Oligodon cinereus

Oligodon cinereus, the ashy kukri snake or Günther's kukri snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae.[1][3]

Oligodon cinereus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Oligodon
Species:
O. cinereus
Binomial name
Oligodon cinereus
(Günther, 1864)
Synonyms
  • Oligodon cattienensis Vassilieva, Geissler, Galoyan, Poyarkov, Van Devender & Böhme, 2013
  • Simotes swinhonis Günther, 1864
  • Simotes cinereus Günther, 1864[2]
  • Simotes violaceus Boulenger, 1890

Description
See snake scales for terminology

Nasal divided; portion of rostral seen from above as long as its distance from tho frontal or a little shorter; suture between the internasals usually shorter than that between the prefrontals: frontal as long as its distance from the end of the snout, as long as the parietals; loreal usually longer than deep; preocular single, usually with a small subocular below, between the third and fourth labials; one or two postoculars; temporals 1+2; upper labials 8, fourth and fifth entering the eye, 3 or 4 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields; posterior chin-shields one half or loss than one half the size of the anterior. Scales in 17 rows. Ventrals 160-180 (196); anal undivided; subcaudals 34–39. Pale brown, purplish or reddish above; markings on the head very indistinct; uniform above and below. Total length 30 inches; tail 3.[4]

Distribution

Oligodon cinereus occurs in northeast India (Assam; Arunachal Pradesh), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, and southern China (including Hong Kong and Hainan).[1][3]

Colour morphs
"Cat Tien kukri snake" in Cat Tien National Park.
"Cat Tien kukri snake" in Cat Tien National Park.

This species has variable colouration, and O. cattienensis, the "Cat Tien kukri snake" was placed at species level,[5] but is now considered a colour morph of O. cinereus.

References
  1. Stuart, B.L. (2010). "Oligodon cinereus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T177409A7431518. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T177409A7431518.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. Günther, A. 1864 The Reptiles of British India. London (Taylor & Francis), xxvii + 452 pp.
  3. Oligodon cinereus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 22 August 2019.
  4. Boulenger, George A. 1890 The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor & Francis, London, xviii, 541 pp. (Part under Simotes violaceus)
  5. Vassilieva AB, Geissler P, Galoyan EA, Poyarkov NA, van Devender RW, Böhme W (2013) A new species of Kukri Snake (Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826; Squamata: Colubridae) from the Cat Tien National Park, southern Vietnam. Zootaxa 3702(3):233–246 (ISSN 1175-5326)
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