Plagiopholis nuchalis

Plagiopholis nuchalis, commonly known as the Assam mountain snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae.[3][4] The species is endemic to Asia.

Assam mountain snake
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Plagiopholis
Species:
P. nuchalis
Binomial name
Plagiopholis nuchalis
(Boulenger, 1893)
Synonyms[2]
  • Trirhinopholis nuchalis
    Boulenger, 1893
  • Oligodon evansi
    Wall, 1913 (fide M.A. Smith, 1943)
  • Trirhinopholis nuchalis
    — Wall, 1921 (fide M.A. Smith, 1943)
  • Plagiopholis nuchalis
    — M.A. Smith, 1940
  • Plagiopholis nuchalis
    — M.A. Smith, 1943

Geographic range

P. nuchalis is found in China (Yunnan), Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand. It may possibly also be found in India (Assam) and Vietnam.[2]

Description

A small snake, P. nuchalis may attain a total length of 45 cm (18 in), which includes a tail 5.5 cm (2.2 in) long. Dorsally it is blackish brown, with many of the dorsal scales edged with black. On the neck there is a broad black chevron, pointing forward, to which the specific name, nuchalis, refers. Ventrally it is yellowish, marked with black.[5]

Reproduction

P. nuchalis is oviparous.[2]

References
  1. Wogan G, Chan-Ard T, Richman N, Bohm M (2012). "Plagiopholis nuchalis ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T177441A1486583. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T177441A1486583.en.
  2. "Plagiopholis nuchalis ". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  3. "Plagiopholis nuchalis ". uBIO. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  4. "Plagiopholis nuchalis ". Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  5. Smith MA (1943).
  • Flickr photo by Michael Cota
  • Boulenger GA (1893). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I. Containing the Families ... Colubridæ Aglyphæ, part. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I-XXVIII. (Trirhinopholis nuchalis, new species, pp. 419–420 + Plate XXVIII, figures 1, [1a, 1b]).

Further reading
  • Smith MA (1943). The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III.—Serpentes. London: Secretary of State for India. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 583 pp. (Plagiopholis nuchalis, pp. 326–327).
  • Tillack, Frank; Scheidt, Ulrich; Ihle, Thomas (2006). "First record of Blakeway's mountain snake, Plagiopholis blakewayi Boulenger, 1893 from Thailand, with remarks on the distribution of Plagiopholis nuchalis Boulenger 1893 (Reptilia: Squamata: Colubridae: Pseudoxenodontidae)". Veröffentlichungen des Naturkundemuseums Erfurt 25: 181–186.


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