Oligodon


Oligodon is genus of colubrid snakes that was first described by the Austrian zoologist Fitzinger in 1826. This genus is widespread throughout central and tropical Asia.

Description

Oligodon are also known as kukri snakes. They are egg eaters and are usually under 90 cm in length; different species display widely variable patterns and colorations. They subsist mostly by scavenging the eggs of birds and reptiles. Besides eggs, species of this genus also feeds on lizards, frogs, and small rodents.
Oligodon is a rear-fanged snake genus. They have a set of enlarged teeth placed in the back of their mouths, as well as functional Duvernoy's glands. They are not dangerous to humans, though. Bites by some species have been reported to bleed excessively, suggesting presence of anticoagulants in the Duvernoy's gland secretions. Species of Oligodon are mostly nocturnal, and live on the floor of mature forests.
The common name of the genus comes from the kukri, a distinctively shaped Nepalese knife, which is similar in shape to the broad, flattened, curved hind teeth of Oligodon species. These teeth are specially adapted for their main diet of eggs; the teeth slit open eggs as they are being swallowed by the snake, allowing for easier digestion.

Species

There are 77 recognized species in the genus Oligodon according to Reptile Database as of August 2017
The source column gives direct links to the sources used:
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Oligodon.
Common nameSpeciesAuthorityGeographic rangeConservation statusSource
Western kukri snake, Malabar brown kukri snakeO. affinisGünther, 1862India
Light-barred kukri snakeO. albocinctusNepal, Bangladesh, India, Burma, Vietnam, China
Northern short-headed snakeO. ancorusPhilippines
Annam kukri snakeO. annamensisLeviton, 1953Vietnam
Spotted kukri snake, ringed kukri snakeO. annuliferBrunei, Malaysia
Sandy Kukri SnakeO. arenariusVassilieva, 2015S Vietnam
Russet kukri snake, common kukri snake, banded kukriO. arnensisBangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Nepal
Barron's kukri snakeO. barroniThailand, Southern Vietnam, Cambodia, South Laos
Javanese mountain kukri snake, Boie's kukri snakeO. bitorquatusF. Boie, 1827Indonesia
Boo-Liat's kukri snakeO. booliatiLeong & :fr:Larry Lee Grismer|Grismer, 2004Malaysia
Short-tailed kukri snake, shorthead kukri snakeO. brevicaudaGünther, 1862India
Templeton's kukri snakeO. calamariusSri Lanka
Assam kukri snakeO. catenatusIndia, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, South China
Cat Tien kukri snakeO. cattienensisVassilieva, Geissler, Galoyan, Poyarkov, Van Devender & :de:Wolfgang Böhme |Böhme, 2013Dong Nai, Viet Nam
Chinese kukri snakeO. chinensissouthern China, northern Vietnam
Black cross-barred kukri snake, ashy kukri snake, golden kukri snake, Günther's kukri snakeO. cinereusIndia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Burma, Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, China
O. condaoensisNguyen, Nguyen, Le & Murphy, 2016S Vietnam
Pegu kukri snakeO. cruentatusBurma
O. culaochamensisNguyen et al., 2017Vietnam
North-east Indian kukri snake, Cantor's kukri snakeO. cyclurusIndia, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Nepal, Bangladesh
O. deuveiDavid, Vogel &
van Rooijen, 2008		Cambodia, southern Vietnam, Laos, North East Thailand
Gray's kukri snake, Bengalese kukri snakeO. dorsalisIndia, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand
Eberhardt's kukri snakeO. eberhardtiPellegrin, 1910Vietnam, China, possibly Laos, Cambodia and Burma
Nagarkot kukri snakeO. erythrogasterBoulenger, 1907Central and East Nepal, India
Red-striped kukri snake, Namsang kukri snakeO. erythrorhachisWall, 1910India
Jewelled kukri snake, Everett's kukri snakeO. everettiBoulenger, 1893Indonesia, Malaysia
Small-banded kukri snake, fasciolated kukri snakeO. fasciolatusBurma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam
Forbes' kukri snakeO. forbesiIndonesia
Taiwan kukri snake, Formosa kukri snakeO. formosanusVietnam, Taiwan, South Japan, South China
Hampton's kukri snakeO. hamptoniBoulenger, 1918Burma
Hua Hin Kukri SnakeO. huahin:fr:Olivier Sylvain Gérard Pauwels|Pauwels, Larsen, Suthanthangjai, David & Sumontha, 2017Thailand
Inornate kukri snake, unicolored kukri snakeO. inornatusCambodia, North and East Thailand
Jintakune's kukri snakeO. jintakunei:fr:Olivier Sylvain Gérard Pauwels|Pauwels, Wallach, David, Chanhome, 2002South Thailand
Grey kukri snake, Joynson's kukri snakeO. joynsoninorthern Thailand, possibly Laos, Burma, China
Walnut kukri snakeO. juglandiferIndia, West Bhutan
O. kampucheaensisNeang, Grismer & Daltry, 2012Cambodia
O. kheriensisAcharji & Ray, 1936India, Southwest Nepal
Lacroix kukri snakeO. lacroixiAngel & Bourret, 1933China, Vietnam
O. lungshenensisZheng & Huang, 1978China
Angel's kukri snakeO. macrurusVietnam
Barred short-headed snake, spotted kukri snakeO. maculatusPhilippines
Arakan kukri snake, McDougall's kukri snakeO. mcdougalliWall, 1905Burma
Bluebelly kukri snakeO. melaneusWall, 1909India
Abor Hills kukri snakeO. melanozonatusWall, 1922India, China
Sulu short-headed snake, Meyerink's kukri snakeO. meyerinkiiPhilippine Islands, possibly Malaysia
Spotted-bellied short-headed snake, Luzon kukri snakeO. modestusGünther, 1864Philippines
:fr:Albert Morice|Morice's kukri snakeO. moriceiDavid, Vogel & van Rooijen, 2008Southern Vietnam
Cambodian kukri snake, Mouhot's kukri snakeO. mouhotiCambodia, East Thailand
O. nagaoDavid, Q. Nguyen, T. Nguyen, Jiang, Chen, Teynié & :fr:Thomas Ziegler |Ziegler, 2012Northern Vietnam, Southwest China, Laos
Nikhil's kukri snakeO. nikhiliWhitaker & Dattatri, 1982India
O. notospilusGünther, 1873Philippine Islands
Eyed kukri snake, ocellated kukri snakeO. ocellatusCambodia, Lao, southern Vietnam
Eight-lined kukri snake, eight-striped kukri snake, Grace's kukri snakeO. octolineatusBrunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore
Ornate kukri snakeO. ornatusVan Denburgh, 1909China, Taiwan,
Perkin's short-headed snakeO. perkinsiPhilippines
Petronella's kukri snakeO. petronellaeRoux, 1917Indonesia
O. planicepsBurma
Pulau Weh kukri snakeO. praefrontalisF. Werner, 1913Indonesia
Bleeker's Kukri SnakeO. propinquusJan, 1862Indonesia
False striped kukri snakeO. pseudotaeniatusDavid, Vogel & van Rooijen, 2008Thailand
O. pulcherrimusF. Werner, 1909Indonesia
Purple kukri snake, brown kukri snakeO. purpurascensBrunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand
Long-snouted kukri snakeO. rostralis Nguyen, Tran, Nguyen, Neang, Yushchenko, & Poyarkov, 2020Vietnam
:fr:Hubert Saint Girons|Saint Girons' kukri snakeO. saintgironsiDavid, Vogel & :fr:Olivier Sylvain Gérard Pauwels|Pauwels, 2008Vietnam, Cambodia
Sai Yok Kukri SnakeO. saiyokSumontha, Kunya, Dangsri & :fr:Olivier Sylvain Gérard Pauwels|Pauwels, 2017Thailand -
Half-keeled kukri snake, barred kukri snake, banded kukri snakeO. signatusIndonesia, Malaysia, Singapore
Splendid kukri snakeO. splendidusBurma
Duméril's kukri snakeO. sublineatusA.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854Sri Lanka
Striped kukri snakeO. taeniatusCambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, possibly China
Streaked sukri knake, Loos snakeO. taeniolatusAfghanistan, India, Iran, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan
Mandalay kukri snake, Theobald's kukri snakeO. theobaldiBangladesh, Burma
O. torquatusBurma
Travancore kukri snakeO. travancoricusBeddome, 1877India
Three-lined kukri snakeO. trilineatusIndonesia
O. unicolorIndonesia
Jerdon's kukri snakeO. venustusIndia
Dark-spined kukri snake, vertebral kukri snakeO. vertebralisIndonesia, Malaysia
Bleeker's kukri snakeO. waandersiIndonesia
Wagner's kukri snakeO. wagneriDavid & Vogel, 2012Indonesia
O. woodmasoniIndia