v9i1.221

Submitted date: 05 April 2020
Accepted date: 30 April 2020
Published date: 21 May 2020
Pp. 50–58, pls. 19–21.

REDESCRIPTION OF Lycodon travancoricus (BEDDOME, 1870) (REPTILIA : COLUBRIDAE), AN INDIAN ENDEMIC SNAKE, WITH A REVIEW OF ITS GEOGRAPHIC RANGE

S.R. Ganesh, A.A. Thasun Amarasinghe & Gernot Vogel*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: gernot.vogel@t-online.de

Abstract
We redescribe the poorly-known peninsular India endemic colubrid snake Lycodon travancoricus based on its traceable syntype. We elaborate on the geographic range of the species and reveal its distribution in several disjunct hill ranges scattered across its range – the Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats and the Central Indian Highlands. Discussions about a suggested relegation of its status as a subspecies of the widespread L. aulicus are revisited, in light of new knowledge on the species complex to which it belongs. Our perusal of extralimital records allocated to this species reveals frequent incorrect identification and provenance of specimens. Our results bolster the view that the existing diagnosis is sufficient to distinguish this species from regional congeners supporting its continued recognition as a valid species restricted to peninsular India.

Key words : distribution, Eastern Ghats, identification, Indian peninsula, syntype, Western Ghats

Section Editor: Ivan Ineich
LSID:urn:lsid:zoobank.org