Protobothrops kaulbacki

Species of snake

Protobothrops kaulbacki

Conservation status

Data Deficient (IUCN 3.1)[1]

Scientific classification
Domain:  | Eukaryota
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Reptilia
Order:  | Squamata
Suborder:  | Serpentes
Family:  | Viperidae
Genus:  | Protobothrops
Species:  |

P. kaulbacki

Binomial name
Protobothrops kaulbacki

(M.A. Smith, 1940)

Synonyms

* Trimeresurus kaulbacki
M.A. Smith, 1940
* P [rotobothrops]. kaulbacki
— Kraus, Mink & W.M. Brown, 1996[2][3]

Protobothrops kaulbacki, commonly known as Kaulback's lance-headed pit viper[3] or Kaulback's lance-headed pit viper,[1][4] is a pit viper species endemic to Asia. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.[3][5]

## Etymology

[edit]

The specific name, kaulbacki, is in honor of British explorer Ronald Kaulback.[3][6][7][8]

## Description

[edit]

Adult males of P. kaulbacki may attain a total length of 134 cm (53 in), which includes a tail 22.5 cm (8.9 in) long. Females may grow longer: maximum total length 141 cm (56 in), tail 23 cm (9.1 in). Dorsally, it is green, with a vertebral series of dark angular spots, which may be joined to form a zigzag stripe. The top of the head is black with yellow stripes. Ventrally, except for the whitish throat area, it is gray with large squarish or crescent-shaped yellow spots.[9] Scalation includes 25 rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 201–212 ventral scales, 66–78 subcaudal scales, and 8 supralabial scales of which the third is the largest.[4]

## Geographic range

[edit]

P. kaulbacki had originally been known only from the type locality, which is "Pangnamdim, north of the Triangle, Upper Burma" (Myanmar).[2] In 2005 it was reported also from Tibet (China).[1][10] It also occurs in Arunachal Pradesh (NE India).[3]

## Habitat

[edit]

The preferred natural habitats of P. kaulbacki are forest, shrubland, and grassland, at altitudes of 1,015–1,066 m (3,330–3,497 ft).[1]

## Reproduction

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P. kaulbacki is oviparous. The adult female lays a clutch of 6–32 eggs in a hole in the ground, and then remains with the eggs to guard them. Eggs measure 48–53 mm x 26–27 mm (about 2 in x 1 in). Each hatchling is 26–27 cm (about 10½ inches) in total length.[9]

## Behavior

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P. kaulbacki is terrestrial[1] and partly arboreal.[11]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e Guo, P.; Li, P.; Rao, D.-q. (2012). "Protobothrops kaulbacki ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T178685A1541636. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T178685A1541636.en. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
2. ^ a b McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
3. ^ a b c d e Protobothrops kaulbacki at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 23 August 2021.
4. ^ a b Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S (2004). Asian Pit vipers. Berlin: Geitje Books. First Edition. 368 pp. ISBN 3-937975-00-4.
5. ^ "Protobothrops kaulbacki ". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
6. ^ Smith MA (1940).
7. ^ Guo, Peng (2007). "New evidence on the phylogenetic position of the poorly known Asian pitviper Protobothrops kaulbacki (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae) with a redescription of the species and a revision of the genus Protobothrops ". Herpetological Journal 17 (4): 237–246.
8. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Protobothrops kaulbacki, p. 138).
9. ^ a b Smith MA (1943). The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III.—Serpentes. London: Secretary of State for India. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 583 pp. (Protobothrops kaulbacki, p. 512).
10. ^ Rao D, Zhao E (2005). "A New Record from China – Protobothrops kaulbacki (Reptilia, Serpentes, Viperidae)". Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 30: 209-211.
11. ^ Harrington, Sean M.; de Haan, Jordyn M.; Shapiro, Lindsey; Ruane, Sara (2018). "Habits and characteristics of arboreal snakes worldwide: arboreality constrains body size but does not affect lineage diversification". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 125 (1): 61–71.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Kraus, Fred; Mink, Daniel G.; Brown, Wesley M. (1996). "Crotaline Intergeneric Relationships Based on Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Data". Copeia 1996 (4): 763–773. (Protobothrops kaulbacki, new combination).
* Smith MA (1940). "The Amphibians and Reptiles obtained by Mr. Ronald Kaulback in Upper Burma". Records of the Indian Museum 42: 465–486. (Protobothrops kaulbacki, new species, p. 485, Plate VIII, Figure 5).

Taxon identifiers

Protobothrops kaulbacki|

* Wikidata: Q5074994
* Wikispecies: Protobothrops kaulbacki
* ADW: Protobothrops_kaulbacki
* BioLib: 183895
* CoL: 4N4PJ
* EoL: 962455
* GBIF: 2444146
* iNaturalist: 30997
* IRMNG: 10366446
* ITIS: 1058441
* IUCN: 178685
* NCBI: 393198
* Open Tree of Life: 568083
* RD: kaulbacki

Trimeresurus kaulbacki|

* Wikidata: Q7842183
* GBIF: 2444147
* IRMNG: 11331162
* ITIS: 634919