Two new species of the shieldtail snake genus Rhinophis Hemprich, 1820 (Serpentes: Uropeltidae), from the Rakwana and the Knuckles Massifs of Sri Lanka

Researchers have identified two new species of shieldtail snakes (Rhinophis) in Sri Lanka's Central Highlands, increasing the known diversity of uropeltid snakes on the island to 20. Rhinophis martin, discovered in the Rakwana Massif, and Rhinophis dinarzardae, found in the Knuckles Massif, were distinguished through scalation patterns, coloration, geographical distribution, and genetic analysis. While R. dinarzardae was previously confused with R. philippinus due to superficial similarities, it differs in ventral scale count, habitat preference, and DNA sequences. The study employed morphological and molecular techniques to validate these discoveries, highlighting the importance of integrating multiple data types for species delimitation.

GOWER, D. J., SAMPAIO, F. L., VIDANAPATHIRANA, D. R., & WICKRAMASINGHE, L. J. M. (2024). Two new species of the shieldtail snake genus Rhinophis Hemprich, 1820 (Serpentes: Uropeltidae), from the Rakwana and the Knuckles Massifs of Sri Lanka. Zootaxa, 5458(3), 332–360. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5458.3.2