricus , C. gramineus complexes); lacking a prehensile tail and green dorsum (vs. having prehensile tail and green dorsum in the C. gramineus , C. macrolepis complexes); having an undivided supraocular (vs. divided or with indented margins in the C. malabaricus complex).

Description.

Relatively stout species with a cylindrical body of snout to vent length (SVL) up to 391 mm and a tail of length (TL) up to 64 mm; dorsal scales keeled with anterior dorsal scale rows (DSR) 20 to 22, mid body scale rows (MSR) 19 to 21 and posterior scale rows (PSR) 15 to 17; head prominent, clearly distinguished from the neck with small juxtaposed scales on the dorsal surface of the head; rostral scale sub triangular with the upper side roughly half the size of the lower side with the tip visible from above; supraoculars separated by 9 to 11 scales on the posterior end; canthus rostralis distinct with three canthal scales; two to three preoculars, two to three postocular and a thin elongated crescent shaped subocular; eye with a distinct elliptical pupil; temporal scales smooth; aperture of the nostril completely covered by the nasal scale, undivided and subrectangular; nasal scale bordering the first supralabial; loreal pit present in contact with the second supralabial with two scales between the nasal and the second supralabial; nine to 10 supralabials and 10 to 12 infralabials, with six to eight scales between the last supralabial, including the last supralabial till the start of the ventral scales; 1st, 2nd and 3rd infralabial scale in contact with the first pair of genials; a gap of three scales including the posterior genials followed by 134 to 142 ventrals, laterally separated from the dorsal scale rows by a slightly broader row of dorsal scales; anal scale undivided, followed by 38 to 44 divided subcaudals scales; terminal scale on the tail larger than the previous scale, blunt at the tip.

Colour in life.

Bronze to light brown dorsum blotched with a stark, continuous alternating saddle-shaped pattern in dark brown to black, strikingly similar to the markings on Vipera berus or Gloydius himalayanus ; preocular/temporal stripe in dark brown; post ocular stripe in dirty brown continuing towards the loreal pit and the infralabials; another stripe below the subocular stripe fades into the infralabials followed by another blotch towards the end of the infralabials; base colour of the infralabials and ventrals being light creamish to white in colour, often dotted with rufous spots in the supralabials the region where the dorsal scales meet the ventrals in altenating dark brown colour and light brown/bronze colour scales; dorsal bronze scales are dotted with darker brown; the nape is characterized with a prominent horse shoe shaped marking hence earning its common name; in juveniles, the bronze colour is replaced with light brown.

Colour in preservative.

Brown and cream markings dorsally and laterally, occasionally interrupted with silvery/grey scales, tail mostly brown and cream coloured with lighter more vivid cream coloured scales making triangular markings vertically along it (four in total); tip of tail fading to a light cream colour.

Habitat.

A highly terrestrial species found in montane evergreen, moist evergreen and high elevation grasslands.

Distribution.

Endemic to the Nilgiri Massif north of the Palghat Gap, distributed in very high elevations (1700-2600 m asl) (also see Wall, 1919; Bhupathy & Nixon, 2011). This species has the smallest geographic range of all Craspedocephalus in Peninsular India (Ganesh & Chandramouli, 2018).

Figures

Figure 23. Craspedocephalus strigatus in life, showing: (A) entire dorsal view, (B) entire lateral view, (C) entire dorsolateral view; from Upper Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu.

Figure 24. Craspedocephalus strigatus syntype (NHMUK 1946.1.18.79), in preservation, showing: (A) head lateral right view, (B) head dorsal view, (C) head ventral view.

Figure 25. Craspedocephalus strigatus syntype (NHMUK 1946.1.18.79), in preservation, showing: (A) entire dorsolateral view, (B) entire ventrolateral view.