Dendrelaphis caudolineatus (Gray, 1834)

Rooijen, Johan Van & Vogel, Gernot, 2012, A revision of the taxonomy of Dendrelaphis caudolineatus (Gray, 1834) (Serpentes: Colubridae), Zootaxa 3272, pp. 1-25 : 10-11

Dendrelaphis caudolineatus (Gray, 1834)

Fig. 5 .

Description. A species of the Dendrelaphis caudolineatus group, characterized by the combination of 1) black longitudinal stripes along the entire length of the body, 8 stripes at midbody; 2) a pale ventrolateral stripe along the entire length of the body; 3) a black postocular stripe is absent, rarely rudimentary; 4) 171–180 ventrals (males), 171–185 ventrals (females); 5) 101–113 subcaudals; 6) relative tail-length 0.250–0.280; 7) 4–7 temporal scales on each side; 8) 9–11 infralabials on each side; 9) 3–5 scales touching the posterior borders of the parietal scales; 10) maximum total length males 98.5 cm, females 141.5 cm.

Sexual dimorphism. On average, males have 174 ventral scales and 104 subcaudals whereas females have 178 ventral scales and 108 subcaudals (F = 9.4; df = 1; p = 0.01, F = 9.4; df = 1; p = 0.01). Females grow larger than males (see description).

Distribution. Dendrelaphis caudolineatus ranges from southern peninsular Thailand ( Pauwels et al., 2002) southward through most of Sundaland. Its presence on Java is unconfirmed, though it has been documented by Rosen (1905) and one specimen seen by us ( NHMB 1348 ) was collected on Java according to the accompanying data . However, the very extensive Javanese collection of RMNH does not hold a specimen of D. caudolineatus . Given that members of this genus have often been misidentified in the past and locality records can be erroneous, we remain doubtful of its presence on this island.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Dendrelaphis caudolineatus (Gray, 1834), adult from Nias (ZMB 52010; TL 131.0 cm.).