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RE: Thai Snake Photo posted by Spidersnake for ID
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by Cro on May 31, 2005
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Shaun: I finally obtained a copy of the book Snakes of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. It is easy to see that the snake in Jimmy's photo is not Oligodon barroni, O. joynsoni, O. purpurascens, O. fasciolatus, O. inornatus, or O. dorsalis, based on general appearance and range.
That brings us back to your idea of it being Oligodon mouhoti, and Wolfgang's idea of it being Oligodon taeniatus. The Kurki Snakes in general are very difficult to identify.
The photo on page 60 of O. mouhoti does show a very similar looking snake to Jimmy's photo. The overall color and spotting are a good match. There is a dark band that extends from the nose, Across The Back Of The Eye, and down to the ventrals, as well as a distinctive chevron shaped brown band from the crown to the ventrals. This facial banding really makes the snake look like a good match. The book says this snake is found in Central Thailand, so could be found in the Phichit Province. This snake is supposed to have a red ventral surface, which we can not match to Jimmy's photo. I see One Major Problem though. If we look closly at the photo in the book, we see that O. mouhoti Has Two Distinct Dark Bands on the Dorsal Surface Of The Tail, one at the base, and one at the tip. Jimmy's photo shows no evidence of these tail bands.
If we look at the photo on page 61 of Oligodon taeniatus, (a very poor quality photo, lacking much detail), we find a very similar snake. The overall color and spotting are a good match. There is a dark band that extends from the nose, Through The Eye, and down to the ventrals, as well as a distinctive chevron shaped brown band from the crown to the ventrals. This facial banding really makes the snake look like a good match. It is found in the North Central area of Thailand. It has a orange-red ventral surface, but again, that is no help as Jimmy's photo does not show the underside of the snake. This snake has a White Chin, which matches the unknown snake. There is No Evidence of the Banding On The Tail, so this is also a match.
I can understand why you suggested Oligodon mouhoti, and based on the facial markings, and the photos you had available, it is a very good choice. However, when we look closer, at details other than the facial markings, I have to agree with Wolfgang on it being O. taeniatus. If we had a better photo of Oligodon taeniatus to compare, I think it would be easier to see the differences.
Anyway, thanks to Jimmy for giving us a challenging photo to identify, and thanks to Shaun and Wolfgang for giving us the chance to learn more about a little known group of snakes. And hey, I got to excellent new book in the deal ! Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: Thai Snake Photo posted by Spidersnake for ID
|
Reply
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by Cro on May 31, 2005
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Mail this to a friend!
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Shaun: I finally obtained a copy of the book Snakes of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. It is easy to see that the snake in Jimmy's photo is not Oligodon barroni, O. joynsoni, O. purpurascens, O. fasciolatus, O. inornatus, or O. dorsalis, based on general appearance and range.
That brings us back to your idea of it being Oligodon mouhoti, and Wolfgang's idea of it being Oligodon taeniatus. The Kurki Snakes in general are very difficult to identify.
The photo on page 60 of O. mouhoti does show a very similar looking snake to Jimmy's photo. The overall color and spotting are a good match. There is a dark band that extends from the nose, Across The Back Of The Eye, and down to the ventrals, as well as a distinctive chevron shaped brown band from the crown to the ventrals. This facial banding really makes the snake look like a good match. The book says this snake is found in Central Thailand, so could be found in the Phichit Province. This snake is supposed to have a red ventral surface, which we can not match to Jimmy's photo. I see One Major Problem though. If we look closly at the photo in the book, we see that O. mouhoti Has Two Distinct Dark Bands on the Dorsal Surface Of The Tail, one at the base, and one at the tip. Jimmy's photo shows no evidence of these tail bands.
If we look at the photo on page 61 of Oligodon taeniatus, (a very poor quality photo, lacking much detail), we find a very similar snake. The overall color and spotting are a good match. There is a dark band that extends from the nose, Through The Eye, and down to the ventrals, as well as a distinctive chevron shaped brown band from the crown to the ventrals. This facial banding really makes the snake look like a good match. It is found in the North Central area of Thailand. It has a orange-red ventral surface, but again, that is no help as Jimmy's photo does not show the underside of the snake. This snake has a White Chin, which matches the unknown snake. There is No Evidence of the Banding On The Tail, so this is also a match.
Shaun, I understand why you suggested Oligodon mouhoti, and based on the facial markings, and the photos you had available, it is a very good choice. However, when we look closer, at details other than the facial markings, like the tail bands and white chin, and bands relation to the eye, I have to agree with Wolfgang on it being O. taeniatus. If we had a better photo of Oligodon taeniatus to compare, I think it would be easier to see the differences.
Anyway, thanks to Jimmy for giving us a challenging photo to identify, and thanks to Shaun and Wolfgang for giving us the chance to learn more about a little known group of snakes. And hey, I got to excellent new book in the deal ! Best Regards JohnZ
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