Platyceps
Edward Blyth erected the genus Platyceps in 1860. The genus
name “Platyceps” was inadvertently used for a fossil species
in 1877 now recognized as “Platycepsion wilkinsoni”.
Currently 26 species
come under this genus which is:
· Platyceps
afarensis (Schätti & Ineich, 2004); Platyceps
bholanathi (Sharma, 1976); Platyceps
noeli (Schätti, Tillack & Kucharzewski, 2014); Platyceps brevis (Boulenger, 1895); Platyceps
rhodorachis (Jan, 1865); Platyceps
rogersi (Anderson,
1893); Platyceps collaris (F. Müller, 1878)
; Platyceps
saharicus (Schätti
& McCarthy, 2004); Platyceps
scortecci (Lanza,
1963); Platyceps
elegantissimus (Günther, 1878); Platyceps
florulentus
(Geoffroy
Saint-Hilaire,
1827); Platyceps sinai (Schmidt & Marx, 1956); Platyceps
sindhensis (Schätti,
Tillack & Kucharzewski, 2014); Platyceps gracilis (Günther, 1862); Platyceps
insulanus (Mertens,
1965);
Platyceps karelini (Brandt, 1838); Platyceps
ladacensis (Anderson, 1871); Platyceps somalicus (Boulenger, 1896); Platyceps
taylori (Parker, 1949); Platyceps
tessellata (F. Werner, 1910); Platyceps thomasi (Parker, 1931); Platyceps
variabilis (Boulenger,
1905); Platyceps
largeni (Schätti,
2001) & Platyceps
messanai (Schätti
& Lanza, 1989)
 |
| (Source: reptile-database) |
Jan's Cliff racer | Platyceps rhodorachis Jan, 1865
Platyceps rhodorachis
is commonly known as Jan's Cliff racer or Braid snake. It is
a species of snake which fall under family colubridae &
found in Central Asia, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Israel, Syria, Jordan,
Ethiopia, Somalia, Oman, Afghanistan, S Uzbekistan, Yemen,
S Kazakhstan, W Kyrgyzstan, NW Tajikistan, S Turkmenistan,
Iran (Kavir Desert), W Pakistan, Iraq, United Arab
Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Chad & Eritrea.
 |
| Platyceps rhodorachis (Source: reptile-database) |
Scientific classification
|
|
Kingdom:
|
Animalia
|
Phylum:
|
Chordata
|
Class:
|
Reptilia
|
Order:
|
Squamata
|
Suborder:
|
Serpentes
|
Family:
|
Colubridae
|
Genus:
|
Platyceps
|
Species:
|
rhodorachis
|
Binomial name
|
|
Platyceps
rhodorachis (Jan, 1865)
|
|
It
is the most controvert species between researchers regarding its taxonomy,
species namely Platyceps r. subniger distributed from Eritrea to Somalia, Platyceps r. ladacensis distributed in Iran, east to Afghanistan, north to S Turkmenistan, S
Uzbekistan, W Tajikistan., Pakistan, Platyceps r. kashmirensis reported from Pakistan are considered the sub species of Platyceps rhodorachis.
 |
| Platyceps rhodorachis (Source: indiansnakes.org) |
Scalation in P.rhodorachis is as: Supralabial 9,
usually 5th-6th touches the (rarely 4th-6th)
eye, there are 9-11 infralabials acknowledged, midbody scale are arranged as
19: 19:13/15; ventral’s are 195-277 angulated laterally, where subcaudals are between 108-144. The total length (snout
to vent) of the specimens recorded are 859-1043 mm, while that of tail is
244-354 mm. Distinctive pre and post oculo-labial stripes are present in the
species. The colour of the species shows variation such as: Head was recorded
as gray to brownish colour having light yellowish preocular and postocular bar;
while that of body it is light to average gray & sometimes may be brownish
or greenish in colour, where anterior half of body have small traverse bars, posterior
unicolour.
Reproduction: oviparous
Reproduction: oviparous
 |
| Platyceps rhodorachis (Source: reptile-database) |
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