Indian Kikuri Snakes

The Kikuri Snakes of the Genus Oligodon are widespread incentral and tropical Asia, with about 70 species currently recognized. High lineage diversity, small samples for the majority of species, and poor sampling within the known range continue to make the Kikuri snakes a confusing group. Several news species have been described in recent years, while others have been placed in synonymy of other species.  Patrick David and colleagues have now address one nomenclatural and two taxonomic problems affecting Oligodon cyclurus Group in India. The Oligodon cyclurus group currently includes O. cyclurus (Cantor, 1839), O. fasciolatus (Günther, 1864), O. juglandifer (Wall, 1909), O. chinensis (Günther, 1888), O. formosanus (Günther,1872), O. ocellatus (Morice, 1875), O. saintgironsi David, Vogel and Pauwels, 2008, and O. macrurus (Angel, 1927). These species are widespread from north-eastern India and Myanmar, to southern China and to southern Thailand.The authors discuss the problem of the absence of a name bearing type for Coronella cyclura Cantor, 1839 and designate a neotype. They also address the status of Oligodon kheriensis Acharji and Ray, 1936 from northern India and Nepal, a species that had been regarded as a synonym of Oligodon cyclurus by Smith (1943) but has been recognized as a valid species other authors.


Citation
David, P., I. Das, and G. Vogel. 2011. On some taxonomic and nomenclatural problems in Indian species of the genus OligodonFitzinger, 1826 (Squamata: Colubridae). Zootaxa 2799: 1–14 

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