CHECK-LIST AND KEY OF PHILIPPINE SNAKES. 267 



Family AMBLYCEPHALID^. 



No median (mental) groove beneath the chin; body compressed; maxillary 

 bone very short, with 5 subequal teeth; head very distinct from neck; eye large, 

 with vertical pupil; scales smooth, oblique, without pits, in 13 rows; subcaudals 

 single ( unpaired ) . 



Light brown. Easily distinguished by the small, deep, almost cubical head, 



which is very distinct from the neck Haplopeltura boa (Boie). 



Southern Mindanao (J. 0. Fischer) ; Palawan and Balabac (Boulenger) ; 

 Iwahig, Palawan {Bureau of Science collection). Found also in Pinang, 

 Borneo, Java, and the Moluccas. 



Family VIPERID^. 



Maxilla very short, capable of being erected, and bearing only a pair of large, 

 hollow, poison fangs. 



Subfamily CROTALIN^. 



A deep pit between the eye and the nostril. Head large, distinct from neck, 

 triangular. 



Only one genus is found in the Philippines. Most of these snakes are arboreal 

 and are protectively colored. Their bite is dangerous.... Genus Trimeresurus. 

 a^. Tail prehensile. 



6'. Scales between the eyes smooth. 

 c\ Ventrals 145 to 175; supraocular narrow; nasals in contact, or separated 

 by 1 or 2 scales. Dark green above, with a yellow streak along the 

 outer row of scales on each side of the body. 



Trimeresurus gramineus (Shaw). 

 Paracale (Peters) ; southern Mindanao [J. G. Fischer) ; Iwahig, Pa- 

 lawan (Bureau of Science collection). Found in all parts of south- 

 eastern Asia and the Malay Archipelago. 

 c'. Ventrals 170 to 187; snout prominent; supraocular narrow, 2 or 3 scales 

 between nasals; 8 to 10 between supraoculars. Bright green above, 

 with a yellow spot on each scale of the lateral rows. 



Trimeresurus flavomaculatus (Gray). 

 Mindanao (F. Miiller, J. G. Fischer, Giinther) ; Luzon (Boulenger) ; 

 Laguna Province and Batan Island (Batanes) (Bureau of Science col- 

 lection). Occurs only in the Philippines. 

 (?'. Ventrals 180 to 191 ; supraocular large, 4 to 9 scales between supraoculars. 

 Bright green, with 2 series of white spots along the back. 



Trimeresurus sumatranus (Raffles). 

 Palawan (Boulenger). Found also in Borneo, Sumatra, and Sin- 

 gapore, 

 c*. Ventrals 203; supraoculars narrow; internasals small, separated by 2 

 scales of similar size. Bright green, with fine black lines above; outer 



row of scales, canary-yellow Trimeresurus schultzei Griffin. 



Iwahig, Palawan (Bureau of Science collection). 



b". Upper head scales all strongly keeled. Bright green, with white and purple, 



or white and red, vertical bars on the sides.. Trimeresurus wagleri (Boie). 



Mindanao (Gmelin, Peters, F. Miiller, Giinther, J, G. Fischer) ; Samar 



(Peters) ; Palawan, Albay (Boulenger) ; Palawan (Bureau of Science 



collection) . 



