Boiga andamanensis ( Wall, 1909 )

Chandramouli, S. R., 2022, Snake fauna of the Andaman Islands, Bay of Bengal-A review of species richness taxonomy, distribution, natural history and conservation status, Zootaxa 5209 (3), pp. 301-331 : 308

Boiga andamanensis ( Wall, 1909)

( Figs. 7A & B , 12A )

Material studied: Two adults; ANFD uncatalogued, an adult from Mayabunder, Middle Andaman; CIARI uncatalogued, an adult from Sippighat, South Andaman ( Fig. 3G ).

Morphology: Dorsal scales elongated, slender and smooth, in 21:21:15 rows; mid dorsal row distinctly enlarged, hexagonal; ventrals 259–262; preventral 1; subcaudals 102–124, divided; preocular 1; postoculars 2; anal single; supralabials 8 (3–5 entering orbit); infralabials 10–11 (1–6 contacting genials); temporals 3+2, loreal 1. A colour polymorphic species; three distinct colour morphs observed: ashy green, brown and bright red, the former two being frequent as adults and juveniles being reddish. Interior of mouth pink.

Distribution: A nocturnal species found throughout the Andaman Archipelago. Seven individuals were recorded from South Andaman, Long Island, Havelock and Middle Andaman Islands. Found in primary evergreen and secondary forests. Rather uncommon in human habitations. Found in low-lying shrubs and bushes.

Remarks: B. andamanensis was redescribed recently by Ganesh et al. (2020) as a part of the revision of the B. ceylonensis group. Earlier reports of Boiga ochracea walli from the Andaman Islands ( Smith, 1940; Whitaker and Captain, 2004) need a proper reassessment and are likely to be erroneous; possibly based on the red colour variants of B. andamanensis .

Status: Uncommon, endemic to the Andaman archipelago.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Specimens studied: (A) Indotyphlops braminus (CIARI uncat.), (B) Gerrhopilus andamanensis (NMW 15427), (C) Acrochordus granulatus (CSPT/S-75), (D) Fowlea tytleri (CIARI uncat.), (E) Lycodon hypsirhinoides (ZSI 8145, inset: CIARI uncat.), (F) Dendrelaphis andamanensis (CIARI uncat.), (G) Boiga andamanensis (CIARI uncat.), (H) Chrysopelea paradisi (photo: O.D. Adhikari)

FIGURE 7. (A & B) Adult (Long Island) and juvenile (South Andaman) Boiga andamanensis, (C) Chrysopelea paradisi (Narcondm, photo:Andaman Police Dept.) (D) Ptyas mucosa (Long Island), (E) Coelognathus flavolineatus (South Andaman), (F) Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Middle Andaman, photo: S. Basu) and (G) Cerberus rynchops (South Andaman)

FIGURE 12. Locality records of (A): Boiga andamanensis and B. cyannea (B) Ptyas mucosa, Gonyosoma oxycephalum and Coelognathus flavolineatus (C) Naja sagittifera, Ophiophagus hannah, Bungarus andamanensis; (D) Laticauda laticaudata, Laticauda colubrina and Trimeresurus andersoni