Rhinophis philippinus ( Cuvier, 1829 )

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 : 482-484

Rhinophis philippinus ( Cuvier, 1829)

( Fig. 7D )

Typhlops philippinus Cuvier, 1829: 74 . Holotype: MNHN- RA-1864.94. Type locality: Philippines, corrected to Zeylania ( Sri Lanka) by Peters (1861b). This may need to be restricted by future revisers (see Remarks).

Rhinophis planiceps Peters,1861b:17 . Holotype:BMNH 1946.1.16.99. Type locality: Sri Lanka. Suggested as a junior subjective synonym by Günther (1864) and formally designated as such by Beddome (1886). See Peters (1861b).

DISTRIBUTION. — This species has a moderately large range in the Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces of Sri Lanka, c. 300- 900 m ( Somaweera 2006; Wickramasinghe et al. 2009; Wallach et al. 2014).

DESCRIPTION

Maximum total length c. 280 mm, ventrals 153-182, subcaudals 3-6, dorsal scales in 17 rows at midbody (see Smith 1943). The single specimen dissected lacks an anterior lobe of the right lung, a condition otherwise only observed in Brachyophidium rhodogaster and R. saffragamus among examined specimens of sampled uropeltid taxa. Color pattern typically dark brown dorsally and ventrally, usually with a lighter margin on each scale, and occasional yellowish-white blotch near the head and anal scale.

REMARKS

This species has a contentious nomenclatural history with respect to the junior synonym Rhinophis planiceps Peters, 1861 , but R. philippinus is clearly the correct name for this species (see McDiarmid et al. 1999). A restricted type locality may need to be designated by future revisers if phylogeographic investigation reveals cryptic species.

Rhinophis phillipsi ( Nicholls, 1929) n. comb. ( Fig. 7E )

Silybura phillipsi Nicholls, 1929: 153 .

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: BMNH 1929.2 .5.1 (= 1946.1.17.2).

TYPE LOCALITY. — Meniakanda Group, Gammaduwa, East Matale hills, Central province, Sri Lanka.

DISTRIBUTION. — This species is known only from the the Knuckles massif in the Central province of Sri Lanka, c. 360-1115 m ( Das & de Silva 2005; de Silva et al. 2005; Somaweera 2006; Wallach et al. 2014).

DESCRIPTION

Maximum total length c. 230 mm, ventrals 197-213, subcaudals 6-9, dorsal scales in 17 rows at midbody (see Smith 1943). As in Rhinophis melanogaster , the terminal scute of this species is less like the rugose tail shield of most other Rhinophis species, instead resembling an enlarged dorsal scale elongated vertically, terminating in a ridge or points, like R. melanogaster and some Uropeltis species ( U. grandis and U. pulneyensis ). Distinctive color-pattern, with a black dorsal coloration and a yellow stripe down the center of each of the seven mid-dorsal scale rows, and a series of yellow blotches or bars running down each side.

REMARK

This species was formerly placed in Uropeltis , but is clearly allied with Rhinophis based on DNA-sequence data ( Fig. 1 ), the rostral dividing the nasals, and the keratinous tail-shield.

Figures

FIG. 7. — Some uropeltid species photographed in life: A, Rhinophis homolepis Hemprich, 1820; B, R. melanogaster (Gray, 1858); C, R. oxyrhynchus (Schneider, 1801); D, R. philippinus (Cuvier, 1829); E, R. phillipsi (Nicholls, 1929) n. comb.; F, R. punctatus Müller,1832; G, R. saffragamus (Kelaart, 1853) n. comb.; H, R. sanguineus Beddome, 1863. Photos by RAP, RS, SRG, VS, A. Dey, R. Pethiyagoda, and S. Kehimkar.

FIG. 1. — Molecular phylogeny of Uropeltidae Müller, 1832 based on Bayesian inference of 5.248bp of DNA-sequence data from 6 genes. Numbers at nodes represent posterior probabilities.