Hypnale nepa

Hypnale nepa
Hypnale nepa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Crotalinae
Genus: Hypnale
Species: H. nepa
Binomial name
Hypnale nepa
(Laurenti, 1768)
Synonyms
  • Coluber nepa - Laurenti, 1768
  • Hypnale nepa - Günther, 1864
  • Crotalus Hypnale nepa - Higgins, 1873
  • Ancistrodon nepa - M.A. Smith, 1937
  • Agkistrodon nepa - Taylor, 1950
  • Hypnale nepa - Gloyd, 1977[1]
Common names: Sri Lankan hump-nosed viper.[2]

Hypnale nepa is a venomous pitviper species found in Sri Lanka. Relatively small, they are distinguished by a strongly upturned snout. No subspecies are currently recognized.[3]

Contents

Description

Adults grow to a total length of 30–35 cm. According to Wall (1921), the maximum recorded lengths are for a male of 38.7 cm and a female of 38.1 cm. According to Deraniyagala (1955), the largest specimen in the Colombo museum was 39.2 cm in total length with a tail measuring 5.9 cm. In general, the tail is 13-18% of total body length. The body is moderately slender with a head that is conspicuously distinct from the neck.[2]

This species is distinguished from H. hypnale by a snout that has a strongly upturned tip. This is due to an extended rostral scale, which is immediately followed by a raised wartlike hump covered with 7-14 very small scales. Also, the hemipenes have clearly visible spines.[2]

The scalation includes 17 rows of dorsal scales at midbody that are weakly keeled or smooth, 124-142 ventral scales and 33-41 subcaudal scales.[2]

The color pattern consists of a light brown to dark brown to pale olive ground color, flecked and mottled with darker tones. This is overlaid with a series of 17-26 dorsolateral suboval or subtriangular brown blotches that alternate or oppose each other middorsally. These blotches are 3-4 scales wide and extend down to the third scale row. The top of the head is brown and usually lacks any pattern except for a black postorbital stripe that extends to the neck.[2]

Geographic range

Found in Sri Lanka throughout forested areas, from lowland rainforest to over 1,800 m altitude. The type locality given is "Africa." An obvious error, this was amended to "Sri Lanka" by Hoge and Romano-Hoge (1981).[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. ^ a b c d e Gloyd HK, Conant R. 1990. Snakes of the Agkistrodon Complex: A Monographic Review. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 614 pp. 52 plates. LCCN 89-50342. ISBN 0-916984-20-6.
  3. ^ "Hypnale nepa". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=634894. Retrieved 8 August 2008. 

External links


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