Gongylophis conicus


Gongylophis conicus, also known as Russell's boa or the rough-scaled sand boa, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the subfamily Erycinae of the family Boidae. The species is endemic to India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. There are no subspecies which are recognised as being valid.

Description

Adults of G. conicus may attain a total length of, which includes a tail long.
The anterior maxillary and mandibular teeth are longer than the posterior. The head is covered with small scales. The eye is small with a vertical pupil. The dorsal scales are small and keeled. The tail is pointed, not or but very slightly prehensile.
The rostral scale is twice as broad as long, slightly prominent, without an angular horizontal edge. The top of the head is covered with small obtusely keeled scales, except for the nasals and internasals which are enlarged. Interorbitals: 8 to 10. Circumorbitals: 10 to 15. The eye is separated from the labials by one or two rows of scales. Supralabial scales: 12 to 14. Dorsal scales tubercularly keeled, in 40 to 49 rows. Ventral scales: 162-186. The anal scale is single. Subcaudals: 17-24.
The anterior dorsal scales are only feebly keeled, but these keels increase in size posteriorly to the point that they become so heavily keeled that it can make a squirming specimen really painful to handle. This also makes it look as if the front and rear ends belong to markedly different animals.
Dorsally, the color pattern consists of a broad zigzag band or a series of dark brown blotches on a yellowish or brownish grey ground color. The belly is uniform white.
In India it can be mistaken at first glance for either the Indian python, Python m. molurus, or the deadly Russell's viper, Daboia russelii.

Behavior

Gongylophis conicus is active at night.

Diet

Gongylophis conicus feeds on worms and small mammals.

Geographic range

Gongylophis conicus is found in India south of about 30°N latitude, Nepal, Bangladesh and in the northern arid region of Sri Lanka. The type locality given is "India orientali ".

Habitat

The preferred habitats of G. conicus are sandy tracts of central and southern India, the Punjab, Kachchh and Sind. It is also found in Meghalaya.

Mimicry

The rough-scaled sand boa's color pattern frequently resembles that of the highly venomous Russell's viper, which some herpetologists believe is a case of Batesian mimicry.

Reproduction

Gongylophis conicus is viviparous.