| Captain's wood snake | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Pareidae |
| Subfamily: | Xylophiinae |
| Genus: | Xylophis |
| Species: | X. captaini |
| Binomial name | |
| Xylophis captaini | |
Captain's wood snake (Xylophis captaini), Also known commonly as Captain's xylophis, is a species of snake in the family Pareidae. The species is endemic to India. [3]
The holotype of X. captaini is from Kanam, Kottayam district, in the state of Kerala and was found in 2000. Captain's wood snake has been recorded at low altitudes on the western side of the southern part of the Western Ghats, south of the Palakkad Gap. [2]
The preferred natural habitat of X. captaini is forest at altitudes from sea level to 300 m (980 ft), but it has also been found in disturbed areas such as plantations. [1]
A small species of snake, X. captaini does not exceed 20 cm (7.9 in) in total length (including tail). [4]
X. captaini is nocturnal, and burrows in leaf litter, humus, and soil to a depth of 10 cm (3.9 in). [1]
The specific name, captaini, and the common names, Captain's wood snake and Captain's xylophis, are in honor of Indian herpetologist Ashok Captain for his work on Indian snakes. [2] [3] [5]
Craspedocephalus strigatus, commonly known as the horseshoe pit viper, is a venomous pitviper endemic to the Western Ghats. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Ahaetulla perroteti, known commonly as the bronze-headed vine snake, Perrotet's vine snake, or the Western Ghats bronzeback, is a species of mildly venomous, rear-fanged snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats in South India.
Craspedocephalus macrolepis, commonly known as the large-scaled pit viper is a venomous pitviper species endemic to the Southern Western Ghats of South India. No subspecies are currently recognized.
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Rhabdops olivaceus, the olive trapezoid snake or olive forest snake, is a snake endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Following the description of populations in Goa, northernmost Karnataka, and southern Maharashtra as a new species, Rhabdops aquaticus, the known range of Rhabdops olivaceus is from Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in Kerala north to Kottigehara in Karnataka, and possibly slightly further.
Calliophis nigriscens, commonly known as the black coral snake or striped coral snake, is a species of venomous elapid snake endemic to the Western Ghats, India.
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Xylophis perroteti, commonly known as Perrotet's mountain snake and the striped narrow-headed snake, is a species of snake in the family Pareidae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats of India.
Xylophis stenorhynchus is a species of snake found in the Western Ghats of India.
Eryx whitakeri is a species of nonvenomous snake in the subfamily Erycinae of the family Boidae. The species is endemic to India. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.
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Uropeltis ellioti, commonly known as Elliot's earth snake, is a species of snake in the family Uropeltidae. The species is endemic to India.
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Ophisops beddomei, commonly known as Beddome's snake-eye or Beddome’ s lacerta, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is a diurnal and fast-moving terrestrial lizard, which is endemic to the Western Ghats of India.
Kaestlea travancorica, also known as the Travancore ground skink or Barbour's ground skink, is a species of skink endemic to southern Western Ghats.
Ashok Captain is an Indian herpetologist who has authored books and papers on Indian snakes. He was also a competing cyclist from 1977 to 1989.
Xylophis is a small genus of snakes in the family Pareidae. The genus contains five species, all of which are endemic to the Western Ghats in southern India. They constitute the monotypic subfamily Xylophiinae. They are the only pareid snakes found in India and the only snakes in the family found outside Southeast Asia.
Aaron Bauer's house gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats in Maharashtra, India.
Xylophis mosaicus, the Anamalai wood snake, is a species of snake in the family Pareidae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats of India.
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