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Hypnale hypnale



Hypnale hypnale

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Crotalinae
Genus: Hypnale
Species: H. hypnale
Binomial name
Hypnale hypnale
(Merrem, 1820)
Synonyms
  • [Cophias] Hypnale - Merrem, 1820
  • Trigonoc[ephalus]. hypnale - Schlegel, 1837
  • Trimeresurus ? Ceylonensis - Gray, 1842
  • Trigonocephalus Zara - Gray, 1849
  • Trigonocephalus hypnalis - Blyth In Kelaart, 1852
  • Hypnale affinis - Anderson, 1871
  • Trimaculatus (?) Ceylonensis - Higgins, 1873
  • Ancistrodon hypnale - Boulenger, 1890
  • Ancistrodon millardi - Wall, 1908
  • [Agkistrodon] hypnale - Pope, 1935
  • [Agkistrodon] millardi - Pope, 1935
  • Agcistrodon hypnale - Deraniyagala, 1949
  • Hypnale hypnale - Gloyd, 1977[1]
Common names: hump-nosed viper,[2] Merrem's hump-nosed viper,[3] more.

Hypnale hypnale is a venomous pitviper species found in India and Sri Lanka.[1] No subspecies are currently recognized.[4]

Contents

Description

  Grows to an average of 30-45 cm in length.[2] The Armed Forces Pest Management Board states 0.4-0.6 m in length.[3]

Its build is that of a typical viperid with a stout body and a wide head. The snout is pointed and turned upwards,[2] ending in a hump.[3] The frontal and parietal shields are large, but those on the snout and small and irregular.[2]

The color pattern is grayish with heavy brown mottling, overlaid with a double row of large dark spots. The belly is brownish or yellowish with dark mottling. The tip of the tail is yellow or reddish.[2]

Common names

Hump-nosed viper,[2] Merrem's hump-nosed viper,[3] hump-nosed pit viper,[5] Oriental hump-nosed viper,[6] hump-nosed pitviper.[7]

Geographic range

Peninsular India to the Western Ghats as far north as 16° and Sri Lanka, according to M.A. Smith (1943). The type locality given is "Archipelago, Arabia, Aegypto." Schlegel (1837) proposed that the type locality be restricted to "Ceylon (Sri Lanka)."[1]

Habitat

Found in dense jungle and coffee plantations in hilly areas.[2]

Behavior

During the day it is often found coiled in bushes. It has an irritable disposition and will vibrate its tail when annoyed.[2] Described as nocturnal, terrestrial and aggressive when disturbed.[3]

Venom

Bites from this species are fairly frequent, but serious consequences have not been reported.[2] However, the venom can cause serious systemic effects that make victims feel ill for prolonged periods.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i U.S. Navy. 1991. Poisonous Snakes of the World. US Govt. New York: Dover Publications Inc. 203 pp. ISBN 0-486-26629-X.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Defense Pest Management Information Analysis Center. 2001. Regional Disease Vector Ecology Profile for South Central Asia. 219 pp. PDF at Armed Forces Pest Management Board. Accessed 17 November 2006.
  4. ^ Hypnale hypnale (TSN 634893). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 17 November 2006.
  5. ^ Brown JH. 1973. Toxicology and Pharmacology of Venoms from Poisonous Snakes. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas. 184 pp. LCCCN 73-229. ISBN 0-398-02808-7.
  6. ^ Parker HW, Grandison AGC. 1977. Snakes -- a natural history. Second Edition. British Museum (Natural History) and Cornell University Press. 108 pp. 16 plates. LCCCN 76-54625. ISBN 0-8014-1095-9 (cloth), ISBN 0-8014-9164-9 (paper).
  7. ^ Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S. 2004. Asian Pitvipers. GeitjeBooks Berlin. 1st Edition. 368 pp. ISBN 3-937975-00-4.

Further reading

  • Smith MA. 1943. The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, including the whole of the Indo-Chinese region. Vol. III. Serpentes. Taylor & Francis, London. xii + 583 pp., 1 map.
 
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Hypnale_hypnale". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.
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