Boiga beddomei

Boiga beddomei
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Boiga
Species: B. beddomei
Binomial name
Boiga beddomei
(Wall, 1909)
Synonyms
  • Dipsadomorphus beddomei
    Wall, 1909
  • Boiga beddomei — Das, 1996[1]

Boiga beddomei, commonly known as Beddome's cat snake, is a species of rear-fanged colubrid snake endemic to India and Sri Lanka.

Geographic range

In India, B. beddomei is found in the Western Ghats in Maharashtra state (Bhimashankar, Mulshi, Koyna ?, Vasota ?). It is also found in Sri Lanka.[1]

Etymology

It was named after Richard Henry Beddome (1830–1911), British army officer and botanist.[2]

Description

Head distinct from neck. Vertebral scales strongly enlarged. Dosrum is grayish brown with dark brown vertebral spots. Ventral side is yellowish-cream.

Scalation

Mid dorsal scale rows 19. Subcaudals 113-127.

Diet

Mainly geckos and skinks.

Culture

Known as කහ මාපිලා (kaha maapila- meaning "yellow cat snake" in English) in Sinhala language and Māppiḷḷai or Pūṉaippāmpu in Tamil.[3]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  2. ↑ Beolens, Bo; Michael Watkins; Michael Grayson. 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore:Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Boiga beddomei, p. 21).
  3. ↑ "SNAKES OF SRI LANKA". Retrieved August 22, 2014.

Further reading

External links