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

edit
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

edit

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

edit
 
"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

edit
  1. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b 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)