Skip to main content
. 2017 Dec 19;56:e38. doi: 10.6620/ZS.2017.56-38

Table 1. The sample sizes of neonate/juvenile (N/J) and adult (A) sheds, ranges of number of dorsal scale rows (at anterior-middle-posterior body), ventrals, and subcaudals, and geographic distribution for 53 snake species. See the text for detailed descriptions of the classification of body patterns .

Species Body patterns N/J A No. of dorsal scale rowsa No. of ventralsa Pairs of subcaudalsa Occurrence in Taiwan or adjacent islandsb
Achalinus formosanus formosanus Not-patterned 0 1 27(29)-27(25)-25 158-184 61-83 (single row) Mountain areas of Taiwan, at altitudes of 1000-2000 m
Achalinus niger Not-patterned 0 4 25-25-25 169-185 51-72 (single row) Mountain areas of Taiwan, at altitudes of 1000-2000 m
Amphiesma stolatum Patterned 2 27 19-19-17 142-165 41-87 Throughout Taiwan, Matsu, and Orchid Is., up to 500 m altitude
Boiga kraepelini Patterned 0 6 23(21,25)-21(19,23)-17(15) 212-250 115-158 Throughout Taiwan, up to 1500 m altitude
Not-patterned 0 4
Bungarus multicinctus multicinctus Patterned 13 11 15(16,17)-15(16)-15 198-250 26-65 (single row) Throughout Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, Xiaoliuqiu, and Gueishan Is., up to 1000 m
Not-patterned 0 51
Calamaria pavimentata pavimentata Not-patterned 0 2 13-13-13 167-192 13-23 Throughout Taiwan and Orchid Is., up to 1500 m altitude
Cyclophiops major Patterned 14 0 15-15-15 155-189 61-97 Throughout Taiwan, up to 1000 m altitude
Not-patterned 0 18
Daboia siamensis Patterned 4 57 29(27,31)-29(27,31,33)-21(23) 151-169 40-54 Southern and south-eastern Taiwan, up to 500 m altitude
Deinagkistrodon acutus Patterned 1 8 21(22,23)-21(23)-17(18,19) 152-176 41-63 Throughout Taiwan, at altitudes of 150-1500 m
Elaphe carinata yonaguniensis Patterned-type I 12 0 23(21,25)-23(21,25)-19(17) 209-230 78-99 Throughout Taiwan and adjacent islands, up to 2000 m altitude
Patterned-type II 1 7
Elaphe taeniurus friesi Patterned-type I 90 17 25(23)-23(21,25)-19(17) 243-262 101-122 Throughout Taiwan, up to 2000 m altitude
Patterned-type II 0 102
Euprepiophis mandarinus Patterned-type I 0 11 23(21,25)-23(21)-19(17,21) 181-238 49-76 Northern, Central and Eastern Taiwan, at altitudes of 1000-2500 m
Patterned-type II 0 3
Gonyosoma frenatum Patterned 3 0 19(21)-19(17)-15(13) 200-227 108-151 Southern and Southeastern Taiwan, up to 1500 meters altitude
Not-patterned 0 2
Hebius miyajimae Patterned 0 2 19-19-17 141-152 87-92 Mainly in northern Taiwan, at altitudes of 500-1600 m
Hebius sauteri Not-patterned 1 4 17-17-17 120-147 65-92 Throughout Taiwan, up to 1500 m altitude
Hebius sp. (“Paiwan Keelback”) Not-patterned 1 0 19-19-17? - - Limited areas of southern or eastern Taiwan, between 500 and 1300 meters altitude
Hypsiscopus plumbea Not-patterned 3 8 19-19-17(15) 122-136 23-47 Western and northern Taiwan, including Gueishan Is., up to 500 m altitude
Indotyphlops braminus Not-patterned 0 8 20-20-20 300-303 8-14 Throughout Taiwan and adjacent islands, up to 500 m altitude
Laticauda colubrina Patterned 0 4 25-23,25-21 225-245 33-44 Orchid Is., Green Is., eastern or southern coast of Taiwan
Laticauda laticaudata Patterned 0 8 19-19(21)-17 215-252 33-47 Orchid Is., Green Is., eastern or southern coast of Taiwan
Laticauda semifasciata Patterned 0 10 23-23-19(21) 178-203 32-43 Orchid Is., Green Is., eastern or southern coast of Taiwan
Lycodon rufozonatus rufozonatus Patterned 5 12 17(19,21)-17(19)-15(17) 184-225 45-95 Throughout Taiwan and Matsu, up to 2000 m altitude
Not-patterned 0 34
Lycodon ruhstrati ruhstrati Patterned 38 7 17(19)-17-15 193-233 64-116 Throughout Taiwan, up to 1500 m altitude
Not-patterned 0 7
Macropisthodon rudis rudis Patterned 3 3 23-23(21,25)-19 123-156 37-65 Throughout Taiwan, at altitudes of 500-1500 m
Not-patterned 0 2
Myrrophis chinensis Type I 2 0 23(25)-23-21(17,19) 131-155 35-52 Limited areas of Taipei, Taoyuan, Nantou, Kenting, and Kinmen, at altitudes up to 500 m
Type II 0 9
Naja atra Type I 54 0 23(21,25,27)-21(19,20)-15(14,13) 158-185 38-53 Throughout Taiwan and Matsu, up to 1000 m altitude
Type II 0 138
Oligodon chinensis Patterned-type I 2 0 17-17-15 158-206 40-73 Matsu
Patterned-type II 0 2
Oligodon formosanus Patterned-type I 7 0 19-19(17)-17(15) 154-189 39-60 Throughout Taiwan and adjacent islands, up to 1000 m altitude
Patterned-type II 2 19
Oligodon ornatus Patterned 0 3 15-15-15 156-182 27-44 Northern and Central Taiwan, at altitudes of 500-1500 m
Oreocryptophis porphyraceus kawakamii Patterned-type I 2 0 19(18,17)-19(17)-17(15) 194-214 47-75 Throughout Taiwan, up to 2200 m altitude
Patterned-type II 0 7
Ovophis makazayazaya Patterned 0 7 25~31-25~29- 21 144-155 39-54 Northern and western Taiwan, at altitudes of 500-2200 m
Not-patterned 0 3
Pareas atayal Not-patterned 0 11 15-15-15 174-188 71-79 Northern Taiwan, up to 1500 m altitudes
Pareas formosensis Not-patterned 0 10 15-15-15 170-180 69-82 Throughout Taiwan except for the north-eastern tip of the island, up to 2000 m altitudes
Pareas komaii Not-patterned 0 7 15-15-15 162-182 60-76 Central, southern, and eastern Taiwan, up to 2000 m altitudes
Plagiopholis styani Patterned 0 5 15-15-15 102-126 21-32 Very limited areas around Taipei and the Northern Cross-Island Highway, at altitudes of 500-1100 m
Protobothrops mucrosquamatus Patterned 3 37 25~29-25(21,27,29)-17~21 194-233 70-108 Throughout Taiwan, up to 1500 m altitude
Psammodynastes pulverulentus papenfussi Patterned 0 11 17-17-15(13) 161-177 58-79 Throughout Taiwan and Orchid Is., up to 1500 m altitude
Pseudoxenodon stejnegeri stejnegeri Patterned 0 2 19(17,21)-17-15(14) 150-162 42-66 Throughout Taiwan, at altitudes of 800-2500 m
Not-patterned 0 3
Ptyas dhumnades Patterned-type I 2 0 16-16(14)-14 186-217 91-188 Throughout Taiwan, up to 2000 m altitude
Patterned-type II 0 3
Ptyas korros Patterned 2 0 15-15(13,14)-11 156-184 100-154 Throughout Taiwan, up to 1000 m altitude
Not-patterned 0 2
Ptyas mucosa Patterned-type I 25 0 19(17,21)-17(16)-14(13,15) 170-213 94-143 Throughout Taiwan, Kinmen, and Matsu, up to 1500 m altitude
Patterned-type II 0 43
Python bivittatus bivittatus Patterned 1 18 53~64-64~72-40~44 255-263 63-71 Kinmen
Rhabdophis formosanus Patterned 1 15 19-19-17(15) 161-171 74-89 Mountain areas of Taiwan, at altitudes of 1500-3000 m
Rhabdophis swinhonis Patterned 1 20 15(17)-15-15 124-165 49-74 Throughout Taiwan, up to 1800 m altitude
Sibynophis chinensis chinensis Patterned 0 4 17-17-17 164-187 171-208 Throughout Taiwan and Gueishan Is., up to 1500 m altitude
Sinomicrurus hatori Patterned 0 3 13-13-13 (occasionally 15) 223-245 30-34 Northern and eastern Taiwan, up to 2200 m altitude
Sinomicrurus macclellandi swinhoei Patterned 0 1 13-13-13 207-240 32-41 Northern and western Taiwan, at altitudes up to 1000 m
Sinomicrurus sauteri Patterned 0 2 13-13-13 (occasionally 15) 234-268 27-36 South and central Taiwan, up to 2500 m altitude
Sinonatrix annularis Patterned 10 0 19-19-17 136-167 47-74 Very limited areas of Taipei, and Taoyuan, at altitudes up to 1000 m
Not-patterned 0 9
Sinonatrix percarinata Patterned 4 3 19-19-17 131-160 44-87 Throughout Taiwan, at altitudes up to 1500 m
Not-patterned 0 2
Trimeresurus gracilis Patterned 7 33 25~27-21~19-15~17 144-149 43-53 Central mountains in Taiwan, at elevations of 2000-3500 m
Not-patterned 0 5
Trimeresurus stejnegeri Not-patterned 4 52 21(22~25)-21(23)-15 154-178 43-80 Throughout Taiwan, Green Is. and Orchid Is., up to 2000 m altitude
Xenochrophis piscator Not-patterned 2 9 19-19(17)-17(15) 121-152 42-90 Throughout Taiwan and Kinmen, up to 500 m altitude

aThe numbers of dorsal scale rows, ventrals, and subcaudals are mainly summarized from previous reports (see the text). The data of Hebius sp. are measured from a uid-preserved specimen (voucher number: NIU-HE-001). (Maki 1931; Pope 1935; Wang and Wang 1956; Kuntz 1963; Ota and Toyama 1989; Tu et al. 1990; Zhao et al. 1998; Ota et al. 1999; Zhao 2006; You et al. 2013, 2015). bThe geographical distributions of snakes in Taiwan and adjacent islands are mainly according to Shang et al. (2009).