Etymology
The specific name, ''baileyi'', is in honor of Frederick M. Bailey, a British people, British army officer and Exploration, explorer.Geographic range
''T. baileyi'' is found only at high altitudes on the Tibetan Plateau. The species is endemic to Tibet and was recorded for the first time in 1907 by Frank Wall (herpetologist), Wall near Gyantse, Gyantze at above sea level (no exact coordinates available).Frank Wall (herpetologist), Wall F (2007). "Some new Asian snakes". ''Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society'' 17 (3): 612–618 + three unnumbered plates. (''Tropidonotus baileyi'', new species, pp. 617–618 + second unnumbered plate, six views). In 1990 J. Robert Macey, Macey and Theodore Johnstone Papenfuss, Papenfuss reported the species from Yangbajain hot spring area. So far ''T. baileyi'' is known only from a few sites.Zhao E-m (1998). "''Thermophis baileyi'' ". pp. 318–320. ''In'': Zhao E-m et al. (1998). ''Fauna Sinica, Reptilia, vol. 3, Serpentes''. Beijing: Science Press. A comprehensive distribution map of ''T. baileyi'' was provided by Sylvia Hofmann, Hofmann et al. (2014), showing that the geographic range of the snake is a restricted area between the Transhimalaya and the Himalayas, Himalaya, along the central part of the Indus-Yarlung suture zone, Yarlung Zhangbo suture zone.Description
''Thermophis baileyi'' is olive green, with five series of indistinct spots Dorsum (anatomy), dorsally, most pronounced in the forebody. It has a dusky postocular streak, and dusky posterior edges to the Labial scale, labials. The belly is bluish-grey, with each Ventral scales, ventral black basally. The young are darker than adults. The dorsal scales are in 19 rows at midbody, all Keeled scales, keeled except the last row, with indistinct double apical facets. The ventrals number 201–221. The Anal scale, anal is divided. The Subcaudal scales, subcaudals number 91-111, mostly divided, but with a few entire. Adults may attain a total length (including tail) of .Conservation status
Bailey's snake is considered Near Threatened by IUCN. In the last decades, the growing exploitation of geothermal energy has led to a destruction of hot spring habitats, resulting in an increased threat to populations of hot-spring snakes.Taxonomy
The existence of Bailey's snake was first announced in the scientific literature in 1907, when it was described as a new species by Frank Wall. Wall originally classified it as ''Tropodinotus baileyi''. In 1953 Malnate referred to it as ''Tropidonotus (= Natrix) baileyi'', and realizing that Bailey's snake did not fit in the genus ''Natrix'', placed it in the new genus ''Thermophis'', designating ''T. baileyi'' as the type species.Habitat
Snakes of the genus ''Thermophis'' live probably at the highest altitude of any snakes in the world. The presence of ''T. baileyi'' is strongly attributable to hot springs with low sulphur concentration, locations in river valleys that provide rocky slopes and vegetated shorelines, and existence of a river within a radius.References
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