Bungarus andamanensis Biswas and Sanyal 1978

Bungarus andamanensis Biswas and Sanyal, 1978 (Fig. 8A & B, 12C) Material studied: Four adults, CIARI uncatalogued 1–4, from Sippighat, South Andaman (Fig.4G). Morphology: Dorsal scales smooth, in 15:15:15 rows; vertebral scales hexagonal and enlarged; ventrals 188- 196; subcaudals 42–45, undivided; anal single; supralabials 7, 3–4 entering orbit; infralabials 7, 1–4 touching genials; preocular 1; postoculars 2; loreal absent; temporals 1+2. Dorsum lustrous black with 36–45 pale yellow to creamy white bands all over the body and 8–12 bands on the tail. Hemipenis everted in one specimen; organ short, 6 mm long, of conical shape, longer than broad and not lobed. Distal end much broader than proximal end, with intense flounces towards the tip pointing posteriorly. Sulcus spermaticus visible as a groove ventrally. Distribution: An endemic species. Several individuals were encountered in a variety of habitats ranging from evergreen forests, secondary forests, and mangrove swamps to human habitations on South Andaman, Havelock, Long Island, Little Andaman, Middle and North Andaman Islands. Often seen near human habitation close to forests and has been seen crossing roads at night. One gravid female was recorded in December. Status: Common.
Published as part of Chandramouli, S. R., 2022, Snake fauna of the Andaman Islands, Bay of Bengal-A review of species richness taxonomy, distribution, natural history and conservation status, pp. 301-331 in Zootaxa 5209 (3) on page 312, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5209.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7329609
{"references":["Biswas, S. & Sanyal, D. P. (1978) A new species of krait of the genus Bungarus Daudin, 1803 (Serpents: Elapidae) from the Andaman Island. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 75 (1), 179 - 183."]}