Trimeresurus septentrionalis

Trimeresurus septentrionalis, commonly known as the Nepal pit viper or northern white-lipped pit viper,[3] is a venomous pit viper species found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India.[2][4]

Trimeresurus septentrionalis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Trimeresurus
Species:
T. septentrionalis
Binomial name
Trimeresurus septentrionalis
Kramer, 1977
Synonyms
  • Trimeresurus albolabris septentrionalis Kramer, 1977[1]
  • Trimeresurus septentrionalis
    Giannasi et al., 2001
  • Trimeresurus albolabris septentrionalis Leviton et al., 2003
  • Cryptelytrops septentrionalis
    Malhotra & Thorpe, 2004
  • Trimeresurus (Trimeresurus) septentrionalis David et al., 2011[2]

Description

Total length males 610 mm, females 730 mm.[2]

The head scalation consists of 10–11(12) upper labials, the first of which are fused to the nasal. The head scales are small, subequal and feebly imbricate, smooth or weakly keeled. The supraoculars are narrow and undivided with 9–11 interocular scales between them. The temporal scales are smooth.[2]

Midbody there are 21 longitudinal dorsal scale rows. There are 162–172 ventrals in males, 160–181 in females. The subcaudals are paired and number 68–83 in males, 55–71 in females. The hemipenes are without spines.[2]

The colour pattern is green above. The belly is green, yellowish or white below. A faint ventrolateral stripe present in all males, but absent in females. The end of tail not mottled brown.[2]

Holotype: MHNG 1404.31[2]

Geographic range

It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and northwestern India (Simla).[2][4] The type locality is given as "Nepal 83o 55' 28o 15' 1500 m (Nähe Pokhara)". Regenass & Kramer (1981) list the type locality as "Hyangcha (Nepal) 83o 55' E.L. 28o 15' N.B. 1500 m". Holotype: MHNG 1404.31.[1]

Taxonomy

Elevated to a species, T. septentrionalis, by Giannasi et al. (2001).[5] Returned to a subspecies, T. a. septentrionalis, by Leviton et al. (2003). Elevated to a species in another genus, Cryptelytrops septentrionalis, by Malhotra & Thorpe (2004). Returned to genus Trimeresurus and placed in subgenus Trimeresurus (Trimeresurus) by David et al. (2011). (See synonyms.)

References

  1. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. Trimeresurus septentrionalis at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
  3. Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S. 2004. Asian Pitvipers. GeitjeBooks. Berlin. 1st Edition. 368 pp. ISBN 3-937975-00-4.
  4. Leviton, A.E.; Wogan, G.O.U.; Koo, M.S.; Zug, G.R.; Lucas, R.S. & Vindum, J.V. (2003). "The dangerously venomous snakes of Myanmar. Illustrated checklist with keys" (PDF). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 54 (24): 407–462. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-08-30. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  5. Giannasi, Nicholas; Thorpe, Roger S.; Malhotra, Anita (2001). "The use of amplified fragment length polymorphism in determining species trees at fine taxonomic levels: analysis of a medically important snake, Trimeresurus albolabris". Molecular Ecology. 10 (2): 419–426. doi:10.1046/j.1365-294x.2001.01220.x. PMID 11298956. S2CID 18069035.

Further reading

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