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2021-03-05T07:44:09Z

ShortDescBot adding short description "Species of snake"

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{{Short description|Species of snake}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}
{{Speciesbox
| image =
| genus = Tropidolaemus
| species = huttoni
| authority = ([[Malcolm Arthur Smith|M.A. Smith]], 1949)
| synonyms = *''Trimeresurus huttoni'' <br>{{small|M.A. Smith, 1949}}
*''Tropidolaemus huttoni'' <br>{{small|— [[Patrick David|David]] & [[Gernot Vogel|Vogel]], 1998}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name="McD99">[[:fr:Roy Wallace McDiarmid|McDiarmid RW]], [[Jonathan A. Campbell|Campbell JA]], Touré T (1999). ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1''. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. {{ISBN|1-893777-00-6}} (series). {{ISBN|1-893777-01-4}} (volume).</ref>
}}

:'''''Common names:''' Hutton's pit viper.<ref name="Bro73">Brown JH (1973). ''Toxicology and Pharmacology of Venoms from Poisonous Snakes''. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas. 184 pp. LCCCN 73-229. {{ISBN|0-398-02808-7}}.</ref>'' Hutton's tree viper,<ref name="Meh87">Mehrtens JM (1987). ''Living Snakes of the World in Color''. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. {{ISBN|0-8069-6460-X}}.</ref>
'''''Tropidolaemus huttoni''''' is a little-known [[species]] of [[pit viper]], a [[venomous snake]] in the [[subfamily]] [[Crotalinae]] of the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Viperidae]]. The species is [[Endemism|endemic]] to the southern [[Western Ghats]] of [[India]]. There are no [[subspecies]] that are currently recognized.<ref name="ITIS">{{ITIS|id=634938|taxon=''Tropidolaemus huttoni ''|accessdate=27 September 2006}}</ref> Little is known about this species, as this species is known only from two young individuals, based on which it was first described in 1949. Despite long-term and targeted herpetological surveys in the particular hill range ([[Meghamalai]]), it has never been re-sighted there or elsewhere since then.

A possible third specimen from the northern [[Western Ghats]] is considered to be of doubtful identity at best, as it shares several features typical of ''T. wagleri'' complex as well; and its provenance is also currently unresolved.

==Etymology==
The [[Specific name (zoology)|specific name]], ''huttoni'', is in honor of its discoverer, [[Angus Finlay Hutton]], a planter and [[naturalist]].<ref>Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0135-5}}. (''Tropidolaemus huttoni'', p. 128).</ref>

==Description==
The coloration and size of adults of ''T. huttoni'' is unknown.

Juveniles are green [[Dorsum (anatomy)|dorsally]], with a series of small white spots on both sides, located on the 2nd & 3rd scale rows from the vertebral row. There is distinct red eye streak on both sides of the head. Ventrally they are pale green, except for the last 25 [[Subcaudal scales|subcaudals]], which are dull reddish brown.

The holotype specimen is only 136 mm (5⅜ inches) in total length, 98 mm (3⅞ inches) in snout-vent length (SVL), and the tail is 38 mm (1½ inches) long.<ref>David, Patrick; Vogel, Gernot (1998). "Redescription of ''Trimeresurus huttoni'' SMITH, 1949 (Serpentes, Crotalinae), with a Discussion of its Relationships". ''Hamadryad'' '''22''' (2): 73-87. (''Tropidolaemus huttoni'', new combination).</ref>

==Geographic range==
''Tropidolaemus huttoni'' is found in the [[Meghamalai]] Hills in the southern [[Western Ghats]], situated in [[Theni district]] of [[Tamil Nadu]], southern [[India]]. It is known only from the [[Type locality (biology)|type locality]], which is listed as "[[High Wavy Mountains]], Theni district, southern India".
According to David and Vogel (1998), this is a plateau on the western central edge of the Varushanad Hills, at 1,590 m (5,200 feet) elevation, in Theni district, [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name="McD99"/>

==Biology and natural history==
Little is known of the biology and natural history of ''T. huttoni''. The original description states that the two juvenile specimens were collected together, both evidently belonging to the same brood. The region was, during Hutton's days, covered by dense [[tropical rainforest]]s; but is now partly covered by [[tea]] plantations.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
*Boundy J (2008). "A possible third specimen of the pitviper genus ''Tropidolaemus'' from India". ''Hamadryad'' '''32''' (1): 59–62.
*Chandramouli SR, Ganesh SR (2010). "Herpetofauna of Southern Western Ghats, India − reinvestigated after decade"s. ''Taprobanica'' '''2''' (2): 72-85.
*Ganesh SR, Bhupathy S, David P, Sathishkumar N, Srinivas G (2014). "Snake Fauna of High Wavy Mountains, Western Ghats, India: Species Richness, Status, and Distribution Pattern". ''Russian J. Herpetol.'' '''21''' (1): 53–64.
*Hutton AF, David P (2009). "Notes on a collection of snakes from south India, with emphasis on the snake fauna of the Megamalai Hills (High Wavy Mountains)". ''J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.'' '''105''': 299–316.
*[[Malcolm Arthur Smith|Smith MA]] (1949). "A new species of pit viper from South India: ''Trimeresurus huttoni'' sp. nov." ''J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.'' '''48''' (3): 596.
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{NRDB species|genus=Tropidolaemus|species=huttoni|date=12 December|year=2006}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2034499}}

[[Category:Crotalinae]]
[[Category:Snakes of Asia]]
[[Category:Reptiles of India]]
[[Category:Endemic fauna of the Western Ghats]]
[[Category:Fauna of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Reptiles described in 1949]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Malcolm Arthur Smith]]

{{Alethinophidia-stub}}

Tropidolaemus huttoni - Revision history

imported>ShortDescBot: ShortDescBot adding short description "Species of snake"