Plectrurus
Encyclopedia
- Common names: (none).
Plectrurus is a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of non-venomous shield tail snakes found in southern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Currently, 4 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
are recognized.
Species
| Species | Taxon author | Common name | Geographic range |
|---|---|---|---|
| P. aureus Plectrurus aureus Kerala Shieldtail Plectrurus aureus is a species of snake found in the Western Ghats.Distribution:SW IndiaType locality: Chambra mountain in Wynad, near Kalpatty - one under an old rotten log at 6,000 feet elevation, the other under a large stone at 4,500 feet, both in heavy evergreen forest".... |
Beddome Richard Henry Beddome Colonel Richard Henry Beddome was a British military officer in India, chief conservator of the Madras Forest Department and a naturalist... , 1880 |
Kerala shieldtail | Southern India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... in the Western Ghats Western Ghats The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan... : Chambra Hill, Malabar. |
| P. canaricus Plectrurus canaricus Kanara Shieldtail Plectrurus canaricus is a species of snake.Distribution:S IndiaType locality: "South Canara, [..] on the top of the Kudra Mukh, a mountain 6000 feet high"... |
(Beddome, 1870) | Kanara shieldtail | Southern India in the Western Ghats: South Canara Dakshina Kannada - Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have... , Mysore (Kundramukh, Karnataka Karnataka Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava... ). |
| P. guentheri Plectrurus guentheri Günther's Burrowing Snake is a species of uropeltid snake found in the Western Ghats of India.-Description:Description provided by Beddome : "Scales of the neck in 17 rows; anterior portion of the trunk in 13 rows, of the rest of the body in 15 rows; head-shields as in P. Perrotteti, only the... |
Beddome, 1863 | Günther's burrowing snake | Southern India in the Western Ghats: Sispara Ghat on the west side of the Nilgiri Hills Nilgiris (mountains) The Nilgiri , often referred to as the Nilgiri Hills, are a range of mountains with at least 24 peaks above , in the westernmost part of Tamil Nadu state at the junction of Karnataka and Kerala states in Southern India... . |
| P. perrotetii Plectrurus perrotetii Perrotet's Shieldtail snake is a harmless snake found mainly in India. It is a small snake, growing to a maximum of 44 cm in length with a pointed head and blunt tail. It has smooth, glossy scales and is brown in colour... T |
A.H.A. Duméril Auguste Duméril Auguste Henri André Duméril was a French zoologist. He was professor of Herpetology and Ichthyology at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris from 1857. His father André Marie Constant Duméril was also a zoologist... , 1851 |
Perrotet's shieldtail snake | Southern India in the Western Ghats: Nilgiri Nilgiris (mountains) The Nilgiri , often referred to as the Nilgiri Hills, are a range of mountains with at least 24 peaks above , in the westernmost part of Tamil Nadu state at the junction of Karnataka and Kerala states in Southern India... and Anamalai Hills Anaimalai Hills The Anaimalai Hills is a range of mountains in the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of South India. The name "Anaimalai" derives from the Tamil word 'Ana' meaning elephant and 'Mala' meaning hill, thus Elephant Hill. The highest peak of the Anaimalai Hills is Anamudi, , located in the... . |
- ) Not including the nominate subspecies.
T) Type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
.