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Oligodon arnensis (SHAW, 1802)

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Higher TaxaColubridae, Colubrinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Russet Kukri Snake, Common kukri snake, Banded kukri
G: Gemeine Kukrinatter 
SynonymColuber arnensis SHAW 1802: 526
Simotes albiventer GÜNTHER 1864 (fide SMITH 1943)
Simotes arnensis — BOULENGER 1890
Simotes arnensis — WALL 1908
Oligodon arnensis — WALL 1921: 231
Oligodon arnensis — SMITH 1943: 225
Oligodon arnensis — DAS 1996: 57
Oligodon arnensis — MURTHY 2010
Oligodon arnensis — WALLACH et al. 2014: 494
Oligodon arnesis — FELLOWS 2015 (in error)
Oligodon amensis — MANHAS et a. 2017 (in error)
Oligodon arnesis — BANDARA et al. 2022 
DistributionSri Lanka, India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Punjab, Gujarat)

Type locality: Arni (near Arcot), 100 km west of Madras.  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesLectotype: iconotype: Russell 1796, plate 38 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: Oligodon arnensis sensu stricto is distributed in southern India and Sri Lanka, and is distinguished from other congeners by having the following combination of characters: adults reach maximum SVL550mm,asinglepreocular,twopostoculars,noloreal scale, divided cloacal plate, entire nasal scale or partially divided in some populations, ventrals 164–175 in males and 181–188 in females, subcaudals 46–52 in both males and females combined, temporals 1 þ 2, seven supralabials with third and fourth in contact with eye, DSRs 17-17-15, TL 13.5–17.1% of total length in males, olive brownish dorsum with 15–20 more or less equal sized black cross bands (with thickness of 3–4 vertebral scales and 7–12 scales in between cross bands at midbody position) along the body and 3–6 on the tail, two V-shaped black markings on interorbital and parietal–frontal regions, another inverted V-shaped black marking on the nape. Oligodon arnensis is most similar to O. russelius comb. nov., O. churahensis, and the new species, but differs by having several diagnostic characters. (Bandara et al. 2022: 58, see Table 1 for a comparison of characters). 
CommentSynonymy: Oligodon arnensis s.l. has been split into multiple species, see “Distribution”.

Distribution: reports from N and W India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Bhutan, are now considered as O. tillacki and O. russelius (Lee et al. 2023). See map in Bandara et al. 2022: 65 (Fig. 10), Lee et al. 2023: 5 (Fig. 1). 
EtymologyNamed after the type locality. 
References
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