''Lycodon anamallensis'' , also known
commonly as the Russell's wolf Snake or southern Wolf snake is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of snake in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Colubridae
Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ever ...
. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...
.
Geographic range
''L. anamallensis'' is found in
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...
and
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.
[
]
Behavior and habitat
Like all members of its genus, ''L. anamallensis'' is a nocturnal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
that is commonly found in and around human habitations, apart from natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
. It is partly arboreal and feeds primarily on geckos, skinks, & other small animals. It is nonvenomous.
Reproduction
''L. anamallensis'' is oviparous
Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...
.[
]
Taxonomy
Previously, a population of this species, under the name ''Lycodon osmanhilli'', had been thought to be endemic to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, until 2018 when its nomenclature, classification, and distribution were resolved by S.R. Ganesh and G. Vogel.
Etymology
The specific name, ''osmanhilli'', is in honour of British anatomist William Charles Osman Hill
Dr William Charles Osman Hill FRSE FZS FLS FRAI (13 July 1901 – 25 January 1975) was a British anatomist, primatologist, and a leading authority on primate anatomy during the 20th century. He is best known for his nearly completed eight-vol ...
.[Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Lycodon osmanhilli'', p. 197).]
References
Further reading
* Boulenger GA (1893). ''Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I. Containing the Families ... Colubridæ Aglyphæ, part.'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I-XXVIII. (''Lycodon anamallensis'', pp. 351-352 + Plate XXIV, figure 1).
*Ganesh, Sumaithangi Rajagopalan; Vogel, Gernot (2018). "Taxonomic reassessment of the Common Indian Wolf Snakes ''Lycodon aulicus'' (Linnaeus, 1758) complex (Squamata: Serpentes: Colubridae)". ''Bonn zoological Bulletin'' 67 (1): 25–36.
* Günther ACLG (1864). ''The Reptiles of British India''. London: The Ray Society. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xxvii + 452 pp. + Plates I-XXVI. (''Lycodon anamallensis'', new species, p. 318–319).
* Taylor EH (1950). "The Snakes of Ceylon". ''University of Kansas Science Bulletin'' 33 (14): 519–603. (''Lycodon osmanhilli'', new species, pp. 562–565, Plate XX).
*Latest study on this species:
https://doi.org/10.3897/vz.71.e64345
osmanhilli
Snakes of Asia
Reptiles of India
Reptiles of Sri Lanka
Reptiles described in 1864
Taxa named by Albert Günther
Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN
{{Colubrids-stub