Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor, 1836)

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 : 312

Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor, 1836)

( Fig. 8E , 12C )

Material studied: Two adults, CIARI uncatalogued 1-2, from Sippighat, South Andaman ( Fig. 5A ).

Morphology: Dorsal scales smooth, in 17:15:13/14 rows; ventrals 241–244; subcaudals 9–14 entire, 44–74 divided; anal single; preocular 1; postoculars 3; loreal absent; temporals 2+3. Adults normally uniform golden yellow to orange, with the banded regions having a thick black outline.

Distribution: Three adults, one from Wandoor, one from Chidiyatapu and the other from Chakkargao and a subadult from Brookshabad were recorded at Port Blair, South Andaman. All but one of these individuals were recorded from human habitation with the exception of a large (~ 8-9 ft long) adult male from Chidiyatapu, which was observed in the middle of a road passing through dense evergreen forests. A juvenile was seen in Long Island in evergreen forests.

Status: Common and widespread in the Andaman Islands and also throughout most parts of Indochina.

Remarks: Shankar et al. (2021) showed the Andaman population to be nested within the topotypical, Indochinese cluster.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Specimens studied: (A) Ophiophagus hannah (CIARI uncat.), (B) Laticauda laticaudata (ANFD uncat.), (C) Laticauda colubrina(CSPT/S-36), (D) Trimeresurusandersoni (CSPT/S-70), (E) drawingof theholotype ofHebius nicobariensis by Sclater (1891)

FIGURE 8. (A & B) Bungarus andamanensis (Long Island and South Andaman) (C & D) Naja sagittifera (young and adult: South Andaman), (E) Ophiophagus hannah (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