Teretrurus Beddome, 1886

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 : 486-488

Teretrurus Beddome, 1886

Teretrurus Beddome, 1886: 28 .

TYPE SPECIES. — Plectrurus sanguineus Beddome, 1867 by subsequent designation of Smith (1943).

INCLUDED SPECIES. — Teretrurus sanguineus .

DIAGNOSIS. — Teretrurus can be distinguished from all other amniotes by the characters given for the family, and from other uropeltids by divided oculars, nasals in contact, a temporal, no mental groove, dorsal scales in 15 rows at midbody, Oberhäutchen dentitions that are 51-80% of the total cell-size ( Gower 2003), and a shortened, slightly compressed tail with weakly multicarinate scales that terminates in a single, pointed scute.

DISTRIBUTION. — The southern Western Ghats of India, in hill ranges South of the Palghat Gap (see Smith 1943; Rajendran 1985; Wallach et al. 2014; Ganesh 2015).

DESCRIPTION

For the two specimens dissected, none of the characteristics of visceral topology examined are uniquely diagnostic of the genus at the reduced significance level used. However, several features are near or outside the range of variation seen in the other genera, and larger sample sizes from more taxa may reveal them to be diagnostic. These are smaller right lung (mean of 16% SVL vs 24%), larger anterior lobe of the right lung (3.7% vs 2.1%), more anterior posterior tip of right lung (48% vs 55%), larger kidney-vent interval indicating more anterior kidneys (23% vs 20%), more anterior right kidney (81% vs 84%), more anterior left kidney (84% vs 88%), more anterior gallbladder (62% vs 68%), and smaller liver-gallbladder interval (–0.74% vs 3.9%).

REMARKS

This genus has been synonymized with both Platyplectrurus and Plectrurus ( Beddome 1867, 1876; Boulenger 1890, 1893a), but is diagnosable from Platyplectrurus by the smaller Oberhäutchen dentitions (vs larger), and from Plectrurus by the single-pointed tail (vs double-pointed) and the presence of a temporal (vs absence). Smith (1943) included Brachyophidium rhodogaster in Teretrurus , as did some later authors (e.g., Rieppel & Zaher 2002), but we follow Rajendran (1985), McDiarmid et al. (1999) and Wallach et al. (2014) in recognizing Brachyophidium .

Teretrurus sanguineus ( Beddome, 1867) ( Fig. 8B )

Plectrurus sanguineus Beddome, 1867: 14 . Putatively twelve syntypes: BMNH 1946.1.16.57-62, MNHN-RA-1895.116a-c, and NMW 2161.1-3 fide Wallach et al. (2014). The NMW specimens were not listed by Gans (1966). A single specimen was described in the original publication, so the specimen with 144 ventrals and seven subcaudals is actually the holotype. However, none of the six specimens described by Boulenger (1893a) as “types”, presumably BMNH 1946.1.16.57-62, have 144 ventrals or seven subcaudals in his count, suggesting that the holotype is in the MNHN or NMW series, or that ventrals were miscounted by at least one previous researcher (see Gower & Ablett 2006). Type locality: Above Pollachi, Anamalai hills, Tamil Nadu state, India according to the BMNH catalogue fide Wallach et al. (2014); “Anamallay forests; 4.000 feet elevation” as originally given by Beddome (1867).

Platyplectrurus hewstoni Beddome, 1876: 701 . Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.15.77. Type locality: Manantoddy, Kerala state, India. Designated as a junior subjective synonym by Beddome (1886).

Plectrurus scabricauda Theobald, 1876: 136 . Holotype reported lost by Gans (1966); reported as ZSI 6996 by McDiarmid et al. (1999) based on comments from I. Das. Type locality: Anaimalai hills, Tamil Nadu state, India. Designated as a junior subjective synonym by Boulenger (1893a).

Teretrurus travancoricus Beddome, 1886: 29 . Seven syntypes: BMNH 1886.2.1.3-4 & 1886.4.21.5-6 (= 1946.1.2.26-29), and MNHN- RA-1895.117 (3 specimens).Type locality: above Papanasam, Tamil Nadu state, India. Designated as a junior subjective synonym by Boulenger (1893a).

DISTRIBUTION. — This species has an unclear, disjunct distribution in India, including the Anaimalai-Munnar hills at elevations> 1000 m, and the Travancore-Agasthyamalai Hill complex South of the Sencotta Gap (see Ferguson 1895, 1902; Smith 1943; Rajendran 1985; Wallach et al. 2014; Ganesh 2015).

DESCRIPTION

Maximum total length c. 240 mm, ventrals 120-159, subcaudals 5-11 (see Boulenger 1893a; Smith 1943; Rajendran 1985). Non-descript color-pattern, with purplish- or reddish-brown dorsum, and blood-red ventral coloration with occasional black flecks or bars.

REMARK

We concur with Rajendran (1985) regarding the likely presence of cryptic species in this complex, with populations from Nyamakad North of the Sencotta gap and the Tirunelveli hills South of the gap differing in coloration (unpatterned red vs red with black spots) and ventral scale counts (143- 159 vs 121-126).

Figures

FIG. 8. — Some uropeltid species photographed in life: A, Rhinophis zigzag Gower & Maduwage, 2011; B, Teretrurus sanguineus (Beddome, 1867); C, Uropeltis bicatenata (Günther,1864); D, U. ceylanica Cuvier,1829; E, U.dindigalensis (Beddome,1877);F, U. ellioti (Gray,1858); G, U. liura (Günther,1875);H, U. macrolepis (Peters, 1861). Photos by RAP, RS, SRG, VS, S. Kehimkar, A. Mohan, and D. Raju.