plazi/treatments-xml
2
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Pull requests Releases Activity
treatments-xml/data/80/03/87/800387F7FFABFFB27EB8510CFED48D9F.xml
maintenance 5f5be7c3df added 80
2024-06-21 12:41:55 +02:00

412 lines
52 KiB
XML
Raw Blame History

This file contains ambiguous Unicode characters

This file contains Unicode characters that might be confused with other characters. If you think that this is intentional, you can safely ignore this warning. Use the Escape button to reveal them.

<document id="AE9F7ABD45CC0ED3E921541DB2794A5A" ID-DOI="10.11646/zootaxa.5424.3.9" ID-ISSN="1175-5326" ID-Zenodo-Dep="10821428" IM.bibliography_approvedBy="karina" IM.illustrations_approvedBy="felipe" IM.materialsCitations_approvedBy="karina" IM.metadata_approvedBy="felipe" IM.taxonomicNames_approvedBy="karina" IM.treatments_approvedBy="karina" checkinTime="1710501055738" checkinUser="plazi" docAuthor="Venu, Govindappa, Balakrishna, Gandlahalli N., Mallikarjuna, Nagasandra A., Seetharama, Halemane G., G. Raju, Narayanappa, Ramakrishna, Sompalem, Venkatachalaiah, Govindaiah &amp; Ganesh, S. R." docDate="2024" docId="800387F7FFABFFB27EB8510CFED48D9F" docLanguage="en" docName="zootaxa.5424.3.9.pdf" docOrigin="Zootaxa 5424 (3)" docSource="http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5424.3.9" docStyle="DocumentStyle:647186512141C8FC8976D5BCC54AEB7D.9:Zootaxa.2013-.journal_article" docStyleId="647186512141C8FC8976D5BCC54AEB7D" docStyleName="Zootaxa.2013-.journal_article" docStyleVersion="9" docTitle="Sepsophis punctatus Beddome 1870" docType="treatment" docVersion="7" lastPageNumber="399" masterDocId="7C3AFF8FFFAAFFB17E2F5011FFA38B24" masterDocTitle="On further specimens of the Spotted Eastern Ghats Skink Sepsophis punctatus Beddome, 1870 (Squamata: Scincidae) from Ananthagiri hills, Northern Eastern Ghats, India" masterLastPageNumber="400" masterPageNumber="396" pageNumber="397" updateTime="1711066680250" updateUser="karina" zenodo-license-document="CLOSED">
<mods:mods id="9565D86D610EF410DA887ADF329D29FB" xmlns:mods="http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3">
<mods:titleInfo id="2EA641BFC742D9CCE55D9411CDEEC318">
<mods:title id="AEF4D7B8DBB32D7039E4E9238B0A3221">On further specimens of the Spotted Eastern Ghats Skink Sepsophis punctatus Beddome, 1870 (Squamata: Scincidae) from Ananthagiri hills, Northern Eastern Ghats, India</mods:title>
</mods:titleInfo>
<mods:name id="5E1B1040C1161108DAC7470E8A8E0E16" type="personal">
<mods:role id="F94D937A40FD63981A5D3C0DEEAAD921">
<mods:roleTerm id="D1298BE5F110093344D832600A7DA5EC">Author</mods:roleTerm>
</mods:role>
<mods:namePart id="E5C184A0B08C883F6AA6AE0AD9D2C2C7">Venu, Govindappa</mods:namePart>
<mods:affiliation id="971A504FA6D9A263969406B47421A0C2">Department of Zoology, Centre for Applied Genetics, Jnana Bharathi Campus, Bangalore University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560056, India &amp; Evolving Phylo Lab, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560012, India</mods:affiliation>
</mods:name>
<mods:name id="1CD37A6D82230910DB963214E7FDFA48" type="personal">
<mods:role id="DBDF741CD34CAEB88E2C968EAE4471E7">
<mods:roleTerm id="DD9904B10AAA7F0AADD068FAAEBF7F46">Author</mods:roleTerm>
</mods:role>
<mods:namePart id="1F868594C76179CEFAEACBA9A2138581">Balakrishna, Gandlahalli N.</mods:namePart>
<mods:affiliation id="2F981832E14F4542762BC02577175B66">Department of Zoology, Centre for Applied Genetics, Jnana Bharathi Campus, Bangalore University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560056, India</mods:affiliation>
</mods:name>
<mods:name id="8CC3540FD3CC4E010E5A00514408634D" type="personal">
<mods:role id="9030E249F5D073EB11E2FEC836288D80">
<mods:roleTerm id="37751B0A3A2D148491BDA1B5E4B54577">Author</mods:roleTerm>
</mods:role>
<mods:namePart id="048000B908E9FCC14385C68666595759">Mallikarjuna, Nagasandra A.</mods:namePart>
<mods:affiliation id="4C32E3F920F96D5098BE40238A725081">Coffee Board, Araku Valley, Araku, Andhra Pradesh, 531151, India</mods:affiliation>
</mods:name>
<mods:name id="B8D492B157E0E5B7B1B2CC92A1D6BAFD" type="personal">
<mods:role id="79D833C17AF1DBE48A68723E54F2D945">
<mods:roleTerm id="969BD8098C3ADF08408DD0391F6F34A2">Author</mods:roleTerm>
</mods:role>
<mods:namePart id="1E1E58F21351E5D99964302C2BB56600">Seetharama, Halemane G.</mods:namePart>
</mods:name>
<mods:name id="79DA53AB4095B192FF0193E872ECFE25" type="personal">
<mods:role id="FE30EFAB2F95404D047A8BAE386B5780">
<mods:roleTerm id="EF22A640ABA5428D20C15DA631AD691C">Author</mods:roleTerm>
</mods:role>
<mods:namePart id="9443703977EA691DB856EA32EE2C6758">G. Raju, Narayanappa</mods:namePart>
</mods:name>
<mods:name id="A31495F9424F298EBE0FC3F85CC71C77" type="personal">
<mods:role id="3B3EDD67173C48FA2B8F25DC9E9E682F">
<mods:roleTerm id="EC5FF8A461F315E35244CC48B17142BB">Author</mods:roleTerm>
</mods:role>
<mods:namePart id="C155E77E43F2BB478DF33A7BDDFDF524">Ramakrishna, Sompalem</mods:namePart>
</mods:name>
<mods:name id="194474E753CD804332269FB340E1F5C9" type="personal">
<mods:role id="2AB71906A24218DAA41A63793704FD42">
<mods:roleTerm id="69A44FAE3A8B65CE72F15B55F0877542">Author</mods:roleTerm>
</mods:role>
<mods:namePart id="AD35E22B31342282E83ACFBBEFBD5808">Venkatachalaiah, Govindaiah</mods:namePart>
<mods:affiliation id="DE8BBAD7BAF20967FB34C0FEC3B1F47A">Department of Zoology, Centre for Applied Genetics, Jnana Bharathi Campus, Bangalore University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560056, India</mods:affiliation>
</mods:name>
<mods:name id="2DF497DDB340E86CC93E5079E035D00C" type="personal">
<mods:role id="483F5A0B70BCF85EB66ACD670F8B0CFF">
<mods:roleTerm id="CA20BBACC3978B552124A8019C1150A7">Author</mods:roleTerm>
</mods:role>
<mods:namePart id="3BDCF2CA8088CF6E245878D4FA8E22B4">Ganesh, S. R.</mods:namePart>
<mods:affiliation id="33A42147090DF4953B9C5D7B700B23BF">Kālinga Foundation, Guddakere, Agumbe, Shivamogga - 577 411, Karnataka, India.</mods:affiliation>
</mods:name>
<mods:typeOfResource id="D9667CB0D7FC7D0EBD302728E8494684">text</mods:typeOfResource>
<mods:relatedItem id="EAE5C6C037A4E1FB05EF3A99F44E6C9E" type="host">
<mods:titleInfo id="8B6E06EAED00FE1CE3778C77B29364A1">
<mods:title id="9E817474D1C0E27E4125D83834C04CE3">Zootaxa</mods:title>
</mods:titleInfo>
<mods:part id="292E27E00D27D1D65CAF0AFCD120CB61">
<mods:date id="3A1379BADA0120C1CF74DEFFB01F6081">2024</mods:date>
<mods:detail id="2430EC148E34A22689CACF97D07C57A6" type="pubDate">
<mods:number id="6CFD1B31E6B4186D75EEE0E7AF147DD5">2024-03-14</mods:number>
</mods:detail>
<mods:detail id="AA7A793470C8DD4BD85531A9B965D3DF" type="volume">
<mods:number id="B22E87D347FB935CAB79F0C1B421E6D1">5424</mods:number>
</mods:detail>
<mods:detail id="E638DA61462D3DC825751B7B498D569D" type="issue">
<mods:number id="21F869B231878B9D4E025CA90570583B">3</mods:number>
</mods:detail>
<mods:extent id="C3F0AAA86A537DB60B9F80031EC3ADB9" unit="page">
<mods:start id="96DF676E1903CF4657003070918DA3FA">396</mods:start>
<mods:end id="E83792B1E2DFB25F5416232E35742311">400</mods:end>
</mods:extent>
</mods:part>
</mods:relatedItem>
<mods:location id="EE722B5DBA1D831CE83164F7B001C381">
<mods:url id="BDE9CEA3746D0D31052E39945BA027D6">http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5424.3.9</mods:url>
</mods:location>
<mods:classification id="6F27C5667132E115499EE1847ED18F48">journal article</mods:classification>
<mods:identifier id="C5E83137BEEEFF06C655A4A57925B374" type="DOI">10.11646/zootaxa.5424.3.9</mods:identifier>
<mods:identifier id="9C397C93DDA3CFA1B1E5B405DDE28855" type="ISSN">1175-5326</mods:identifier>
<mods:identifier id="91605905722CFABE92DAD048CE7B6304" type="Zenodo-Dep">10821428</mods:identifier>
<mods:identifier id="00906555FCCA2ED7F1C7254A493C60E6" type="ZooBank">3E0B4560-B40E-4153-B83A-C922EE7E0454</mods:identifier>
</mods:mods>
<treatment id="800387F7FFABFFB27EB8510CFED48D9F" LSID="urn:lsid:plazi:treatment:800387F7FFABFFB27EB8510CFED48D9F" httpUri="http://treatment.plazi.org/id/800387F7FFABFFB27EB8510CFED48D9F" lastPageId="3" lastPageNumber="399" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">
<subSubSection id="40B0656AFFABFFB07EB8510CFDF78A1C" box="[151,596,285,312]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" type="nomenclature">
<paragraph id="081536E1FFABFFB07EB8510CFDF78A1C" blockId="1.[151,1436,285,455]" box="[151,596,285,312]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFABFFB07EB8510CFDF78A1C" ID-CoL="4WR6N" authority="Beddome, 1870" authorityName="Beddome" authorityYear="1870" box="[151,596,285,312]" class="Squamata" family="Scincidae" genus="Sepsophis" higherTaxonomySource="CoL" kingdom="Animalia" order="Squamata" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="punctatus">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFABFFB07EB8510CFDF78A1C" bold="true" box="[151,596,285,312]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">
Sepsophis punctatus
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFABFFB07FBA510FFDF78A1C" author="Beddome, R. H." box="[405,596,286,312]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" pagination="169 - 176" refId="ref2845" refString="Beddome, R. H. (1870) Descriptions of new reptiles from the Madras Presidency. Madras Monthly Journal of Medical Science, 2, 169 - 176." type="journal article" year="1870">Beddome, 1870</bibRefCitation>
</emphasis>
</taxonomicName>
</paragraph>
</subSubSection>
<subSubSection id="40B0656AFFABFFB07EB85152FEA28A78" box="[151,257,323,348]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" type="description">
<paragraph id="081536E1FFABFFB07EB85152FEA28A78" blockId="1.[151,1436,285,455]" box="[151,257,323,348]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">
(
<figureCitation id="90912A64FFABFFB07EB05152FF598A78" box="[159,250,323,348]" captionStart-0="FIGURE 1" captionStart-1="FIGURE 2" captionStartId-0="1.[151,250,1808,1832]" captionStartId-1="2.[151,250,2000,2024]" captionTargetBox-0="[292,1296,479,1783]" captionTargetBox-1="[283,1305,776,1977]" captionTargetId-0="figure-92@1.[292,1296,479,1783]" captionTargetId-1="figure-320@2.[283,1305,776,1977]" captionTargetPageId-0="1" captionTargetPageId-1="2" captionText-0="FIGURE 1. Sepsophis punctatus collage showing (a) hand-drawn illustration reproduced from Boulenger (1887), (b) entire dorsolateral, (c) entire ventral, (d) left and (e) right lateral views of the holotype. Photos: Patrick Campbell and Gernot Vogel." captionText-1="FIGURE 2. Sepsophis punctatus recently collected BUB specimens (a-d) in life and (e-g) in preservation at the laboratory." figureDoi-0="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10821430" figureDoi-1="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10821434" httpUri-0="https://zenodo.org/record/10821430/files/figure.png" httpUri-1="https://zenodo.org/record/10821434/files/figure.png" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">Fig. 1–2</figureCitation>
)
</paragraph>
</subSubSection>
<subSubSection id="40B0656AFFABFFB07EB85176FD518AE3" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" type="materials_examined">
<paragraph id="081536E1FFABFFB07EB85176FD518AE3" blockId="1.[151,1436,285,455]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFABFFB07EB85176FE758A5B" bold="true" box="[151,470,359,383]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">Material Examined (n=5).—</emphasis>
<materialsCitation id="B8C23CBCFFABFFB07FF95176FD4D8AE3" collectedFrom="Ananthagiri coffee plantation" collectingDate="2020-12-09" collectionCode="Bengaluru-BUB" collectorName="Venu Govindappa &amp; Balakrishna &amp; Chandrasekhar &amp; Mohan" country="India" elevation="1180" latitude="18.257" location="Visakhapatnam district" longitude="82.989" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" specimenCode="1651A, 1653, 1671, 1692, 1693" specimenCount="5" stateProvince="Andhra Pradesh">
Bangalore Univ.,
<collectionCode id="6EBBAE24FFABFFB07CA15176FCEC8A5B" box="[654,847,359,383]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">Bengaluru—BUB</collectionCode>
<specimenCode id="580C9E9AFFABFFB07D7B5176FC3C8A5B" box="[852,927,359,383]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">1651A</specimenCode>
,
<specimenCode id="580C9E9AFFABFFB07D875176FC438A5B" box="[936,992,359,383]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">1653</specimenCode>
,
<specimenCode id="580C9E9AFFABFFB07DC65176FB828A5B" box="[1001,1057,359,383]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">1671</specimenCode>
,
<specimenCode id="580C9E9AFFABFFB07A055176FBC18A5B" box="[1066,1122,359,383]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">1692</specimenCode>
,
<specimenCode id="580C9E9AFFABFFB07A455176FB3C8A5B" box="[1130,1183,359,383]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">1693</specimenCode>
coll.
<collectorName id="A55F5337FFABFFB07AF75179FA3B8A5B" box="[1240,1432,359,383]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">Venu Govindappa</collectorName>
,
<collectorName id="A55F5337FFABFFB07EB8519AFEBA8A87" box="[151,281,395,419]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">Balakrishna</collectorName>
,
<collectorName id="A55F5337FFABFFB07F0B519AFE678A87" box="[292,452,395,419]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">Chandrasekhar</collectorName>
and
<collectorName id="A55F5337FFABFFB07FD6519AFDE68A87" box="[505,581,395,419]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">Mohan</collectorName>
on
<date id="7C141021FFABFFB07C41519DFD5A8A80" box="[622,761,394,420]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" value="2020-12-09">
<collectingDate id="6C50E9C9FFABFFB07C41519DFD5A8A80" box="[622,761,394,420]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" value="2020-12-09">
9
<superScript id="FFDF9BA9FFABFFB07C54519BFD248ABC" attach="left" box="[635,647,394,408]" fontSize="6" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">th</superScript>
Dec. 2020
</collectingDate>
</date>
from
<collectedFrom id="BBB6751CFFABFFB07D14519AFBD68A87" box="[827,1141,395,419]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">Ananthagiri coffee plantation</collectedFrom>
(
<geoCoordinate id="6D9E5026FFABFFB07AAB519DFB4F8A82" box="[1156,1260,396,422]" direction="north" orientation="latitude" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" value="18.257">18.257⁰N</geoCoordinate>
,
<geoCoordinate id="6D9E5026FFABFFB07AD7519DFAFE8A82" box="[1272,1373,396,422]" direction="east" orientation="longitude" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" value="82.989">82.989⁰E</geoCoordinate>
;
<elevation id="8387D1D2FFABFFB07B47519DFF718AE3" metricMagnitude="3" metricUnit="m" metricValue="1.18" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" unit="m" value="1180.0">
<quantity id="CF529B04FFABFFB07B47519DFF0F8AE3" metricMagnitude="3" metricUnit="m" metricValue="1.18" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" unit="m" value="1180.0">1180 m</quantity>
asl
</elevation>
) in
<location id="0D75603AFFABFFB07ED451BEFE508AE3" LSID="urn:lsid:plazi:treatment:800387F7FFABFFB27EB8510CFED48D9F:0D75603AFFABFFB07ED451BEFE508AE3" box="[251,499,431,455]" country="India" name="Visakhapatnam district" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" stateProvince="Andhra Pradesh">Visakhapatnam district</location>
,
<collectingRegion id="CA6EF803FFABFFB07FD351BEFD0A8AE3" box="[508,681,431,455]" country="India" name="Andhra Pradesh" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">Andhra Pradesh</collectingRegion>
,
<collectingCountry id="70BD7671FFABFFB07C9B51BEFD4D8AE3" box="[692,750,431,455]" name="India" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">India</collectingCountry>
</materialsCitation>
.
</paragraph>
</subSubSection>
<caption id="5CD56669FFABFFB07EB85701FA338C68" ID-DOI="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10821430" ID-Zenodo-Dep="10821430" httpUri="https://zenodo.org/record/10821430/files/figure.png" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" startId="1.[151,250,1808,1832]" targetBox="[292,1296,479,1783]" targetPageId="1" targetType="figure">
<paragraph id="081536E1FFABFFB07EB85701FA338C68" blockId="1.[151,1437,1808,1868]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFABFFB07EB85701FEB68C0C" bold="true" box="[151,277,1808,1832]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">FIGURE 1.</emphasis>
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFABFFB07F315701FE4C8C0C" authorityName="Beddome" authorityYear="1870" box="[286,495,1808,1832]" class="Squamata" family="Scincidae" genus="Sepsophis" higherTaxonomySource="CoL" kingdom="Animalia" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="punctatus">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFABFFB07F315701FE4C8C0C" box="[286,495,1808,1832]" italics="true" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">Sepsophis punctatus</emphasis>
</taxonomicName>
collage showing (a) hand-drawn illustration reproduced from
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFABFFB07A575701FA938C0C" author="Boulenger, G. A." box="[1144,1328,1808,1832]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" refId="ref2876" refString="Boulenger, G. A. (1887) Catalogue of the lizards in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) III. Lacertidae, Gerrhosauridae, Scincidae, Anelytropsidae, Dibamidae, Chamaeleontidae. Printed by order of the Trustees, London, 575 pp." type="book" year="1887">Boulenger (1887)</bibRefCitation>
, (b) entire dorsolateral, (c) entire ventral, (d) left and (e) right lateral views of the holotype. Photos: Patrick Campbell and Gernot Vogel.
</paragraph>
</caption>
<subSubSection id="40B0656AFFABFFB27EE85789FED48D9F" lastPageId="3" lastPageNumber="399" pageId="1" pageNumber="397" type="description">
<paragraph id="081536E1FFABFFB37EE85789FB4589CB" blockId="1.[151,1436,1944,2040]" lastBlockId="2.[151,1437,151,751]" lastPageId="2" lastPageNumber="398" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFABFFB07EE85789FDB38C94" bold="true" box="[199,528,1944,1968]" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">Description and Variation.—</emphasis>
Body elongate, with tiny vestigial limb spurs with digits; head as wide as body; neck not distinct; tympanic hole partially covered by lateral body scales; snout rounded; body fairly cylindrical.
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFABFFB07AD457ADFF5E8CDC" italics="true" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFABFFB07AD457ADFF468CD3" bold="true" italics="true" pageId="1" pageNumber="397">Measurements in mm.</emphasis>
—
</emphasis>
head length 4.5–8.2; head width 4.2–6.3; head depth 3.1–5.1; body width 4.2–6.9; eye diameter 0.4–0.7; eyetympanum distance 3.2–4.5; inter-narial distance 1.4–2.2; inter-orbital distance 3.1–4.6; eye-snout distance 2.8–4.2; eye-nostril distance 2.0–3.0; snout to vent length 75.0–173.0; tail length 21.0–73.0; total body length 146.0–194.0.
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA8FFB37EB850CEFE838BD3" bold="true" box="[151,288,223,247]" italics="true" pageId="2" pageNumber="398">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA8FFB37EB850CEFEA78BD3" box="[151,260,223,247]" inLineHeading="true" pageId="2" pageNumber="398" reason="1">Scalation.</emphasis>
—
</emphasis>
Overall smooth and glossy, mid-body scale rows across trunk 20; mid-ventral scales along trunk from mental to cloacal region 100–112; mid-dorsal scales along vertebral region from parietal to sacral region 92–116; subcaudal scales (on complete tail, n=3) from posterior to cloaca to tail tip: 101–127; mental and genials somewhat large; ventral scales not quite discernibly larger than coastals, including ultimate row; rostral scarcely visible from above, broader than long; preocular 1; presubocular 1; postocular 1; postsubocular 1; supraoculars 4; supraciliaries 4; loreal 2 on each side of head; azygous frontonasal; prefrontals fused with one another at midline contact; frontonasals separate, overlapping at midline contact; prefrontals fused at midline contact; parietals crescent-shaped, in midline contact with one another; interparietals situated more anteriorly, than parietals; nuchals 2 pairs, smaller than and parallel to parietals; supralabials 6/6, 4
<superScript id="FFDF9BA9FFA8FFB37B0251CBFA9A8ACC" attach="left" box="[1325,1337,474,488]" fontSize="6" pageId="2" pageNumber="398">th</superScript>
touching subocular; infralabials 5/5.
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA8FFB37F9551EEFDFD8933" box="[442,606,511,535]" italics="true" pageId="2" pageNumber="398">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA8FFB37F9551EEFDE58933" bold="true" box="[442,582,511,535]" italics="true" pageId="2" pageNumber="398">Colouration.</emphasis>
—
</emphasis>
Dorsum sandy brown to slaty grey, with a pair of 10–15 large spots 2–3 scales big covering the first one third of the entire body, continuing further down as a pair of paravertebral black stripes formed by linear series of far more smaller and finer spots, continuing on to tail as multiple parallel spot-stripes; circumorbital scales black; lateral body scales black occasionally with some lighter brown spots and speckles; ventrolateral series of dirty white stripes formed by series of spots on each scale; venter progressively lighter culminating in a thin narrow strip of unpatterned white linear wash flanked on both sides by series of black dotted lines that get bigger and bolder in post cloacal region, along the subcaudals; tail end with black dirty random wash both dorsally and ventrally.
</paragraph>
<caption id="5CD56669FFA8FFB37EB857C1FAD48CCC" ID-DOI="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10821434" ID-Zenodo-Dep="10821434" box="[151,1399,2000,2024]" httpUri="https://zenodo.org/record/10821434/files/figure.png" pageId="2" pageNumber="398" startId="2.[151,250,2000,2024]" targetBox="[283,1305,776,1977]" targetPageId="2" targetType="figure">
<paragraph id="081536E1FFA8FFB37EB857C1FAD48CCC" blockId="2.[151,1399,2000,2024]" box="[151,1399,2000,2024]" pageId="2" pageNumber="398">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA8FFB37EB857C1FEB08CCC" bold="true" box="[151,275,2000,2024]" pageId="2" pageNumber="398">FIGURE 2.</emphasis>
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFA8FFB37F3657C1FE4B8CCC" authorityName="Beddome" authorityYear="1870" box="[281,488,2000,2024]" class="Squamata" family="Scincidae" genus="Sepsophis" kingdom="Animalia" pageId="2" pageNumber="398" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="punctatus">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA8FFB37F3657C1FE4B8CCC" box="[281,488,2000,2024]" italics="true" pageId="2" pageNumber="398">Sepsophis punctatus</emphasis>
</taxonomicName>
recently collected BUB specimens (a-d) in life and (e-g) in preservation at the laboratory.
</paragraph>
</caption>
<paragraph id="081536E1FFA9FFB27EE85086FDFB8AAC" blockId="3.[151,1437,151,1723]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27EE85086FE0B8B8B" bold="true" box="[199,424,151,175]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27EE85086FE018B8B" box="[199,418,151,175]" inLineHeading="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" reason="1">Field observations.</emphasis>
-
</emphasis>
The specimens were found under rocks and fallen logs in well-shaded areas under the canopy cover within coffee plantations. They were seen resting underneath in a coiled position during the daytime. Upon detection, they started to move away and tried slithering under the nearby rocks or other such objects for cover, indicating their fossorial habits. Other (semi-)fossorial or rock/log-dwelling vertebrates sighted in syntyopy with this species include the elusive ground geckoes
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFA9FFB27FE85136FC058A64" authority="(Beddome, 1870)" baseAuthorityName="Beddome" baseAuthorityYear="1870" box="[455,934,295,320]" class="Squamata" family="Gekkonidae" genus="Cyrtodactylus" kingdom="Animalia" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="jeyporensis">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27FE85136FD7E8A1B" box="[455,733,295,319]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">Cyrtodactylus jeyporensis</emphasis>
(
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27CC15136FC3D8A64" author="Beddome, R. H." box="[750,926,295,320]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="169 - 176" refId="ref2845" refString="Beddome, R. H. (1870) Descriptions of new reptiles from the Madras Presidency. Madras Monthly Journal of Medical Science, 2, 169 - 176." type="journal article" year="1870">Beddome, 1870</bibRefCitation>
)
</taxonomicName>
,
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFA9FFB27D9D5139FAA58A64" authority="(Beddome, 1870)" baseAuthorityName="Beddome" baseAuthorityYear="1870" box="[946,1286,295,320]" class="Squamata" family="Gekkonidae" genus="Cyrtodactylus" kingdom="Animalia" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="nebulosus">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27D9D5139FB9C8A1B" box="[946,1087,295,319]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">C. nebulosus</emphasis>
(
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27A615136FB5D8A64" author="Beddome, R. H." box="[1102,1278,295,320]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="169 - 176" refId="ref2845" refString="Beddome, R. H. (1870) Descriptions of new reptiles from the Madras Presidency. Madras Monthly Journal of Medical Science, 2, 169 - 176." type="journal article" year="1870">Beddome, 1870</bibRefCitation>
)
</taxonomicName>
, the uropeltid snake
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFA9FFB27EF4515AFD968A47" authority="(Gray, 1858)" baseAuthorityName="Gray" baseAuthorityYear="1858" box="[219,565,331,356]" class="Squamata" family="Uropeltidae" genus="Uropeltis" isUncertain="true" kingdom="Animalia" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="ellioti">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27EF4515AFE9C8A47" box="[219,319,331,355]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">Uropeltis</emphasis>
cf.
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27F47515AFE058A47" box="[360,422,331,355]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">ellioti</emphasis>
(Gray, 1858)
</taxonomicName>
and the recently described caecilian
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFA9FFB27DEF515AFDF78AAC" authority="Agarwal, Wilkinson, Mohapatra, Dutta, Giri, and Gower, 2013" authorityName="Agarwal, Wilkinson, Mohapatra, Dutta, Giri, and Gower" authorityYear="2013" class="Amphibia" family="Indotyphlidae" genus="Gegeneophis" kingdom="Animalia" order="Gymnophiona" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="orientalis">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27DEF515AFB1B8A47" box="[960,1208,331,355]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">Gegeneophis orientalis</emphasis>
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27A90515AFDF78AAC" author="Agarwal, I. &amp; Wilkinson, M. &amp; Mohapatra, P. P. &amp; Dutta, S. K. &amp; Giri, V. B. &amp; Gower, D. J." pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="534 - 546" refId="ref2757" refString="Agarwal, I., Wilkinson, M., Mohapatra, P. P., Dutta, S. K., Giri, V. B. &amp; Gower, D. J. (2013) The first teresomatan caecilian (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) from the Eastern Ghats of India - a new species of Gegeneophis Peters, 1880. Zootaxa, 3693 (4), 534 - 546. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3693.4.7" type="journal article" year="2013">Agarwal, Wilkinson, Mohapatra, Dutta, Giri, and Gower, 2013</bibRefCitation>
</taxonomicName>
.
</paragraph>
<paragraph id="081536E1FFA9FFB27EE85182FE148813" blockId="3.[151,1437,151,1723]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">
The morphology of our specimens is consistent with that reported for this species (
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27A175182FB438A88" author="Beddome, R. H." box="[1080,1248,403,428]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="169 - 176" refId="ref2845" refString="Beddome, R. H. (1870) Descriptions of new reptiles from the Madras Presidency. Madras Monthly Journal of Medical Science, 2, 169 - 176." type="journal article" year="1870">Beddome 1870</bibRefCitation>
;
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27AC55182FA3B8A88" author="Boulenger, G. A." box="[1258,1432,403,428]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" refId="ref2876" refString="Boulenger, G. A. (1887) Catalogue of the lizards in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) III. Lacertidae, Gerrhosauridae, Scincidae, Anelytropsidae, Dibamidae, Chamaeleontidae. Printed by order of the Trustees, London, 575 pp." type="book" year="1887">Boulenger 1887</bibRefCitation>
,
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27EB851A9FF738AF4" author="Boulenger, G. A." box="[151,208,440,464]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="225 - 226" refId="ref2925" refString="Boulenger, G. A. (1890) n. k. In: Fauna of British India Including Ceylon and Burma, Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 225 - 226. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 100797" type="book chapter" year="1890">1890</bibRefCitation>
;
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27EF551A9FE678AF4" author="Datta-Roy, A. &amp; Mohapatra, P. P. &amp; Dutta, S. K. &amp; Giri, V. B. &amp; Veerappan, D. &amp; Maddock, S. T. &amp; Raj, P. &amp; Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P." box="[218,452,439,464]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="55 - 62" refId="ref3060" refString="Datta-Roy, A., Mohapatra, P. P., Dutta, S. K., Giri, V. B., Veerappan, D., Maddock, S. T., Raj, P., Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P. (2013) A long-lost relic from the Eastern Ghats: Morphology, distribution and habitat of Sepsophis punctatus Beddome, 1870 (Squamata: Scincidae). Zootaxa, 3670 (1), 55 - 62. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3670.1.4" type="journal article" year="2013">
Datta-Roy
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27F6051A9FE268AEB" box="[335,389,439,463]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">et al.</emphasis>
2013
</bibRefCitation>
). The largest specimen reported by
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27D1351A9FB978AF4" author="Datta-Roy, A. &amp; Mohapatra, P. P. &amp; Dutta, S. K. &amp; Giri, V. B. &amp; Veerappan, D. &amp; Maddock, S. T. &amp; Raj, P. &amp; Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P." box="[828,1076,439,464]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="55 - 62" refId="ref3060" refString="Datta-Roy, A., Mohapatra, P. P., Dutta, S. K., Giri, V. B., Veerappan, D., Maddock, S. T., Raj, P., Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P. (2013) A long-lost relic from the Eastern Ghats: Morphology, distribution and habitat of Sepsophis punctatus Beddome, 1870 (Squamata: Scincidae). Zootaxa, 3670 (1), 55 - 62. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3670.1.4" type="journal article" year="2013">
Datta-Roy
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27D9D51A9FC448AEB" box="[946,999,439,463]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">et al.</emphasis>
(2013)
</bibRefCitation>
was CES09/984 measuring
<quantity id="CF529B04FFA9FFB27B4F51A9FF638AD7" metricMagnitude="-1" metricUnit="m" metricValue="1.9809999999999999" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" unit="mm" value="198.1">198.1 mm</quantity>
in total (
<quantity id="CF529B04FFA9FFB27F0B51CAFE318AD7" box="[292,402,475,499]" metricMagnitude="-1" metricUnit="m" metricValue="1.364" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" unit="mm" value="136.4">136.4 mm</quantity>
snout-to-vent and a tail
<quantity id="CF529B04FFA9FFB27CB351CAFD588AD7" box="[668,763,475,499]" metricMagnitude="-2" metricUnit="m" metricValue="6.17" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" unit="mm" value="61.7">61.7 mm</quantity>
long), fairly comparable to our BUB 1651A that is 194.0 mm in total length.
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27F1651EEFE4E893C" author="Beddome, R. H." box="[313,493,511,536]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="169 - 176" refId="ref2845" refString="Beddome, R. H. (1870) Descriptions of new reptiles from the Madras Presidency. Madras Monthly Journal of Medical Science, 2, 169 - 176." type="journal article" year="1870">Beddome (1870)</bibRefCitation>
stated the
<typeStatus id="D7118843FFA9FFB27C4F51EEFD1E8933" box="[608,701,511,535]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" type="holotype">holotype</typeStatus>
to be nearly
<quantity id="CF529B04FFA9FFB27D6651EEFC028933" box="[841,929,511,535]" metricMagnitude="-1" metricUnit="m" metricValue="1.524" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" unit="in" value="6.0">6 inches</quantity>
i.e.
<quantity id="CF529B04FFA9FFB27DE051EEFB888933" box="[975,1067,511,535]" metricMagnitude="-1" metricUnit="m" metricValue="1.52" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" unit="mm" value="152.0">152 mm</quantity>
. However,
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27A8C5211FA3E893C" author="Datta-Roy, A. &amp; Mohapatra, P. P. &amp; Dutta, S. K. &amp; Giri, V. B. &amp; Veerappan, D. &amp; Maddock, S. T. &amp; Raj, P. &amp; Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P." box="[1187,1437,511,536]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="55 - 62" refId="ref3060" refString="Datta-Roy, A., Mohapatra, P. P., Dutta, S. K., Giri, V. B., Veerappan, D., Maddock, S. T., Raj, P., Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P. (2013) A long-lost relic from the Eastern Ghats: Morphology, distribution and habitat of Sepsophis punctatus Beddome, 1870 (Squamata: Scincidae). Zootaxa, 3670 (1), 55 - 62. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3670.1.4" type="journal article" year="2013">
Datta-Roy
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27B365211FAEC8933" box="[1305,1359,511,535]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">et al.</emphasis>
(2013)
</bibRefCitation>
in their redescription gave the holotype’s snout-to-vent length as 102.0 mm.
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27DCF5232FB3C8918" author="Boulenger, G. A." box="[992,1183,547,572]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" refId="ref2876" refString="Boulenger, G. A. (1887) Catalogue of the lizards in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) III. Lacertidae, Gerrhosauridae, Scincidae, Anelytropsidae, Dibamidae, Chamaeleontidae. Printed by order of the Trustees, London, 575 pp." type="book" year="1887">Boulenger (1887)</bibRefCitation>
stated that value as up to
<quantity id="CF529B04FFA9FFB27E9B5259FEAF897B" box="[180,268,584,608]" metricMagnitude="-1" metricUnit="m" metricValue="1.1" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" unit="mm" value="110.0">110 mm</quantity>
that more or less tallies with an historical non-type BMNH 82.5.22.156 that is 112.0 mm (
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27AC35259FF7289A0" author="Datta-Roy, A. &amp; Mohapatra, P. P. &amp; Dutta, S. K. &amp; Giri, V. B. &amp; Veerappan, D. &amp; Maddock, S. T. &amp; Raj, P. &amp; Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P." pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="55 - 62" refId="ref3060" refString="Datta-Roy, A., Mohapatra, P. P., Dutta, S. K., Giri, V. B., Veerappan, D., Maddock, S. T., Raj, P., Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P. (2013) A long-lost relic from the Eastern Ghats: Morphology, distribution and habitat of Sepsophis punctatus Beddome, 1870 (Squamata: Scincidae). Zootaxa, 3670 (1), 55 - 62. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3670.1.4" type="journal article" year="2013">
Datta-Roy
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27B4A5259FA3E897B" box="[1381,1437,583,607]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">et al.</emphasis>
2013
</bibRefCitation>
).
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27ECA527DFE4789A0" author="Datta-Roy, A. &amp; Mohapatra, P. P. &amp; Dutta, S. K. &amp; Giri, V. B. &amp; Veerappan, D. &amp; Maddock, S. T. &amp; Raj, P. &amp; Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P." box="[229,484,619,644]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="55 - 62" refId="ref3060" refString="Datta-Roy, A., Mohapatra, P. P., Dutta, S. K., Giri, V. B., Veerappan, D., Maddock, S. T., Raj, P., Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P. (2013) A long-lost relic from the Eastern Ghats: Morphology, distribution and habitat of Sepsophis punctatus Beddome, 1870 (Squamata: Scincidae). Zootaxa, 3670 (1), 55 - 62. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3670.1.4" type="journal article" year="2013">
Datta-Roy
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27F73527DFE3789A7" box="[348,404,619,643]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">et al.</emphasis>
(2013)
</bibRefCitation>
remarked that
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27CA6527AFCEB89A0" author="Boulenger, G. A." box="[649,840,619,644]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="225 - 226" refId="ref2925" refString="Boulenger, G. A. (1890) n. k. In: Fauna of British India Including Ceylon and Burma, Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 225 - 226. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 100797" type="book chapter" year="1890">Boulenger (1890)</bibRefCitation>
used only the locality data of the non-types but didn’t quite furnish morphological features. But our comparison of length values and the midbody scale row count 20 (vs.
<quantity id="CF529B04FFA9FFB27B495281FA3F8983" box="[1382,1436,655,680]" metricMagnitude="-1" metricUnit="m" metricValue="5.588" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" unit="in" value="22.0">22 in</quantity>
<typeStatus id="D7118843FFA9FFB27EB852A2FF5789EF" box="[151,244,691,715]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" type="holotype">holotype</typeStatus>
fide
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27F0252A2FE7089E8" author="Beddome, R. H." box="[301,467,691,716]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="169 - 176" refId="ref2845" refString="Beddome, R. H. (1870) Descriptions of new reptiles from the Madras Presidency. Madras Monthly Journal of Medical Science, 2, 169 - 176." type="journal article" year="1870">Beddome 1870</bibRefCitation>
;
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27FF152A5FD6A89E8" author="Datta-Roy, A. &amp; Mohapatra, P. P. &amp; Dutta, S. K. &amp; Giri, V. B. &amp; Veerappan, D. &amp; Maddock, S. T. &amp; Raj, P. &amp; Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P." box="[478,713,691,716]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="55 - 62" refId="ref3060" refString="Datta-Roy, A., Mohapatra, P. P., Dutta, S. K., Giri, V. B., Veerappan, D., Maddock, S. T., Raj, P., Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P. (2013) A long-lost relic from the Eastern Ghats: Morphology, distribution and habitat of Sepsophis punctatus Beddome, 1870 (Squamata: Scincidae). Zootaxa, 3670 (1), 55 - 62. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3670.1.4" type="journal article" year="2013">
Datta-Roy
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27C7A52A5FD2889EF" box="[597,651,691,715]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">et al.</emphasis>
2013
</bibRefCitation>
) given by
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27D1352A2FC5789E8" author="Boulenger, G. A." box="[828,1012,691,716]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" refId="ref2876" refString="Boulenger, G. A. (1887) Catalogue of the lizards in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) III. Lacertidae, Gerrhosauridae, Scincidae, Anelytropsidae, Dibamidae, Chamaeleontidae. Printed by order of the Trustees, London, 575 pp." type="book" year="1887">Boulenger (1887</bibRefCitation>
,
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27DD052A5FB9589E8" author="Boulenger, G. A." box="[1023,1078,692,716]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="225 - 226" refId="ref2925" refString="Boulenger, G. A. (1890) n. k. In: Fauna of British India Including Ceylon and Burma, Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 225 - 226. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 100797" type="book chapter" year="1890">1890</bibRefCitation>
) indicate that the non-types were featured in Boulenger’s work. Yet we concur in part with
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27D2B52C9FC5C89D4" author="Datta-Roy, A. &amp; Mohapatra, P. P. &amp; Dutta, S. K. &amp; Giri, V. B. &amp; Veerappan, D. &amp; Maddock, S. T. &amp; Raj, P. &amp; Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P." box="[772,1023,727,752]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="55 - 62" refId="ref3060" refString="Datta-Roy, A., Mohapatra, P. P., Dutta, S. K., Giri, V. B., Veerappan, D., Maddock, S. T., Raj, P., Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P. (2013) A long-lost relic from the Eastern Ghats: Morphology, distribution and habitat of Sepsophis punctatus Beddome, 1870 (Squamata: Scincidae). Zootaxa, 3670 (1), 55 - 62. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3670.1.4" type="journal article" year="2013">
Datta-Roy
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27D5552C9FC1389CB" box="[890,944,727,751]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">et al.</emphasis>
(2013)
</bibRefCitation>
in that for such an uncommon species like
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFA9FFB27EE652EAFE058837" authorityName="Beddome" authorityYear="1870" box="[201,422,763,787]" class="Squamata" family="Scincidae" genus="Sepsophis" kingdom="Animalia" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="punctatus">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27EE652EAFE058837" box="[201,422,763,787]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">Sepsophis punctatus</emphasis>
</taxonomicName>
these two non-types were not described in full or in a separate treatment by their collector Beddome or by Boulenger.
</paragraph>
<paragraph id="081536E1FFA9FFB27EE85355FC5F8FC3" blockId="3.[151,1437,151,1723]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">
We encountered this species in December, whereas those reported earlier from
<collectingRegion id="CA6EF803FFA9FFB27A395352FBC1887F" box="[1046,1122,835,859]" country="India" name="Odisha" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">Odisha</collectingRegion>
were collected between May and October and those from
<collectingRegion id="CA6EF803FFA9FFB27FE25376FDDA885B" box="[461,633,871,895]" country="India" name="Andhra Pradesh" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">Andhra Pradesh</collectingRegion>
were collected in October (
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27D885379FB3A88A4" author="Datta-Roy, A. &amp; Mohapatra, P. P. &amp; Dutta, S. K. &amp; Giri, V. B. &amp; Veerappan, D. &amp; Maddock, S. T. &amp; Raj, P. &amp; Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P." box="[935,1177,871,896]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="55 - 62" refId="ref3060" refString="Datta-Roy, A., Mohapatra, P. P., Dutta, S. K., Giri, V. B., Veerappan, D., Maddock, S. T., Raj, P., Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P. (2013) A long-lost relic from the Eastern Ghats: Morphology, distribution and habitat of Sepsophis punctatus Beddome, 1870 (Squamata: Scincidae). Zootaxa, 3670 (1), 55 - 62. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3670.1.4" type="journal article" year="2013">
Datta-Roy
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27A0F5379FBF4885B" box="[1056,1111,871,895]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">et al.</emphasis>
2013
</bibRefCitation>
). This perhaps indicates that October-December may be a congenial season for finding
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFA9FFB27D78539DFC7D8887" authorityName="Beddome" authorityYear="1870" box="[855,990,908,931]" class="Squamata" family="Scincidae" genus="Sepsophis" kingdom="Animalia" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="punctatus">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27D78539DFC7D8887" box="[855,990,908,931]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">S. punctatus</emphasis>
</taxonomicName>
. We hypothesize so, since the northeast monsoon rains and colder weather conditions may presumably cause fossorial reptiles to be at the upper substrata of the ground. We state this with a caveat that continued sampling at other times of year, especially at peak south-west monsoon (July-August) is also necessary to fully conclude so. To compare with the available data we revisit the
<typeStatus id="D7118843FFA9FFB27B2A53E9FA908F34" box="[1285,1331,1016,1040]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">type</typeStatus>
and non-type collection details. Using the skink’s length as a proxy for its age, the smallest (=youngest) specimen ever known (CES09/983) measuring
<quantity id="CF529B04FFA9FFB27F8B542EFDA78F73" box="[420,516,1087,1111]" metricMagnitude="-2" metricUnit="m" metricValue="6.01" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" unit="mm" value="60.1">60.1 mm</quantity>
snout-vent length is fairly comparable to an historical non-type BMNH 82.5.22.157 measuring 63.0 mm (fide
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27F885475FD338F58" author="Datta-Roy, A. &amp; Mohapatra, P. P. &amp; Dutta, S. K. &amp; Giri, V. B. &amp; Veerappan, D. &amp; Maddock, S. T. &amp; Raj, P. &amp; Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P." box="[423,656,1123,1148]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="55 - 62" refId="ref3060" refString="Datta-Roy, A., Mohapatra, P. P., Dutta, S. K., Giri, V. B., Veerappan, D., Maddock, S. T., Raj, P., Agarwal, I. &amp; Karanth, P. (2013) A long-lost relic from the Eastern Ghats: Morphology, distribution and habitat of Sepsophis punctatus Beddome, 1870 (Squamata: Scincidae). Zootaxa, 3670 (1), 55 - 62. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3670.1.4" type="journal article" year="2013">
Datta-Roy
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27C335475FDF28F5F" box="[540,593,1123,1147]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">et al.</emphasis>
2013
</bibRefCitation>
). In our case, the smallest (=youngest) one measured 75.0 mm SVL (BUB 1692), well within the known range. It is not known, whether skinks with
<quantity id="CF529B04FFA9FFB27DEB5496FBB38FBB" box="[964,1040,1159,1183]" metricMagnitude="-2" metricUnit="m" metricValue="6.0" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" unit="mm" value="60.0">60 mm</quantity>
snout-vent length were subadults or adults. Hence, nothing is known for sure regarding its breeding or young ones. No new information could be fetched by us during this work on these lines. We recommend further studies on this species.
</paragraph>
<paragraph id="081536E1FFA9FFB27EE854E5FED48D9F" blockId="3.[151,1437,151,1723]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">
In
<collectingRegion id="CA6EF803FFA9FFB27ECD54E2FE2C8E2F" box="[226,399,1267,1291]" country="India" name="Andhra Pradesh" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">Andhra Pradesh</collectingRegion>
,
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFA9FFB27FB654E5FDBF8E2F" authorityName="Beddome" authorityYear="1870" box="[409,540,1268,1291]" class="Squamata" family="Scincidae" genus="Sepsophis" kingdom="Animalia" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="punctatus">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27FB654E5FDBF8E2F" box="[409,540,1268,1291]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">S. punctatus</emphasis>
</taxonomicName>
presently does not occur in any protected areas. The only one there in this landscape (Papikonda National Park) is located adjacent to the possible range of
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFA9FFB27D545509FC5E8E0B" authorityName="Beddome" authorityYear="1870" box="[891,1021,1304,1327]" class="Squamata" family="Scincidae" genus="Sepsophis" kingdom="Animalia" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="punctatus">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27D545509FC5E8E0B" box="[891,1021,1304,1327]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">S. punctatus</emphasis>
</taxonomicName>
. Previous researches have made it very clear that the Visakhapatnam hills have rare, endemic and threatened flora (
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27DED552DFB8D8E70" author="Rao, G. S." box="[962,1070,1340,1364]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="122 - 126" refId="ref3369" refString="Rao, G. S. (1977) Flora of Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh. Nelumbo, 19 (1 - 4), 122 - 126." type="journal article" year="1977">Rao 1977</bibRefCitation>
;
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27A15552AFB5E8E77" author="Reddy, C. S. &amp; Brahmam, M. &amp; Raju, V. S." box="[1082,1277,1339,1363]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="755 - 772" refId="ref3399" refString="Reddy, C. S., Brahmam, M. &amp; Raju, V. S. (2006) Conservation prioritization of endemic plants of Eastern Ghats, India. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany, 30 (4), 755 - 772." type="journal article" year="2006">
Reddy
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27AA8552DFB1D8E77" box="[1159,1214,1339,1363]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">et al.</emphasis>
2006
</bibRefCitation>
,
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27B27552DFAE28E70" author="Reddy, C. S. &amp; Prachi, U. &amp; Sudhakar, S." box="[1288,1345,1340,1364]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="209 - 215" refId="ref3447" refString="Reddy, C. S., Prachi, U. &amp; Sudhakar, S. (2008) Structure and composition of Tropical forest of Eastern Ghats: A case study in R. V. Nagar Range, Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Proceedings of the National Seminar on Conservation of Eastern Ghats, EPTRI, Hyderabad, 2008, 209 - 215." type="journal article" year="2008">2008</bibRefCitation>
; Murthy
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27EB85571FF6D8E53" box="[151,206,1375,1399]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">et al.</emphasis>
2011). It has been suggested that the region is undergoing quantitative and qualitative decline and degradation at a dangerously rapid rate (
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27F815592FDD48EB8" author="Reddy, C. S. &amp; Giriraj, A. &amp; Babar, S. &amp; Ugle, P. &amp; Sudhakar, S." box="[430,631,1411,1436]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="633 - 639" refId="ref3516" refString="Reddy, C. S., Giriraj, A., Babar, S., Ugle, P. &amp; Sudhakar, S. (2010) Assessment of fragmentation and disturbance patterns in Eastern Ghats: a case study in RV Nagar Range, Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing, 38, 633 - 639. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / s 12524 - 011 - 0077 - 3" type="journal article" year="2010">
Reddy
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27FD15595FD958EBF" box="[510,566,1411,1435]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">et al.</emphasis>
2010
</bibRefCitation>
;
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27CAD5592FC208EB8" author="Aditya, V. &amp; Ganesh, T." box="[642,899,1411,1436]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="790 - 800" refId="ref2642" refString="Aditya, V. &amp; Ganesh, T. (2019) Deciphering forest change: Linking satellite-based forest cover change and community perceptions in a threatened landscape in India. Ambio, 48 (7), 790 - 800. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / s 13280 - 018 - 1108 - x" type="journal article" year="2019">Aditya &amp; Ganesh 2019</bibRefCitation>
). As to the herpetofauna, many other rare, rangerestricted speciess such as the geckos
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFA9FFB27C0255B6FCE28E9B" baseAuthorityName="Beddome" baseAuthorityYear="1870" box="[557,833,1447,1471]" class="Squamata" family="Gekkonidae" genus="Cyrtodactylus" kingdom="Animalia" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="jeyporensis">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27C0255B6FCE28E9B" box="[557,833,1447,1471]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">Cyrtodactylus jeyporensis</emphasis>
</taxonomicName>
and
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFA9FFB27D5955B6FACC8EE4" authority="Mirza &amp; Gnaneshwar, 2022" authorityName="Mirza &amp; Gnaneshwar" authorityYear="2022" box="[886,1391,1447,1472]" class="Squamata" family="Eublepharidae" genus="Eublepharis" kingdom="Animalia" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="pictus">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27D5955B6FB9C8E9B" box="[886,1087,1447,1471]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">Eublepharis pictus</emphasis>
Mirza &amp; Gnaneshwar, 2022
</taxonomicName>
and the caecilian
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFA9FFB27F0E55DAFDBB8EC7" authorityName="Agarwal, Wilkinson, Mohapatra, Dutta, Giri, and Gower" authorityYear="2013" box="[289,536,1483,1507]" class="Amphibia" family="Indotyphlidae" genus="Gegeneophis" kingdom="Animalia" order="Gymnophiona" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="orientalis">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27F0E55DAFDBB8EC7" box="[289,536,1483,1507]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">Gegeneophis orientalis</emphasis>
</taxonomicName>
are also endemic to this landscape and collectively experience these anthropic threats that affect
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFA9FFB27F2355E1FE328D23" authorityName="Beddome" authorityYear="1870" box="[268,401,1520,1543]" class="Squamata" family="Scincidae" genus="Sepsophis" kingdom="Animalia" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="punctatus">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27F2355E1FE328D23" box="[268,401,1520,1543]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">S. punctatus</emphasis>
</taxonomicName>
(
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27F8F55FEFDDD8D2C" author="Agarwal, I. &amp; Datta-Roy, A. &amp; Bauer, A. M. &amp; Giri, V. B." box="[416,638,1519,1544]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="17 - 24" refId="ref2701" refString="Agarwal, I., Datta-Roy, A., Bauer, A. M. &amp; Giri, V. B. (2012) Rediscovery of Geckoella jeyporensis (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with notes on morphology, coloration and habitat. Hamadryad, 36 (1), 17 - 24." type="journal article" year="2012">
Agarwal
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27C2955E1FD9D8D23" box="[518,574,1519,1543]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">et al.</emphasis>
2012
</bibRefCitation>
, 2013; Mirza &amp; Gnaneshwar 2022). That apart, many of the above-listed lizards are also statutorily protected ones (Schedules I and II) as per the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (emended 2023). A specific gap analysis of Protected Areas in this landscape reports large gaps that endanger the threatened flora and fauna in this biodiverse and vulnerable landscape (
<bibRefCitation id="6C3B4B10FFA9FFB27CC4564AFCD68D50" author="Reddy, C. S. &amp; Giriraj, A. &amp; Babar, S. &amp; Ugle, P. &amp; Sudhakar, S." box="[747,885,1627,1652]" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" pagination="633 - 639" refId="ref3516" refString="Reddy, C. S., Giriraj, A., Babar, S., Ugle, P. &amp; Sudhakar, S. (2010) Assessment of fragmentation and disturbance patterns in Eastern Ghats: a case study in RV Nagar Range, Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing, 38, 633 - 639. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / s 12524 - 011 - 0077 - 3" type="journal article" year="2010">Reddy 2010</bibRefCitation>
). So we strongly recommend an urgent declaration of protection of the Visakhapatnam hill range that is crucial for the continued survival of rare and endemic species like
<taxonomicName id="CFAA4D62FFA9FFB27EB856B2FED28D9F" authorityName="Beddome" authorityYear="1870" box="[151,369,1699,1723]" class="Squamata" family="Scincidae" genus="Sepsophis" kingdom="Animalia" pageId="3" pageNumber="399" phylum="Chordata" rank="species" species="punctatus">
<emphasis id="3ADEEAF3FFA9FFB27EB856B2FED28D9F" box="[151,369,1699,1723]" italics="true" pageId="3" pageNumber="399">Sepsophis punctatus</emphasis>
</taxonomicName>
.
</paragraph>
</subSubSection>
</treatment>
</document>
Reference in a new issue View git blame Copy permalink