Trimeresurus labialis

Trimeresurus labialis, commonly called Nicobar bamboo pit viper,[3] is a venomous pit viper species endemic to the Nicobar Islands of India. No subspecies are currently recognized.[4]

Trimeresurus labialis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Trimeresurus
Species:
T. labialis
Binomial name
Trimeresurus labialis
Synonyms
  • Bothrophis labialis
    Fitzinger, 1861 (nomen nudum)
  • Trimeresurus labialis Steindachner, 1867
  • Trim[eresurus]. mutabilis Stoliczka, 1870[1]
  • Trimeresurus labialis
    — M.A. Smith, 1943
  • Cryptelytrops labialis
    — Malhotra & Thorpe, 2004
  • Trimeresurus (Trimeresurus) labialis
    — David et al., 2011[2]

Geographic range

Found only in the Nicobar Islands of India. The type locality given is "den Nikobaren".[1]

Description

Males may attain a total length of 42 cm (16½ in), with a tail 8 cm (3⅛ in) long; females, total length 44 cm (17¼ in), tail 7 cm (2¾ in).

Dorsally, T. labialis is brown, either light or dark, with or without darker spots or transverse bars. It may have a light streak on each side of the head, beginning at the snout, continuing under the eye, to the neck. Ventrally, it is also brown.

The dorsal scales are smooth, and are usually in 23 rows at midbody. Ventrals: 158-170 in males; 154-174 in females. Subcaudals: 60-65 in males; 46-57 in females. The subcaudals are usually double, but there may be some interspersed singles.[5]

References
  1. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. "Trimeresurus labialis ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  3. Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S (2004). Asian Pitvipers. First Edition. Berlin: Geitje Books. 368 pp. ISBN 3-937975-00-4.
  4. "Trimeresurus labialis ". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 27 September 2006.
  5. Smith MA (1943). The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III.—Serpentes. London: Secretary of State for India. (Taylor and Francis, Printers). xii + 583 pp. (Trimeresurus labialis, pp. 525-526).

Further reading
  • Das I (1999). "Biogeography of the amphibians and reptiles of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India". pp. 43–77. In: Ota H (editor) (1999). Tropical Island Herpetofauna ... Amsterdam: Elsevier. 353 pp. ISBN 978-0444501950.
  • Steindachner, F (1867). "Reptilien ". pp. 1–98. In: von Wüllerstorf-Urbair B (1867) ["1869" on title page]. Reise der Österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 unter den Befehlen des Commodore B. von Wüllerstorf-Urbair (Zoologie), [Vol. 1, part 3]. Vienna: K. Gerold's Sohn/Kaiserlich-Königl. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei. (Trimeresurus labialis, new species, p. 86 + Plate III, figures 1 & 2) (in German).
  • Stoliczka F (1870). "Observations on some Indian and Malayan Amphibia and Reptilia". Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Fourth Series 6: 105-109. (Trimeresurus mutabilis, new species, p. 108).
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