Indian Wild Life

Indian Wild Life

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National Parks in india
Bandhavgarh National Park
Bandipur National Park
Corbett National Park
Dachigam National Park
Desert National Park
Dudhwa National Park
Gir National Park
Kanha National Park
Keoladeo National Park
Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary
Mudumalai National Park
Manas National Park
Mukurth National Park
Nagarhole National Park
Nanda Devi National Park
Periyar National Park
Rajaji National Park
Ranthambore National Park
Sariska National Park
Sultanpur National Park
Sundarbans National Park
Valley of Flowers National Park

Reptiles In India
Chameleons
Daboia
Mugger-crocodile
Tortoise
Turtle
Water Monitor


Daboia

Daboia is a monotypic genus created for a venomous viper species, D. russelii, which is found in Asia throughout the Indian subcontinent, much of Southeast Asia, southern China and Taiwan. Within much of its range, this species is easily the most dangerous viperid snake and a major cause of snakebite injury and mortality. It is a member of the big four venomous snakes in India, which are together responsible for nearly all Indian snakebite fatalities. The species was named in honor of Dr. Patrick Russell (1726 - 1805), who had earlier described this animal, and the genus after the Hindi name for it, which means "that lies hid", or "the lurker." Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the typical form described here.

Description

This snake grows to a maximum length of 166 cm. The average length is about 120 cm on the mainland, although island populations do not attain this size. It is more slenderly built than most other vipers. Ditmars (1937) reported the following dimensions for a "fair sized adult specimen":

The head is flattened, triangular and distinct from the neck. The snout is blunt, rounded and raised. The nostrils are large, in the middle of a large, single nasal scale. The lower edge of the nasal touches the nasorostral. The supranasal has a strong crescent shape and separates the nasal from the nasorostral anteriorly. The rostral is as broad as it is high.

he crown of the head is covered with irregular, strongly fragmented scales. The supraocular scales are narrow, single, and separated by 6-9 scales across the head. The eyes are large, flecked with yellow or gold, and each is surrounded by 10-15 circumorbital scales. There are 10-12 supralabials, the 4th and 5th of which are significantly larger. The eye is separated from the supralabials by 3-4 rows of suboculars. There are two pairs of chin shields, the front pair of which are notably enlarged. The two maxillary bones support at least two and at the most five or six pairs of fangs at a time: the first are active and the rest replacements. The fangs attain a length of 16 mm in the average specimen.

The body is stout, the cross-section of which is rounded to cylindrical. The dorsal scales are strongly keeled; only the lower row is smooth. Mid-body, the dorsal scales number 27-33. The ventral scales number 153-180. The anal plate is not divided. The tail is short -- about 14% of the total body length -- with the paired subcaudals numbering 41-68.

The color pattern consists of a deep yellow, tan or brown ground color, with three series of dark brown spots that run the length of its body. Each of these spots has a black ring around it, the outer border of which is intensified with a rim of white or yellow. The dorsal spots, which usually number 23-30, may grow together, while the side spots may break apart. The head has a pair of distinct dark patches, one on each temple, together with a pinkish, salmon or brownish V or X pattern that forms an apex towards the snout. Behind the eye, there is a dark streak, outlined in white, pink or buff. The venter is white, whitish, yellowish or pinkish, often with an irregular scattering of dark spots.

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