Xylophiinae) of the mountain habitats of Wayanad in the Western Ghats of India

Abstract

A new species of the snake genre Xylofis It is described in the Wayanad region in the Western Ghats of India. The new species, X. Chenkaruppan sp. nov.It is described based on six specimens collected from Vellarimala and Kurichyarmala Hills. The molecular genetic analysis based on three mitochondrial markers (16S, CyTB and ND4) and a nuclear marker (CMOS) recovered this lineage as a sister for X. Perroteti. Although also phenotypically generally similar to X. Perroteti of Nilgiri Hills (north of the Palghat gap of the lowlands), the morphology of the ventral head of X. Chenkaruppan sp. nov. It differs from the first in that the subsequent shields are in contact in the midline, a condition also found in X. Mosaic happening only south of Palghat’s gap. An updated key for the identification of the species of the genus Xylofis It is provided here.