Table Of Content592 JOURNAL BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 93 (1996)
,
References
Daniel, J.C. (1983): The book of Indian reptiles. Bombay ding Ceylon and Burma. Reptiles and Amphibians.
Natural History Society, Bombay, page 76. Vol. 3, Serpentes. Taylor and Francis, London.
Smith, M.A. (1943): The fauna of British India inclu- p.422.
BREEDING SEASON OF HORSE-SHOE PIT VIPER TRIMERESURUS STRIGATUS) IN
19. (
NILGIRI BIOSPHERE RESERVE
The Western Ghats is one of the well known stream close by. This species is reported to be
areas of biodiversity and endemism. It is reported distributed in Nilgiri, Annamalai, Sevaroy, Palani
that 89 of117 amphibian species (Daniels 1992) and and Tirunelveli hills (Smith 1943).
mm
48 of 112 species ofreptiles areendemic. Six species The viper measured 365 in snout-vent
mm
of pit vipers have been reported from the Western length and 55 in tail length. Five developing
Ghats (Smith 1943). They areHump nosed (Hypnale eggs were felt by palpation. Breeding season ofthis
hypnale), Largescaled (Trimeresurus macrolepis), species has not been recorded so far (Smith 1943,
Malabar (T. malabaricus). Horse-shoe (T. strigatus). Murthy 1990). Based on the present observation, it
Bamboo (T. graminius) and Hutton’s (T. huttoni)pit appears that the Horse-shoe pit viper breeds in the
&
vipers (Smith 1943 1949). Indian vipers are ovo- post monsoon season. In the same general locality
viviparous. The present report is based on an i.e. Western Catchment ofMukkuruthi National Park,
observation fromMukkuruthi National Park, Nilgiri other reptile species such as the whip snake
Biosphere Reserve (NBR). Mukkuruthi National (Ahaetulla perroteti) and Nilgiri Salea Salea
(
m
park is apart ofthehigherhills (1800-2500 above horsfieldi) are common.
msl) ofNBR. The dominant vegetation type of this
area is Montane Shola Grassland. We record our sincere thanks to the World
On 21 September 1995, while conducting a Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) India for financial
lizard survey in the Western catchment of this assistance and Tamil Nadu Forest Department for
National Park, we located a viper which was permission to work in Mukkuruthi National Park.
identified as Horse-shoe pit viper Trimeresurus
(
KANNAN & BHUPATHY
strigatus) based on thedescription by Smith (1943). Sept. 17, 1996 P. S.
&
The snake was basking on abarren rocksurrounded SalimAli Centrefor Ornithology
by boulders. The ambienttemperature was less than Natural History, Kalampalayam,
12° C (10.00 AM). The area was wet as there was a Coimbatore 641 010.
References
Daniels, R.J.R. (1992): Geographical distribution pattern of Smith, M.A. (1943): Fauna of British India. Reptilia and
&
amphibians in theWestern Ghats, India J. Biogeography Amphibia. Vol III. Serpentes. Taylor Francis,
19(5): 521-531. London.
Murthy, T.S.N. (1990): Illustrated guide to the snakes of Smith, M.A. (1949): A new species of pit viper from South
Western Ghats. Occasional paper. Rec. Zool Surv. India. India: Trimeresurushuttoni. J. Bombaynot. Hist. Soc. 48
114: 60-61. (3): 596.
EXTENSION OF RANGE OF S1LURUS WYNAADENSIS DAY
20.
(PISCES: SILURIFORMES: SILURIDAE)
During the course of a faunistic survey in the survey team of Z.S.I. collected two specimens of
hill ranges of the Kasaragod district of Kerala, the the Siluroid fish, Silurus wynaadensis Day, 1873,
,
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 593
from a hill stream at Ranipuram, a forest locality rivers Cauvery and Tungabhadra respectively. Later
m
situated at an elevation of about 760 above m.s.l. Rajan (1955) reported this species from the
on the southeastern part of the district. All the headwaters ofBhavani river which is also atributary
streams originating in the hill ranges of the district ofCauvery.
empty into the west flowing rivers in the district. The present record ofthis species is the first in
The hill stream wherein Silurus wynaadensis Day Kerala in a west flowing river.
was found is spring-fed and forms the headwaters The material examined (2 specimens 60-61.5
of the river Chandragiri, one of the major west mm. SL, Ranipuram, 10 September, 1993) is
flowing rivers in the district. deposited in the W.G.F.R.S. (Calicut), Zoological
SiluruswynaadensisDay isdistinguished from Survey of India.
other species in the genus by having the vomerine
band ofteeth interrupted, thepremaxillary teeth in a Acknowledgements
continuous narrow band, four mandibular barbels,
anal with 58-62 rays and pectoral with 10 branched I thank the Director, Zoological Survey of
rays. India, Calcutta and the Officer-in-Charge, Western
The occurrence of Silurus wynaadensis Day Ghat Field Research Station, Z.S.I., Calicut for
in a west flowing river in Kasaragod is an extension providing facilities and encouragement.
ofits range in Kerala. Out ofthe three species ofthe
genus Silurus Linn, found in India (Haig 1950), July 11, 1996 K.C.GOPI
Silurus wynaadensis Day is so far known to occur Zoological Survey ofIndia,
in the east flowing rivers ofthe Western Ghats, from Western Ghat FieldResearch Station
Wynaad in Kerala (Day, 1873, 1878) and from the Kamala Bldg, (1st Floor),
Jaggar valley in Karnataka (Bhimachar and Rau, 13/787A, Annie Hall Road,
1941) associated with the drainage systems of the Calicut-673002.
References
Day, F. (1873): On some new or imperfectly known 141-153.
fishes ofIndiaand Burma. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., p. Haig, J. (1950): Studies on the classification ofthe catfishes
237. ofthe Oriental and Palaearctic family Siluridae. Rec.
Day,F. (1878): ThefishesofIndia-WilliamDawson,London. Indian Mus. 48: 59-116.
XX
-778 pp. 198 pis. Rajan, S. (1955): Onacollectionoffish fromthehead waters
Bhimachar, B.S. & A.S. Rau (1941): The fishes of Mysore oftheBhavani river, South India.J. Bombaynat. Hist.
State. 1-FishesofKadurdistrict.J. Univ. Mysore(B)1; Soc. 53 (1): 44-48.
MYSTUS TENGARA (HAMILTON) (SILURIFORMES: BAGRIDAE) AN ADDITION
21. -
TO THE ICHTHYOFAUNA OF JAMMU (TAWI), INDIA.
Bagrid catfishes ofthe genus Mystus Scopoli Scopoli and Rita Bleeker are known as fossils from
are primary freshwater catfishes which are widely the Pliocene of the Siwaliks (Lydekkar 1886). The
distributed in southeast Asia, the Indo-Australian African genus Porcus is considered the ancestor of
islands and Africa, being found in Syriain west Asia Mystus, indicating the African origin of the latter
through India, Nepal, Pakistan to Sri Lanka in the genus (Jayaram 1966, 1974).
south, through Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Indo- In the ichthyofauna of Jammu Province of
China,Malaysia to East Indies, and Chinain theeast. Jammu and Kashmir State, catfishes of the genus
A
few species enter the seas and estuaries. Mystus Mystus are represented by two species, M. bleekeri
