Xenochrophis Cerasogaster on:
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The painted keelback (''Xenochrophis cerasogaster'') is a
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of colubrid
Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from , 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest fossil species of the family date back to the Late Eocene epoch, with earlier origins suspected. Colu ...
snake
Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...
found in Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
, Nepal
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
, and India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
(Assam
Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
, West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
). This snake is sometimes called the dark-bellied marsh snake.
Description
:''Seesnake scales
Snakes, like other reptiles, have skin covered in scales.Boulenger, George A. 1890 The Fauna of British India. p. 1 Snakes are entirely covered with scales or scutes of various shapes and sizes, known as snakeskin as a whole. A scale protects ...
for terminology''
In this species, the head is narrow and elongated, with an angular canthus rostralis and slightly concave lores; the eyes are moderate or rather small. The rostral is 1.5 to 3.0 times as broad as it is long; the suture between the internasals is nearly as long as that between the prefrontals; the frontal is much longer than its distance from the end of the snout, as long as the parietals; the lorealae are as long as deep or a little longer, It has one preocular, two or three postoculars, and one or two suboculars; the temporals number 2+2 or 2+3. It has 9 upper labials, with the fourth (rarely fifth) entering the eye; the five or six lower labials are in contact with the anterior chin shields, which are about as long as the posterior. Its scales are strongly keeled, in 19 rows, with 140-151 ventral scales; the anal scale is divided; the subcaudals are 60–70 in number.
This snake is brown above, with or without darker spots and with a more or less distinct paler dorsolateral band. The lower parts are cherry-red to purplish-black, with a yellow band on each side extending from the lips to the end of the tail. Total length is two feet, and the tail is 5.5 inches.
See also
* ''The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma
''The Fauna of British India'' (short title) with long titles including ''The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma'', and ''The Fauna of British India Including the Remainder of the Oriental Region'' is a series of scientific books t ...
''
References
External links
* Xenochrophis Reptiles of Pakistan Reptiles described in 1839 Taxa named by Theodore Edward Cantor Reptiles of India Reptiles of Nepal Reptiles of Bangladesh {{Natricinae-stub