Snakes of Multan district [Pakistan] and studies on their morphometry and phenotypic relationships among them

The present study on the snakes of Multan are based on the description of 17 species belonging to 13 genera viz.I-Amphiesma, 2-Boiga, 3-Bungarus, 4- Coluber, 5-Echis, 6-Eryx, 7-Lycadon, 8-Naja,- 9-Oligodon, 10-Ptyas, 11- Kafnphotyphlops, 12-Spalerosophis and 13- Xenochrophis. I. Genius Antphiesma Dumeril and Bibron 1. Amphiesma (Linnaeus) Olive brown or greenish above and off white and light pinkish below with spotted ventral tips. Body cylindrical, flattened dorsoventrally supralabials 7. 3rd and 4th touching the eye. Dorsals keeled 19 flows at mid body. Ventrals 154 in male. Subcaudals 75 in male II. Genus Fitsinger 2. Boiga trigonata. (Schneider) Light brown or greyish 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 or 22 rows t mid- body. Ventrals were 200 to 222 in females. Sub caudals single and were 72 to 80 in females. III. Genus Bungarus Deudin Bungarus caeruleus (Schneider)Jet black to dark brown above and light pinkish to off white below. Dorsal side with 50-61 narrow transverse white bands. Body cylindrical with pointed tail. Supralabials 7 with 3rd and 4th touching the eye. Dorsals in 17 rows at mid- body. Ventrals were 211 to 213 in males and 205 to 206 in females. Subcaudals single 46 to 47 in males and from 42 to 48 in females. IV. Genus Coluber. Linnaeus 4. Coluber rhodorschis (Jan)Grey olive above and whitish below. Body elongate and cylindrical. Supralabials 9, with 5th and 6th touching the eye. Dorsal scales smooth, 19 rows at mid-body- Ventrals obtusely angulate laterally 217 in male. Sub caudals divided and were 110 in male. 5. Coluber Ventromaculatus (Gray) Greyish or olive above and whitish or yellowish below. Dorsum with a series of 52-70 black cross-bars. Body elongate Supra labials 9, with 5th and 6th touching the eye. Dorsal perfectly smooth, in 19 rows at mid- body. Ventrals angulate lateraly, 199- 204 in males. Subcaudals divided 102 to 106 in males V. Genus Echis Linnaeus 6. Echls cstrlnatus Pale buff or sandy above and off white and light pinkish below. Body cylindrical, flattened dorsoventrally. Supralabials 10 or 11. Two rows between eye and Supralabials. Dorsals keeled 29-33 rows at mid body. Ven-fcrals 160-171 in males and 23.0 in female. Subcaudals 30-32 in males and 30 in female. VI. Genus Eryx Daudin 7. Eryx johni (Russell) Light mushroom above and cream to light pink below. Dorsum with 4-14 black transvers blotches. Body robust cylindrical with a very little taper. fail very blunt with tip covered by a rounded shield. Supralabials 11-12. None of them touching the eyes. Dorsals scales smooth in 50 rows at mid-body. Ventrals 177-194 in males and 195 in female. Subcaudals 29-29 in males and 20 in female. 8. Gangylophis conicus (Schneider) Light grey above and off white below. Dorsum with spice colured v-shaped blotches. Body cylindrical, tapering posteriorly supralabials 13. Dorsals 54-60 rows at mid body ventrais 170 in a male. Subcaudals 60 in a male. V11- Genus, Lycodon, 9. Lycodon-aulicus (Linnaeus) Brown or greyish brown above and white below. Dorsum uniform or with white transverse cross-bars. But slightly compressed. Supralabials 9 with 3rd, 4th and 5th touching the eye. Ventrals. Dorsals in 17 rows at mid-body. strongly angulate late caudals divided and were 66 in female. Jet black to dark brown above and pale grey below: Body dorso- venterlly flattened anteriorly and sub-cylindrical gosteriorly. Supralabials 7, 3rd and 4th touching the eye. Dorsals rhomboid in 21 rows at mid-body. Ventrals 181-187 in males and 190-192 in females. Subcaudals 60-64 in males 62-63 in females. IX: Genus Oligodon. Boie 11 Oligodon arnensis (Shaw)Tan to buff or pale brown above with black cross-bars narrowly edged with cream. Body cylindrical. Supralabials 7 with 3rd and 4th touching the eyes. Dorsal smooth in mid body. Ventrals were 175 in female and subcaudals were 49 in female. Genus Ptyas Fitsinger Ptyae mucocus (Linnaeus) grey to dark olive above with irregular but strongly marked cross-bars of scales with black tips and edges, especially posteriorly, other scales with yellow or light tan edges. Body elongate cylindrical. Supra labials 8, with 4th and 5th touching the eye. Dorsals in 17 rows at mid-body. Ventrals 190 in single male and 196 in female, sub caudals divided were 75 in male and 110 in female. X1. Genus Ramphotypholops Oppet 13. Ramphotyphlops braminus (Daudin) Brown or blackish above lighter below. Supralabials 4th, 3rd and 4th in contact with ocular. Scales semicircled in 20 rows around the body. Transverse scales ranged from 270 to 285 rows from occiput to the base of the tail and in 11-12 row from vent to the tip of the tail. XII. Genus Spalerosophis Jan 14. Spalerosophis atriceps (Fischer) Light yellowish brown above with irregular scattered dark brown or black spots. Body moderately slender with even taper. Sub oculars three separating the eye from supralabials, which were 11 or 12, Dorsals keeled in 28-32 rows at mid-body. Ventals 235 in female. Sub caudals divided and 105 in female.15.Spslerosophis diadema (Schlegel)Light brownish or grey above with a series of large, dark rounded or rhomboidal spots, alternating with much smaller series on each side of the body. Body moderately slender with even taper, preoculars 2. Post oculars 2. Suboculars 3 and separated the eye from supralabials. The supralab.ials 11. Dorsais in 29-31 rows at mid body. Ventrals 230-260 in males,sub caudls 112-130 in males. XIII. Genus Xenochrophis (Gunther) 16. Xenochrophis piscstor (Schneider) Yellowish white or olive above with five rows of blackish spots. Body cylindrical. Dorsal more or less distinctly keeled. 19 rows at mid-body. Venbrals 142-143 in males and 145-154 in females. Sub caudals divided and 70 to 75 in males and 85 to 87 in females. 17. Xenochrophis sancti-johannis. (Boulenger) Pale olive above with uniform or quincuncilly arranged blackish spots. Body cylindrical. Supralabials 8 rarely 9, with 4th touching the eye, 5th very small. Dorsals in 19 rows at mid-body. Ventarals 140 in male. Sub caudals divided and 80 in male.