Brachyophidium Wall, 1921

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 : 472-473

Brachyophidium Wall, 1921

Brachyophidium Wall, 1921: 41 .

TYPE SPECIES.— Brachyophidium rhodogaster Wall, 1921 by monotypy.

INCLUDED SPECIES. — Brachyophidium rhodogaster .

DIAGNOSIS. — Brachyophidium can be distinguished from all other amniotes by the characters given above for the family, and from other uropeltids by eye in ocular shield, nasals in contact, a temporal, no mental groove, dorsal scales in 15 rows at midbody, a simple, unmodified tail tapering to a single pointed scale, and interchoanal process of parasphenoid absent (see Olori & Bell 2012).

DISTRIBUTION. — India, in the Anaimalai and Palni hills of the southern Western Ghats (see Wall 1923; Whitaker & Captain 2004; Wallach et al. 2014; Ganesh 2015).

REMARK

This genus has occasionally been considered synonymous with Teretrurus ( Smith 1943; Cadle et al. 1990; Rieppel & Zaher 2002), but is diagnosable from that genus by the presence of fused oculars.

Brachyophidium rhodogaster Wall, 1921 ( Fig. 6A )

Brachyophidium rhodogaster Wall, 1921a: 41 .

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: BMNH 1921.3 .4.13 (= 1946.1.15.60).

TYPE LOCALITY. — Designated as Sacred Heart College, Shembaganur, c. 5 km North of Kodaikanal, Palani hills, Tamil Nadu state, India by Wall (1922).

DISTRIBUTION. — India, endemic to the Anaimalai-Palni hill complex, at elevations c. 1280-2100 m (see Wall 1923; Whitaker & Captain 2004; Wallach et al. 2014; Ganesh 2015).

DESCRIPTION

Small even for uropeltids, with a maximum total length of 190-230 mm, dorsum dark brown to black, and red venter (see Rajendran 1985). Tail is slightly compressed laterally, ending in a single point, dorsal scales of tail occasionally weakly bi- or tri-carinate. Ventrals 131-145, subcaudals 6-11 ( Wall 1922; Constable 1949; Whitaker & Captain 2004). In the two specimens dissected, there was no anterior lobe of the right lung observed, a condition otherwise seen only in some specimens of Rhinophis saffragamus n. comb. and R. philippinus. The one specimen for which tracheal rings could be counted had 165, which is less than any specimen of Melanophidium (211), Platyplectrurus (227), Plectrurus (180-222), Pseudoplectrurus (216), or Teretrurus (177-181), though some specimens of Rhinophis and Uropeltis have fewer than 165.

REMARKS

The type species of Brachyophidium (by original monotypy). This species was reported to be relatively common at several sites by Rajendran (1985).

Figures

FIG. 6. — Some uropeltid species photographed in life:A, Brachyophidium rhodogaster Wall,1921;B, Melanophidium punctatum Beddome,1871;C, M.wynaudense Beddome, 1863; D, Platyplectrurus madurensis Beddome, 1877; E, Plectrurus perrotetii Duméril & Bibron in Duméril & Duméril, 1851; F, Rhinophis blythii Kelaart, 1853; G, R. erangaviraji Wickramasinghe, Vidanapathirana, Wickramasinghe & Ranwella, 2009; H, R. goweri Aengals & Ganesh, 2013. Photos by RAP, RS, SRG, VS, A. Singh, K. Ukuwela, and R. Pethiyagoda.