A new species of Aspidura Wagler, 1830 (Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae) from Knuckles, World Heritage Site, Sri Lanka

Abstract

We describe a new species, Aspidura desilvai sp. nov., closely resembling A. trachyprocta and the last addition to the genus A. ravanai, from Knuckles massif, Matale District, of Sri Lanka. The species represents the ninth species of the genus known from Sri Lanka, and is readily distinguished from all other congeners by its colour pattern, the scale nature in the ischiadic region, and morphometric characteristics specially from its ratio between the snout to eye distance to its eye width. The species is currently known only from the type locality.