Snakes of Pakistan

Suborder Serpentes

There are 67 species of serpentes (snakes) found in Pakistan.    

Family Boidae (boas) 

There are 3 species found in Pakistan.

1.     Eryx johnii johnii (Indian Sand Boa or Red Sand Boa)

2.     Eryx tataricus speciosus (Tartar Sand Boa)

3.      Gongylophis conicus or Eryx conicus (Rough-scaled Sand Boa

Family Colubridae (colubrids)

There are 32 species found in Pakistan.

1.     Amphiesma platyceps

2.     Amphiesma sielboldii

3.     Amphiesma stolata stolata

4.     Boiga trigonata

There are 2 subspecies found in Pakistan.

a.     Boiga t. melanocephala

      b.     Boiga t. trigonata

5.     Coluber fasciolatus

6.     Coluber karelini

There are 2 subspecies found in Pakistan.

a.     Coluber k. karelini

b.     Coluber k. mintonorum

7.     Coluber ravergeiri ravergeiri

8.     Coluber rhodorachis

There are 3 subspecies found in Pakistan.

a.     Coluber r. kashmirensis

b.     Coluber r. ladacensis

c.      Coluber r. rhodorachis

9.     Coluber ventromaculatus

There are 3 subspecies found in Pakistan.

a.     Coluber v. bengalensis

b.     Coluber v. indusai

c.      Coluber v. ventromaculatus

10.                        Enhydris pakistanica

11.                        Lycodon aulicus aulicus

12.                        Lycodon striatus

There are 2 subspecies found in Pakistan.

a.     Lycodon s. bicolor

b.     Lycodon s. striatus

13.                        Lycodon travancoricus

14.                        Lytorhynchus maynardi

15.                        Lytorhynchus paradoxus

16.                        Lytorhynchus ridgewayi

17.                        Natrix tessellata tessellate

18.                        Oligodon arnensis

19.                        Oligodon taeniolatus

20.                        Psammophis condanarus condanarus

21.                        Psammophis leithii

22.                        Psammophis lineolatus

23.                        Psammophis schokari

24.                        Pseudocyclophis persica

25.                        Ptyas mucosus

26.                        Sibynophis sagittarius

27.                        Spalerosophis arenarius

28.                        Spalerosophis diadema

There are 2 subspecies found in Pakistan.

a.     Spalerosophis d. diadema

b.     Spalerosophis d. schirazianus

29.                        Telescopus rhinopoma

30.                        Xenochrophis cerasogaster

31.                        Xenochrophis piscator piscator

32.                        Xenochrophis sanctijohannis

Family Elapidae (kraits and cobras)

There are 4 species found in Pakistan.

1.     Bungarus caeruleus (Common Krait)

2.     Bungarus sindanus (Sind Krait)

There are 2 subspecies found in Pakistan.

a.     Bungarus s. razai (Northern Punjab Krait)

b.     Bungarus s. sindanus (Sind Krait)

3.     Naja naja (Indian Cobra or Spectacled Cobra)

4.     Naja oxiana (Central Asian Cobra or Oxus Cobra)

 

Family Hydrophiidae  (Sea Snakes)

There are 14 species found in Pakistan

1.     Astrotia stokesii (Stokes' Sea Snake)

2.     Enhydrina schistosa (Beaked Sea Snake, Hook-nosed Sea Snake, Common Sea Snake or Valakadyn Sea Snake)

3.     Hydrophis caerulescens (Dwarf Seasnake or Many-toothed Sea Snake)

4.     Hydrophis cyanocinctus (Annulated Sea Snake or Blue-banded Sea Snake)

5.     Hydrophis fasciatus (Striped Sea Snake)

6.     Hydrophis lapemoides (Persian Gulf Sea Snake)

7.     Hydrophis mamillaris (Bombay Sea Snake)

8.     Hydrophis ornatus (Ornate Reef Seasnake)

9.     Hydrophis spiralis (Yellow Sea Snake)

10.                        Lapemis curtus (Shaw's Sea Snake)

11.                        Microcephalophis cantoris (Cantor's Small-headed Sea Snake)

12.                        Microcephalophis gracilis (Graceful Small-headed Sea Snake or Slender Sea Snake)

13.                        Pelamis platurus (Yellow-bellied Sea Snake or Pelagic Sea     Snake)

14.                        Praescutata viperina (Viperine Sea Snake)

    Family Leptotyphlopidae (Thread Snakes)

        There are 2 species found in pakistan

1.     Leptotyphlops blanfordii (Blanford's Worm Snake or Sind Thread Snake)

2.     Leptotyphlops macrorhynchus (Long-nosed Worm Snake or Beaked Thread Snake)

Family Pythonidae (Pythons)

There is 1 species found in Pakistan

1.     Python molurus molurus (Indian Python, Black-tailed Python or Sind Python)

 

Family Typhlopidae   (Blind Snakes)

There are 5 species found in Pakistan

1.     Ramphotyphlops braminus (Brahminy Blind Snake)

2.     Typhlops ahsanai (Ahsan's Blind Snake)

3.     Typhlops porrectus or Typhlops ductuliformes (Slender Worm Snake)

4.     Typhlops madgemintonai

There are 2 subspecies found in Pakistan.

a.     Typhlops m. madgemintonai (Madge's Blind Snake)

               b  Typhlops m. shermanai (Sherman's Blind Snake)

 

Family Viperidae (Vipers and Pit Vipers)

There are 7 species found in Pakistan

1.     Daboia russelii russelii (Daboia or Russell's Viper)

2.     Echis carinatus (Indian Saw-scaled Viper)

There are 3 subspecies found in Pakistan.

a.     Echis c. astolae (Astola Saw-scaled Viper)

b.     Echis c. multisquamatus (Multiscale Saw-scaled Viper)

c.      Echis c. sochureki (Sochurek's Saw-scaled Viper)

3.     Echis pyramidum (Northeast African Carpet Viper, Egyptian Saw-scaled Viper)

4.     Eristicophis macmahonii (McMahon's Viper, Asian Sand Viper, Leaf-nosed Viper)

5.     Gloydius himalayanus (Himalayan Pit Viper)

6.     Macrovipera lebetina obtusa (West-Asian Blunt-nosed Viper, Levant Blunt-nosed Viper)

7.     Pseudocerastes persicus persicus (Persian Horned Viper, False Horned Viper) 

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