Gloyd's Hump-nosed Viper

About the Gloyd's Hump-nosed Viper

Hypnale nepa, the Sri Lankan hump-nosed viper, is a venomous pitviper species endemic to Sri Lanka where it is known as මූකලන් තෙලිස්සා (mukalan thelissa) in Sinhala. Earlier thought that Hypnale walli and Hypnale nepa were two distinct species, but it is now accepted that it is the same species and Hypnale walli is a synonym name. Relatively small, they are distinguished by a strongly upturned snout. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Adults grow to a total length of 30–35 cm (11+3⁄4–13+3⁄4 in). According to Wall (1921), the maximum recorded lengths are for a male of 38.7 cm (15+1⁄4 in) and a female of 38.1 cm (15.0 in). According to Deraniyagala (1955), the largest specimen in the Colombo museum was 39.2 cm (15+1⁄2 in) in total length with a tail measuring 5.9 cm (2+1⁄4 in). In general, the tail is 13-18% of total body length. The body is moderately slender, with a head that is conspicuously distinct from the neck.

This species is distinguished from H. hypnale by a snout that has a strongly upturned tip. This is due to an extended rostral scale, which is immediately followed by a raised wart-like hump covered with 7-14 very small scales. Also, the hemipenes... Wikipedia →