Psammophis longifrons, the stout sand snake or long sand racer, is a species of snake found in India.[1][2][3] It can grow to a maximum length of 57 inches (145 centimetres).[4]
| Long sand racer | |
|---|---|
| |
| Subadult Psammophis longifrons | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Psammophiidae |
| Genus: | Psammophis |
| Species: | P. longifrons
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| Binomial name | |
| Psammophis longifrons Boulenger, 1890
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Description edit
Greyish above in front, browner behind, the scales edged with black, particularly those of vertebral region. The top of the head is uniform greyish brown, or the scales are edged with black. Greyish or yellowish below. Total length 1230 mm, tail 375 mm. Of considerably stouter build than the other Indian member of this genus.[5]
Maxillary teeth 12 or 13, 2 in the middle very strongly enlarged, and preceded and followed by a distinct interval; internasal small, 1/2 or less than 1/2 the length of prefrontals; frontal long and narrow, not longer than its distance from end of snout, the anterior end suddenly not enlarged, not greatly broader there than in the middle, not in contact with the preocular; temporals 2+2, 8 supralabials 4th and 5th touching eye. V.166–175; C.79–93; A.2.[5]
Distribution edit
In Maharashtra it is reported from Bombay presidency north of 19 degree (Thana and Damanganga districts, Bulsar, Panch Mahal), C.P(Nagpur) and Amravati. In Gujarat; Surat, Valsad, Navsari. In Madhya Pradesh it is recorded from Ujjain and Hoshangabad. These records show that this species is distributed in a very narrow range, including three western Indian states, namely Gujarat (central and south), Maharashtra (northern) and Madhya Pradesh (mainly southern west).
Food and behaviour edit
Its habits are both terrestrial and arboreal.[1]
In captivity (for a short period), it was observed that the snakes were timid and well set without any aggression. Five types of lizards (Hemidactylus flaviviridis, H. triedrus, Calotes versicolor, and Eutropis carinata and four types of frogs (Duttaphrynus melanostictus, Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis, Sphaerotheca breviceps, and Polypedates maculatus) were provided and accepted as food.
Reproduction edit
A female collected in Gujarat laid eight capsule shaped eggs.
References edit
- ^ a b c Srinivasulu, C.; Srinivasulu, B.; Mohapatra, P.; Kulkarni, N.U.; Thakur, S.; Deepak, V. (2013). "Psammophis longifrons". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T172688A1367315. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T172688A1367315.en. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ Psammophis longifrons at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 14 September 2021.
- ^ Vyas, Raju (1897). "Collection of a stout sand snake". Hamadryad. 12 (2): 7–8.
- ^ Nande, Raghavendra; Deshmukh, Sawan (December 2007). "Snakes of Amravati District including Melghat, Maharashtra, with important records of the Indian Egg-Eater, Mountain Trinket Snake and Indian Smooth Snake" (PDF). Zoos' Print Journal. 22 (12): 2920–2924. doi:10.11609/jott.zpj.1653.2920-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
- ^ a b Smith, Malcolm A. (1943). The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III.—Serpentes (PDF). London: Secretary of State for India (Taylor and Francis, printers).
- Vyas and Patel (2013), NOTES ON DISTRIBUTION AND NATURAL HISTORY OF Psammophis longifrons BOULENGER 1896 (SERPENTES: PSAMMOPHIIDAE: PSAMMOPHIINAE) IN GUJARAT, INDIA. Russian Journal of Herpetology. Vol. 20, No. 3, 2013, pp. 217 – 222
Further reading edit
- Boulenger, G. A. (1896). Catalogue of the snakes in the British Museum. London: Taylor & Francis. pp. xiv, 727.
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