Hypnale zara

Hypnale zara
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Crotalinae
Genus: Hypnale
Species: H. zara
Binomial name
Hypnale zara
Gray, 1849
Synonyms
  • Trigonocephalus zara
    – Gray, 1849 (part)
  • Hypnale zara
    – Maduwage et. al., 2009.
Common names: Lowlands hump-nosed pit viper. පහතරට මූකලන් තෙලිස්සා in Sinhala.

Hypnale zara is a venomous pitviper species endemic to Sri Lanka. It is distinguished from Hypnale nepa by variably colored body and less upcurved snout. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Distribution

Restricted to the lowland rain forests of the south-western wet zone up to foot hills of the central highlands.

Ecology

A nocturnal snake.

Destription

10-19 minute scales from wart-like protuberance on the snout tip. 18-39 heterogeneous small scales on inter nasal to prefromtal region can be seen. Scales around eye are 6. Supralabials 7-8. Costal scales are keeled. Ventrals are 134-157 in number. Subcaudals may 34-51.

Dorsum color ranges from yellowish brown to dark brown, sometimes deep red. Two rows of distinct sub-oval or sub-triangular blotches meet on vertebral region. A dark stripe across eye and cheek. Venter is lighter than dorsum, sometimes light ash-gray.

Reproduction

Ovoviviparous.

See also

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.