__All_Short_Notes_ShOrT_NOTE.qxd 12.02.2016 10:24 Seite 15 ShOrT NOTE hErPETOZOA 28 (3/4) Wien, 30. jänner 2016 ShOrT NOTE 181 Oligodon kheriensis AChArji & r Ay , 1936, in india and Nepal, s l m i k a t l 1 with notes on distribution, e r l l l a i i i t e d l l u i i d o o o u z a l d s s s y o o o ecology and conservation o i t e d d d g s s s i i b d e e e v l e e e f n e i a h h h i y y a b b b c y t t t t l l d , r r r p c l n b a b b n u u u o o n n n i a a v t t t l b b i i i r t g n s s s t The Coral-red Kukri Snake, Oligodon a e e c s i i i f f f n s o a c l l l p p i r d d d c d n m x e e e i g kheriensis AChArji & r Ay , 1936, is one of e f n n s s s e , u r n n n t g t t t e e e i c e i i i e e e s e e l t r p p d l e h h h i the rarest snake species worldwide. There h a a i d d d o o t v e e e e C h r w m l W W W i i i . n n i a r r are about 70 species belonging to the central r e m f a W f h h i u u u O O o o t r d b b b w rEEN AviD l Asian genus Oligodon (G 2010; D f e n u i g d et al. 2011). Among these, O. kheriensis is d d A E n a known from only nine specimens. The type 2 0 l ) 4 a 1 1 7 y 2 2 1 2 was reported from a forest camp near Kheri p 0 0 0 a 3 1 1 e 0 1 2 2 0 d 1 0 0 2 0 , , ) ) ) ) ) ) ) N 2 Division, Lakhimpur-Kheri district, State of 0 2 2 e , 2 6 9 0 7 7 8 4 0 0 , e 2 , , n h 3 t , 2 4 1 1 2 1 3 0 y r — i t : : : : : : : 9 ChArji Ay 9 a r Uttar Pradesh, india ( A & r 1936), 3 h e r , y 2 1 1 0 3 2 9 a 1 1 c g 2 e b r D — 6 r 2 2 2 2 1 1 0 u n b a e e ( ( ( ( ( ( ( the second specimen from Siddhanath 3 r a y i m o l u r n n 9 b e t r u u u u M e 1 c c b Science Campus, Mahendranagar in western j j j d e F , e ( O y D Nepal ( SChLEiCh & K äSTLE 2002), and the F A r third from Pithuwa village, Chitwan district, & south-central Nepal ( PANDEy 2012). indi - i j r viduals number four and five (from Sirshtala A ) ) ) ) ) ) h ) ) 0 7 7 5 4 9 C 6 6 4 , in 2010 and 2012), six (from Dhapgunj in 2 2 9 1 2 , , , , , , , 8 8 1 A s 1 1 1 4 1 N ( ( ( N N N N N N N e ( ( ( ( ( ° s t , , , 2012) and seven (from Mohit nagar in 2013) ° ° ° ° ° ° ° i , , , , , 6 a s 4 3 3 5 8 0 9 E E E 5 E E E E E n ° ° ° n 2 8 8 3 4 8 6 i ° ° ° ° ° were reported from the district of jalpaiguri — 7 e 9 4 6 9 3 3 1 0 3 7 d 0 0 9 1 1 i 7 5 0 5 r 2 1 1 4 3 7 8 r 3 3 6 0 5 — 8 0 9 NAKE 7 in the indian state of West Bengal ( S o e 5 7 7 5 7 5 6 1 1 9 0 4 . 6 . 7 1 2 o h . 3 3 9 9 7 6 6 6 6 7 7 6 6 7 7 k 6 C . 4 4 . 4 5 OvErS iN NDiA 6 L i 2013), eight from Kater - 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 . 6 . 2 ) 8 8 . n 8 8 4 4 7 y 8 8 7 o 8 8 8 8 8 niaghat Wildife Sactuary, Uttar Pradesh, a 8 d d o NAKE OvErS iN e india (Anonymous 2012; S L g i h l t iNDiA 2013 ), and nine from an area near O f , o , e Kachugaon reserve Forest, Kokrajhar, As - k e k k a a a m i m sam, india (S UTrA DhAr & N ATh 2013) . n m t e a a S ( a g a a a e r 6 6 a i D r r a r D however, this snake’s threat status, biology e a r r l 0 0 a a r a f y l a f g k a ) t i . P P o r a p i o ] u ChLEiCh and ecology are al most unknown ( S v o o i l . a o n e e l r y a n n t K y . h t a h g g a i t c i s i äSTLE a & K 2002). in the present note, the h e e k . l d d b h d l o r l l i j r r a a a e l l t o a u r a L a a r p o o k p a authors refer to nine new observational re - - i u i r M l a m w w c a S C C c [ a i S i S r cords of this taxon with photo evidence that n e n o u d u C u extend the known distribution range, and t M M i e t r l add some ecological information noticed in a r a a a a A i i i i ( e d d d d the natural habitats in the lowlands of south - y h r n n n n t l l l t i i i i a a a ] n l l r , , , eastern Nepal and West Ben gal, india. This , . p p p l l l l l a a u o . e e e a a a a f p p o s g g g g . e information may be useful for a more in- e s N N N C a n n n n e N N , i e e e e C C C t depth scientific study to better understand e i m t B B B B E E S S S l [ a a , , , S S t ) the natural history of O. kheriensis and for - c n n n , , W W W W S e o a a a a a , , , , , d l i i i i t p mulate strategies of its conservation. its p u w w w r r r r c a a t t t t d i u u u u i i i i r h h r t g g g g h h h t l o j rareness is the prime reason why O. khe - j i i i i s c C C C a a a a i A e ( p p p p riensis was never formally assessed against r D l l l l a a a a w j j j iUCN criteria for risk of ex tinction. j e N The new individuals of O. kheriensis : . 1 o were recorded at: i) Damak - ward no. 06, e N l l jhapa (Nep al); ii) Sauraha, Chitwan (Nepal); b a a u iii) Saktikhor area, Chitwan (Nepal); and iv) T d i v jalpaiguri, West Bengal (india). Their geo - i d n 9 8 7 6 3 4 5 2 graphic distribution is described based on i 1 __All_Short_Notes_ShOrT_NOTE.qxd 12.02.2016 10:24 Seite 16 182 ShOrT NOTE hErPETOZOA 28 (3/4) Wien, 30. jänner 2016 ShOrT NOTE Fig. 1: Map showing the currently known distribution of Oligodon kheriensis AChArji & r Ay , 1936, in india and Nepal. Blue circle – type locality; yellow stars – literature data; red triangles – new records; dashed area – known distribution. photographic records and published locality (Table 1, Figs. 1 and 2). These localities lie information; precise record localities were approximately 106 km east of Damak, east - geo-referenced, general habits, habitat types ern Nepal. The records suggest a wider dis - in habited and circumstantial information tribution range for O. kheriensis than earlier documented. Due to the opportunistic data reported and fill in large gaps between collection, morphometric measurements known localities. Damak and jalpaiguri were not made. Previously published locali - localities are situated approximately 700 km ty information was included in the descrip - and 800 km east of the type locality in india tion of the known range, now extending (AChArji & r Ay 1936) and approximately across the Terai lowland regions of Nepal 330 km and 430 km east of the record’s and india.