Key to the species of Rhinophis from India

Aengals & Ganesh (2013) provided a key to the identification of Indian species of Rhinophis. We provide a new key here that incorporates the new species and that takes into account that R. fergusonianus has 15 rather than 17 dorsal scale rows at midbody.

1 Number of dorsal scale rows just behind midbody, 17........................................................ 2

- Number of dorsal scale rows just behind midbody, 15........................................................ 3

2 Ventral scales fewer than 160................................................................ R. travancoricus

- Ventral scales more than 180..................................................................... R. goweri

3 Ventral surface with substantial amount of red colour, with any blackish colour restricted to spots; rostral shield length typically 32–39% of distance between snout tip and posterior end of fourth supralabial............................ R. sanguineus

- Ventral surface with dark blotches and without substantial regions of red colour; rostral shield length typically 41% or more of distance between snout tip and posterior end of fourth supralabial............................................... 4

4 Only known specimen a female with 195 ventral and 5,5 subcaudal scales (from Cardamom Hills of Western Ghats, South of Palghat Gap)............................................................................. R. fergusonianus

- Ventral scales more than 215; subcaudals 6 or more (from Wayanad region of Western Ghats, north of Palghat Gap)........................................................................................ R. melanoleucus sp. nov.