Hebius khasiense

Hebius khasiense, commonly known as the Khasi Hills keelback or Khasi keelback, is a species of colubrid snake endemic to southeastern Asia.[1]

Hebius khasiense
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Hebius
Species:
H. khasiense
Binomial name
Hebius khasiense
(Boulenger, 1890)
Synonyms
  • Tropidonotus khasiensis Boulenger, 1890
  • Natrix khasiensis
    – M.A. Smith, 1943
  • Amphiesma khasiensis
    – Malnate, 1960
  • Amphiesma khasiense
    – Ziegler et al., 2006[1]

Geographic range

It is found in parts of southern China (Tibet, Yunnan), eastern India (Assam), Thailand,[2] Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam.[1]

Description

It is a reddish-brown snake with a white transverse bar running across the supralabial scales.

The dorsal scales are in 19 rows, rather strongly keeled, except for the smooth outer row. The ventrals number 150-154, the subcaudals 80-100. The anal plate is divided.

Adults are about 60 cm (23½ in.) total length, of which about 19 cm (7½ in.) is tail.[3]

Diet

The Khasi Hills keelback's nutritional intake consists primarily of toads.

Photos

References
  1. Hebius khasiense at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 7 September 2014.
  2. "Amphiesma khasiense". Centre for Herpetology, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  3. Boulenger, G.A. 1893. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I., Containing the Families...Colubridæ Aglyphæ, Part. Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). London. xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I.-XXVIII. (Tropidonotus khasiensis, p. 223 & Plate Xiii., fig. 3.)

Further reading
  • Boulenger, G.A. 1890. The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor & Francis, Printers). London. xviii + 541 pp. (Tropidonotus khasiensis, p. 344.)
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