Taxonomy and morphometry of the snakes of Okara district (Punjab) and studies on phenetic relationships among them

The present study on the snakes of Okara based on the description of 16 species belonging to 13 genera viz., amphiesma. Boiga, Bungarus, Coluber, Echis,Eryx, Naja, Oligodon, Psammophis, Ptyas, Ramphotyphleps, Spalerosophis and Xenochrophis. Genus Amphiesma, Dumeril, Bibron, Amphiesma Stolata (Linnaeus). Olive brown or greenish above, with a pair of pail yellow longitudinal stripes. Belly white to cream. Body cylindrical dorsal scales keeled except for the lowest row, in 19 rows at mid-body. Ventrals 165 in males and from 150 to 152 in females. Subcaudals 52 in male and from 70 to 72 in females. Genus Boiga Fitzinger, Boiga trigonata (Schneider) Light brown or grayish brown above and dull white below. Dorsum with a vertebral series of large white, black edged, angular or V- shaped spots. Body moderately compressed, Dorsal scales feebly enlarged, smooth, in 21 to 22 rows at mid body. Ventrals ranged from 215 to 219 in Anales Subcaudal single, ranged from 76 to 80 in males. Genus Bungarus Daudin , Bungarus caeruleus (Selmeider) Jet black above and off white to pinkish below. Dorsal side with 50-61 narrow transverse white bands. Body cylinderical with pointed tail. Supralabials 7 with 3rd and 4th touching the eye. Dorsals, Hexagonal, in 17 rows at mid-body. Ventrals ranged from 170 to 213 in males and from 202 to 220 in a females. Subcaudals ranged from 48 to 140 in males and from 46 to 49 in females. Genus Coluber Linnaeus, Coluber rhodarachis (Jan) Gray olive above and whitish below the dark cross-bars in the nape. Body elongate and cylinderical. Supralabials 9, with. 5th and 6th touching the eye. Dorsal smooth in 19 rows at mid-body. Ventrals ranged from 215 to 220 in males. Subcaudals ranged from 102 to 120 in males. Coluber Ventromaculatus (Grey), Grayish or olive above and white to yellowish below. Dorsum with a series of 52-70 black crossbars. Dorsal scales perfectly smooth, in 19 rows at mid-body. Ventrals angulate laterally, ranged from 202 to 203 in females. Subcaudals divided, ranged from 115 to 130 in females. Genus Echis Merrem, Ecnis carinatus (Schneider), Pale buff to sandy above, off white to light pink below with spotted ventral tips. Body cylindrical. Supralabials -10 to 11. Dorsals scales in 29-33 rows at mid-body. Ventrals ranged from 172 to 176 in males and from 165 to 170 in females. Subcaudals ranged from 25 to 26 in males and from 32 to 46 in females. Genus Eryx, Dandin, Eryx johni (Russell) Light mushroom and cream to light pink below. Dorsum with 4.-14 black blothees or bands. Body robust cylindrical with a very little taper. Tail blunt and tip covered by a rounded shield. Supralabials 11-12. Dorsals in 50 rows at mid-body. Ventrals ranged form 182 to 213 in males and were 198 in female. Subcaudals ranged from 26 to 35 in males and were 26 in female. Genus Naja Laurenti, Najanaja, Linnaeus Light brown above and white to pale yellow below. Body sub- cylinderical. Supralabials 7 with 3rd and 4th touching the eye. Dorsals in 21 rows at mid-body. Ventrals ranged from 182 to 198 in males and from 183 to 193 in females. Subcaudals ranged from 60 to 6.6 in males and from 58 to 60 in females. Genus Oligodon Boie, Oligodon arnensis (Shaw) Pale brown above with black crossbars narrowly edged with cream. Body cylindrical. Supralabials 7 with 3rd and 4th, touching the eyes. Dorsal smooth in 17 rows at mid body. Ventrals were 180 in a single male. Subcaudals were 53 in a single, male. Genus Psammophis Fitzinger, Psammophis condanarus (Merrem). Pale olive above and cream below. Dorsals smooth at mid body in 17 rows Body most, robust. Ventrals 192 in a single female. Subcaudals divided 120 in female. Anal scales Genus Ptyas Fitzinger, Ptyas mucosus (Linnaeus). Gray to dark olive above. Dorsal side with irregular but strongly marked crossbars of scales having black tips and edges. Body elongate cylinderical. Supralabials 8, with 4th and 5th touching the eye. Dorsals in 17 rows at mid-body. Ventrals ranked from 72 to 211 in males and from 195 to 202 in females. Subcaudals ranged from 46 to 110 in males and from 106 to 111 (109+ 2.54) in females. Genus Ramphotyphlops Oppet, Ramphotyphlops braminus (Daudin) Brown or blackish above and lighter below. Supralabials 4 with 3rd and 4th in contact with ocular. Scales semi-circled in 20 rows around the body. Transverse scales in 290 to 315, rows from occiput to the base of the tail and in 12-13 rows from vent to tip of tail. Genus Spalerosophis Jan, Spalerosophis arenarius (Boulenger), Cream color to, pale buff above and whitish below body moderately slender with even taper. Supralabials , not of them touching the eye. Infralabials 11, first five touches the chin sheild, Dorsal keeled, in 25 rows at mid-body. Ventrals not angulate laterally, 195-197 in male and, 217-256 in female, Subcaudals 55-75 in males and 75-78 in females. Light yellowish brown above with irregular scattered dark brown or black spot. Body moderately slender with even taper. Sub oculars three separating the eye from supralabials, which were 11 to 12. Dorsals keeled in 28-32 rows at mid-body Ventrals 290-295 in males and 203-207 in females. Subcaudals divided and 102-105 in males and 102-103 in females. Light brownish or grey above with a series of large, dark rounded or rhomboidal spots, alternating with series on each side of body. Body moderally slender with even taper. The supralabials 11. Dorsals in 29- 31 rows at mid-body. Ventrals 220-231 in males. Yellowish white or olive above with five rows of blackish spots. Body cylindrical with moderate with thickness and with even taper. Supralabials 9, with 4th and 5th touching the eye. The 8th supralabial largest. Dorsals in 19 rows at mid-body. Ventrals range from 145- 147 in males. Subcaudals range from 87-90 in males.