Oligodon cinereus, the ashy kukri snake or Günther's kukri snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae.[1][3]
| Oligodon cinereus | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Oligodon |
| Species: | O. cinereus
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| Binomial name | |
| Oligodon cinereus (Günther, 1864)
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| Synonyms | |
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Description
edit- See snake scales for terminology
Nasal divided; portion of rostral seen from above as long as its distance from tho frontal or a little shorter; suture between the internasals usually shorter than that between the prefrontals: frontal as long as its distance from the end of the snout, as long as the parietals; loreal usually longer than deep; preocular single, usually with a small subocular below, between the third and fourth labials; one or two postoculars; temporals 1+2; upper labials 8, fourth and fifth entering the eye, 3 or 4 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields; posterior chin-shields one half or loss than one half the size of the anterior. Scales in 17 rows. Ventrals 160-180 (196); anal undivided; subcaudals 34–39. Pale brown, purplish or reddish above; markings on the head very indistinct; uniform above and below. Total length 30 inches; tail 3.[4]
Distribution
editOligodon cinereus occurs in northeast India (Assam; Arunachal Pradesh), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, and southern China (including Hong Kong and Hainan).[1][3]
Colour morphs
edit
This species has variable colouration, and O. cattienensis, the "Cat Tien kukri snake" was placed at species level,[5] but is now considered a colour morph of O. cinereus.
References
edit- ^ a b c Stuart, B.L. (2010). "Oligodon cinereus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T177409A7431518. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T177409A7431518.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Günther, A. 1864 The Reptiles of British India. London (Taylor & Francis), xxvii + 452 pp.
- ^ a b Oligodon cinereus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 22 August 2019.
- ^ Boulenger, George A. 1890 The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor & Francis, London, xviii, 541 pp. (Part under Simotes violaceus)
- ^ Vassilieva AB, Geissler P, Galoyan EA, Poyarkov NA, van Devender RW, Böhme W (2013) A new species of Kukri Snake (Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826; Squamata: Colubridae) from the Cat Tien National Park, southern Vietnam. Zootaxa 3702(3):233–246 (ISSN 1175-5326)