Wallophis
Species of snake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wallophis brachyura, known commonly as the Indian smooth snake or suvaro saap, is a species of rare harmless snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to India.
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| Wallophis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Indian smooth snake at Amravati, Maharashtra | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Wallophis Werner, 1929 |
| Species: | W. brachyura |
| Binomial name | |
| Wallophis brachyura (Günther, 1866) | |
 | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Geographic range
W. brachyura is found in isolated localities in the state of Maharashtra in western peninsular India.[3]
Habitat
Description
The following description is based on Malcolm Smith (1943):
Nostril large, between two nasals; internasals 0.3 to 0.5 as long as the prefrontals; frontal nearly as broad as long, in contact with a large preocular; loreal longer than high; 2 postoculars; temporals 2+2; 8 supralabials, 4th and 5th touching the eye; anterior genials larger than the posterior, the latter separated by two or three series of small scales. Scales in 23:23:19 rows; ventrals large, rounded; tail rather short. Ventrals 200–224; Caudals 46–53; Anals 1.
Hemipenis extending to the 13th caudal plate, not forked. The distal half is calyculate, the cups being large and with scalloped edges; the proximal half is spinose, two or three spines at the base being much larger than the others (bad specimen).
Olive-brown above, with indistinct light variegations on the anterior half of the body and head; lower parts whitish. Total length: males 515 mm (20.3 in), tail 75 mm (3.0 in); females 460 mm (18 in), tail 55 mm (2.2 in).
Range. Northern India. Poona district and Visapur, near Bombay; S.E. Berar.
A rare snake.
Diet
The diet of W. brachyura is unknown.[3]
Reproduction
The manner of reproduction of W. brachyura is unknown.[3]