2004

Asiatic Herpetological ResearchVol. 10, pp. 235

A Record of Boiga ochracea walli (Stoliczka, 1870) from Bangladesh
M. FARID AHSAN* AND SHAYLA PARVIN
Department of Zoology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, Bangladesh.
*Corresponding author E-mail: mfahsan@ctgu.edu
Abstract. - Two specimens of Boiga ochracea specimens from Bangladesh are referred to Boiga ochracea walli.
The locality data for these specimens are lost, but they are probably form the University of Chittagong campus.
These are the first records of this subspecies for Bengladesh.
Key words. - Boiga ochracea, Bangladesh.
While identifying snake species preserved in theDepartmental Museum of Zoology, Chittagong
University (CU), two specimens of Boiga ochracea
walli (Stoliczka, 1870) were found. One was collected
in 1975, but the localities where they were found areunknown. Both specimens were probably collected form
the University of Chittagong campus. The occurrence ofBoiga ochracea in Bangladesh was first reported by
Khan (1982) based on a specimen collected from
Chittagong Hill Tracts. Khan (1982) did not identify thespecimen to subspecies. Smith (1943) reported the subspecies range as Burma (now Myanmar) south of Lat.
25°; Tenasserim; the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Both localities of Boiga ochracea walli from Chittagong(this report) and B. ochracea from Chittagong Hill
Tracts (Khan 1982) are close to Myanmar and south ofthe latitude mentioned by Smith (1943). This report
extends the subspecies range up to Bangladesh and it
may occur in other parts of the country like Greater
Sylhet, Cox's Bazar, and the districts of Chittagong Hill
Tracts (i.e., Rangamati, Khagracheri and Bandarbans) asthey have similar habitats.
The CU specimens have the following characters(although the natural colour may have changed due tothe effects of preservation): faded greyish above, vertebral series of scales paler than others, ventral side ofbody whitish. Smith (1943) described the subspecies as"greyish, reddish or yellowish brown above (coral red inlife), some of the scales finely edged with black andforming more or less distinct transverse lines or bars,
best marked in the young; the vertebral series of scales
sometimes lighter than the others; paler below; lips andchin whitish".
The CU specimens have eight supra labials, 4th, 5thand 6th below the eyes; one pre and two post-oculars
present. Smith (1943) stated that there is normally one
pre-ocular, not reaching the upper surface of the head;anterior genials about as long as the posterior, latter incontact with one another or separated by small scales;
vertebrals strongly enlarged. The measurements of theCU specimens are compared below with those reported
by Smith (1943).

Literature Cited
Khan, M. A. R. 1982. Wildlife of Bangladesh - a checklist. Dhaka University Press, Dhaka. 173 pp.
Smith, M. A. 1943. The fauna of British India, including
Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia, Vol. 3
Serpentes. Taylor and Francis Ltd., London. 583 pp.

Table 1. - The table shows that the Smith's (1943) specimens and the present ones are similar.
Cat. No.

Datelocality

31CU
37CU

04.03.75

Tail
Total
length (cm) length (cm)DorsalscalesVentralscalesAnal
scale

CaudalscalesTemporalscale

Source

88
50.3

16
9.3

19:19:15
17:19:15

236
229

1179
97

2+2
2+2

Presentwork105-11023.5-21.5

19:19:15221-246

189-107

2+2
or
2+3

Smith(1943)© 2004 by Asiatic Herpetological Research