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Records of the Indian Sand Snake Psammophis Condanarus (Merrem, 1820) (Reptilia: Lamprophiidae) in Southern India

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Records of the Indian Sand Snake Psammophis Condanarus (Merrem, 1820) (Reptilia: Lamprophiidae) in Southern India Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 July 2017 | 9(7): 10453–10458 Records of the Indian Sand Snake Psammophis condanarus (Merrem, 1820) (Reptilia: Lamprophiidae) in southern India 1 2 3 ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) S.R. Ganesh , Vivek Sharma & M. Bubesh Guptha Communication Short ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) 1 Chennai Snake Park, Rajbhavan Post, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600022, India 2 Post-Graduate Program in Department of Zoology, Govt. Model Science College, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh 482003, OPEN ACCESS India 3 Wildlife Consultant, BioLab of Seshachalam Hills, Wildlife Management Circle, Kapilatheertham, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh 517501, India 1 [email protected] (corresponding author), 2 [email protected], 3 [email protected] Abstract: We present new records of the Indian Sand Snake parts of peninsular India (Smith 1943; Whitaker & Psammophis condanarus from southern India, where its existence has Captain 2004). Three more congeneric species namely remained doubtful till date. Our records are based on both live and preserved voucher specimens that are illustrated and described here. P. schokari (Forskal, 1775), P. longifrons Boulenger, We furnish distribution records of this species from two sites belonging 1890, and P. leithi Günther, 1869 are confined mainly to two different ecoregions in southern India—Tirupati in the Eastern Ghats and Hospete in the Deccan plateau. Our work highlights the to northwestern and central India (Whitaker & Captain obscurity of certain, large-growing, diurnal land snakes that have as 2004; Vyas & Patel 2013). A closely related congener yet managed to evade the attention of field biologists largely due to a Psammophis indochinensis Smith, 1943 inhabits the lack of field surveys in certain ecoregions. Indo-Chinese region (Smith 1943). Keywords: Distribution, literature records, snake, southern India. Psammophis condanarus was originally described as Coluber condanarus based on the plate of Russell (1796) which was drawn on the basis of material originating The Indian Sand Snake Psammophis condanarus from Ganjam in the Circar coastal plains of the Indian (Merrem, 1820) is distributed in eastern, northern and peninsula (Merrem 1820). That specimen, measuring central India including parts of the Himalayan foothills, 724mm that was described and illustrated in Russell Bengal, Indo-gangetic plains, northwestern arid desert (1796: 32–33, pl.27) under the title “Condanarouse” was zones including Pakistan and northern parts of the designated as the lectotype of Coluber condanarus by Deccan plateau (Stoliczka 1872; Murray 1886; Wall Wallach et al. (2014). There are some subjective junior 1908; Minton 1966; Whitaker & Captain 2004; Chandra synonyms namely Leptophis bellii Jerdon, 1853 from & Gajbe 2005), making it the most widespread species Jalna (19.83 N & 75.88 E) in Deccan Plateau, Psammophis of the genus in the Indian subcontinent. In fact it is taeniata Günther, 1862 from “India”, Psammophis the only congener in most of the central and eastern indicus Beddome, 1863 from Nallamala (15.40 N DOI: http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3468.9.7.10453-10458 | ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F27248AB-F066-4092-9442-A993C40102CE Editor: Gernot Vogel, Heidelberg, Germany. Date of publication: 26 July 2017 (online & print) Manuscript details: Ms # 3468 | Received 27 April 2017 | Final received 09 July 2017 | Finally accepted 11 July 2017 Citation: Ganesh, S.R., V. Sharma & M.B. Guptha (2017). Records of the Indian Sand Snake Psammophis condanarus (Merrem, 1820) (Reptilia: Lamprophiidae) in southern India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 9(7): 10453-10458; http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3468.9.7.10453-10458 Copyright: © Ganesh et al. 2017. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. Funding: None. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Acknowledgements: We thank our respective organisations for supporting our research activities. SRG thanks the Executive Chairman, all the Trustees and the Director of Chennai Snake Park for their encouragement. MBG and SRG thank the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department especially Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, Chief Conservator of forests, Wildlife Management Circle, Tirupati and District Forest Officer of Wildlife Management Division, DFO, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), Tirupati for granting study permission. VRKS and SRG thank the District Forest Officer and Forest Range Officer, Bellari, Karnataka Forest Department for permission to study the snake and Mr. Adithya Vattam, Mr. Aslam Sayyed and Mr. Pompayya Malemath for their information, kind support and logistics. 10453 Southern Indian records of Psammophis condanarus Ganesh et al. & 78.47 E) in the Eastern Ghats, Phayrea isabellina Specimens studied: BLT77 (Biolab Tirupati), an Theobald, 1868 from an unknown locality, Psammophis adult male preserved specimen (Image 1) with everted sibilans quadrilineata Jan in Jan & Sordelli, 1870 from hemipenis, 21.xii.2013, Kapilatheertham (13.65 N & an unknown locality and Mike elegantissima Werner, 79.42 E; 180m; Image 1), Tirupati, Chittoor District, 1924 from an unknown locality (Wallach et al. 2014) Andhra Pradesh, central Eastern Ghats, coll. Bubesh for this species [in the combination Taphrometopon Guptha. condanarum (see Wallach et al. 2014)]. A nomen nudum A live adult (Image 2) from Hospet (15.27 N & 76.39 Psammophis sibilans quadrilineata Jan, 1863 also exists E; 480m; Image 2), in Bellary District, Karnataka, part of (Wallach et al. 2014). Deccan plateau, captured by Aslam Sayed on 12.11.2016. The current day distribution of this species as such Description (also see Table 1): A thick-set, smooth encompasses the type localities of these synonymised and glossy-bodied snake with fairly large head, sharply nomina in as far as they are known (Whitaker & Captain protruding snout, concave loreal, distinct neck, robust 2004). Ali (1943) reported this species from Bandipur body and tapering tail. Measurements of preserved (11.44 N & 76.50 E) near the Western Ghats, abutting specimen (in mm): head length: 23.50, head width: 11.50, the Mysore plateau, on the basis of a single specimen head depth: 7.50, midbody width: 12.00, eye diameter: recovered from the stomach of a Short-toed Eagle 3.30, eye-lip distance: 5.50, inter-narial distance: 3.50, Circaetus gallicus. Prasad (1992) highlighted the same frontal scale length: 6.00, frontal-rostral distance: 4.00, and opined it to be a valid but overlooked record. He did frontal width at midline: 2.20, frontal width at anterior not present any new material from southern India. We end: 3.00. Measurements of live specimen (in mm): hereby confirm and elaborate on the distribution of this head length: 18.5; head width: 7.5; head depth: 7.0; body species in southern India. width: 10.5; eye diameter: 2.5. Scalation: Rostral visible from above, protruding, with a distinct cleft underenath; Material and Methods nasal scale only partially divided, sutured below the This study is based on the examination of both nostril, reaching between 1st and 2nd supralabials, loreal live and preserved specimens, one each from the oval, posterior genials slightly longer than anterior pair, Eastern Ghats and the Deccan plateau. Morphological dorsal scales imbricate, smooth but with distinct and examination terminology and protocols follow Whitaker deep apical pits, outermost coastal scale rows slightly & Captain (2004). Ventral scale counting follows Dowling larger than the rest, vertebral scale rows not larger than (1951) and hemipenal description follows Dowling & the rest, scales on dorsal tail larger, ventral scales very Savage (1960). Body length was measured using a wide, extending on to ventrolateral parts, not angulate standard measuring tape (L.C 1mm) while other smaller laterally. Colour in preservation of voucher specimen measurements were taken using vernier callipers (L.C (formalin-darkened): slaty dark grey above with white 0.1mm). Scale counts were done using a magnifying and black spots on labia, chin and outermost scalerows; hand lens (5 X optical zoom). Scalation and distribution dorsum with three dark greyish-brown stripes - one data were compared with literature. Photographs were vertebral stripe that is five scalerows wide (at midbody) taken using digital cameras. narrowing posteriorly to three scalerows wide; this one flanked by two lateral stripes on either side that Taxonomy are one scale row wide; each ventral scale dotted with black on either extremities forming a ventro-lateral line. Psammophis condanarus (Merrem, 1820) Colouration in life (based on both specimens): dorsum Coluber condanarus Merrem, 1820 light rosy grey, with a broad, five scales-wide dark Leptophis bellii Jerdon, 1854 coffee brown, black and white edged vertebral stripe; Psammophis taeniata Günther, 1862 laterally flanked by two thinner stripes three scales- Psammophis indicus Beddome, 1863 wide, partly of fully black-bordered similar dark brown Phayrea isabellina Theobald, 1868 (inc. sed. fide Wall bilateral stripes on each side. Top of head dark brown 1921) being the origin of the dark broad vertebral stripe; sides Psammophis sibilans quadrilineata Jan, 1870 in Jan & of head covered by similar dark brown stripe across Sordelli, 1866–1870 eye, separated above a thin lighter supraocular stripe; Mike elegantissima Werner, 1924 rest
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