Hypnale | |
---|---|
Hump-nosed viper, H. hypnale . | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Viperidae |
Subfamily: | Crotalinae |
Genus: | Hypnale Fitzinger, 1843 [1] |
Hypnale is a genus of pit vipers endemic to Sri Lanka and southwestern India. [1] Three monotypic species are currently recognized (no subspecies). [4] All members have more or less upturned snouts that produce a hump-nosed effect. [2]
Members of this genus grow to a maximum total length of 55 cm (21+5⁄8 in) (for H. hypnale ). The body is stout, but relatively slender compared to most other crotalines. The tail length accounts for 14-18% of total length in males, 11-16% in females. [2]
The snout is more or less upturned, with two species having a wart-like protuberance at the tip that is covered with tiny scales. The anterior head shields are strongly fragmented, but the frontal scale, supraoculars and parietals are complete and quite large. The nasal scale is single, but it may have a groove that extends towards its upper edge. There are two preoculars and 2-4 postoculars. The loreal scale is single, but extends across the canthus rostralis so that it can be seen from above. The supralabials and sublabials both number 7-9. Bordering the supralabials are 3-4 enlarged temporal scales, above which are 3-5 irregular rows of temporal scales. There is one pair of chin shields, each of which is slightly longer than it is wide. [2]
At midbody there are 17 rows of dorsal scales, which are weakly keeled. Apical pits are present, but very difficult to see. The keels are faint or may be entirely absent on the first two scale rows bordering the ventrals. The ventral scales number 120-158, while the subcaudals vary in number from 28 to 48 (almost all are paired). [2]
Species of the genus Hypnale are found in Sri Lanka and India, [1] from almost sea level to an elevation of at least 1,829 m (6,001 ft). In India they are found in the Western Ghats as far north as 16° north latitude. [2]
They occur in dense jungles, dry forests, rain forests, both in low and hilly country, and in plantations. They sometimes are also found near or in human habitations. [2]
They are mostly nocturnal, but are often seen coiled in the shade during the day, moving around on cloudy days or under low light conditions. They are generally inoffensive, both in the wild and in captivity, rarely attempting to bite unless restrained or injured. [2]
Their diet includes lizards, snakes, frogs, reptile eggs, and small mammals. [2]
All members of this genus are viviparous. [2]
Image | Species [4] | Taxon author [4] | Common name [2] | Geographic range [1] |
---|---|---|---|---|
H. hypnale T | (Merrem, 1820) | Hump-nosed viper | Peninsular India to the Western Ghats as far north as 16° N, and Sri Lanka. | |
H. nepa | (Laurenti, 1768) | Sri Lankan hump-nosed viper | In Sri Lanka throughout forested areas, from lowland rainforest to over 1,800 m (5,900 ft) altitude. | |
H. zara | (Gray), 1849 | Gray's hump-nosed viper | Sri Lanka. | |
T) Type species. [1]
A new species called Hypnale sp. Amal , recently described, but not yet given species status.
According to Gloyd and Conant (1990), members of this group seem to be closely related to the genus Calloselasma . [1]
Agkistrodon is a genus of venomous pit vipers commonly known as American moccasins. The genus is endemic to North America, ranging from the Southern United States to northern Costa Rica. Eight species are currently recognized, all of them monotypic and closely related. Common names include: cottonmouths, copperheads, and cantils.
Gloydius himalayanus also known as the Himalayan pit viper or the Himalayan viper is a venomous pitviper species found along the southern slopes of the Himalayas in Pakistan, India and Nepal. No subspecies are currently recognized. Himalayan pit vipers have been found up to 4900m above sea level, which makes it the highest living snake ever found.
Protobothrops mucrosquamatus is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Asia. Common names include: brown-spotted pit viper, Taiwanese habu and pointed-scaled pit viper. No subspecies are currently recognized. The species was first described by Theodore Cantor in 1839.
Craspedocephalusmalabaricus, commonly known as Malabar pit viper, Malabar rock pit viper, or rock viper, is a venomous pit viper species endemic to the high-moderate elevations of Western Ghats of southwestern India. Recently this species complex was split into three different species, Craspedocephalus malabaricus, Craspedocephalus travancoricus, Craspedocephalus anamallensis.
Hypnale hypnale is a venomous pit viper species endemic to India and Sri Lanka. Common names include the hump-nosed viper, Merrem's hump-nosed viperhump-nosed pit viper, and Oriental hump-nosed viper.
Eristicophis is a monotypic genus created for the viper species, Eristicophis macmahonii, which is endemic to the desert region of Balochistan near the borders of Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Common names for the species include McMahon's viper, Asian sand viper, leaf-nosed viper, and whiskered viper. Like all other vipers, it is venomous. No subspecies are currently recognized.
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Bothrops ammodytoides is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Argentina. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Craspedocephalus trigonocephalus, the Sri Lankan pit viper, Ceylon pit viper, Sri Lankan green pitviper or locally, pala polonga, is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Sri Lanka. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Craspedocephalus puniceus is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Southeast Asia. Common names include: flat-nosed pitviper, flat-nosed pit viper, and ashy pit viper. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Agkistrodon howardgloydi is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Central America. It is most commonly called castellana, but it has also been called the southern cantil, Gloyd's moccasin, and a number of other colloquial names. It is a rare species with a relatively small geographic distribution in the tropical dry forest on the Pacific coast of Honduras, Nicaragua, and extreme northwest Costa Rica. A. howardgloydi is a stout, medium-sized snake with a maximum total length of 96 cm (38 in). It is a viviparous species, with females giving birth in the rainy season from May to August. No clinical reports on envenomation had been published, but laboratory texts and analysis indicate the venom is highly toxic and similar to its close relative Agkistrodon bilineatus, and potentially lethal.
Hypnale nepa, the Sri Lankan hump-nosed viper, is a venomous pitviper species endemic to Sri Lanka where it is known as මූකලන් තෙලිස්සා in Sinhala. Earlier thought that Hypnale walli and Hypnale nepa were two distinct species, but it is now accepted that it is the same species and Hypnale walli is a synonym name. Relatively small, they are distinguished by a strongly upturned snout. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Hypnale walli, or Wall's hump-nosed viper, is a venomous pitviper species endemic to Sri Lanka. The smallest member of its genus, it is distinguished by having a strongly upturned nose and lower scale counts. No subspecies are currently recognized.
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Gloydius monticola is a venomous pitviper species endemic to southern China. A small and darkly colored snake with no visible color pattern, it is found high in the mountains of northern Yunnan province. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Gloydius strauchi is a species of venomous pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to western China. It is a small snake with a pattern of four longitudinal stripes, although some older specimens may be a uniform black. G. strauchi may be distinguished from G. monticola by its higher midbody dorsal scale count. This species jointly holds the altitude record for pitvipers together with Crotalus triseriatus of Mexico, both being found even above the tree line at over 4,000 m (13,000 ft). No subspecies were recognized as being valid, until a recent publication re-evaluated the taxonomic statuses of populations of G. strauchi and described the eastern Tibetan populations as a new species.
Gloydius ussuriensis is a venomous pitviper species endemic to far east Russia, northeastern China and the Korean Peninsula. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Gloydius brevicauda is a venomous pitviper species endemic to China and the Korean Peninsula.
Hypnale zara, the lowlands hump-nosed pit viper, is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Sri Lanka. It is distinguished from Hypnale nepa by variably colored body and less upcurved snout. No subspecies are currently recognized.