Table 7.

Diagnostic characters separating all 17 species of the Elaphe, with distinguishing characters marked in bold. *: Counts of PrO contain subpreocular.

Species	maximum SVL (in mm)	DSR	SPL	IFL	PrO*	PtO	TMP	V	SC
Elaphe xiphodonta sp. nov.	785	21-21-17	8 (7)	9 (10)	2	2	2+3	202–204	67–68
Elaphe anomala	1925	23 (21–25)-23 (19–23)-19 (17–19)	8	9–11	2 (1)	2 (1)	2 (3)+3 (2)	203–225	45–77
Elaphe bimaculata	760	23 (23–25)-23 (21–25)-19 (21)	8 (7)	9–12	2 (1)	2	2+3	170–209	61–81
Elaphe cantoris	1158	19 (20, 21)-19 (21–23)-17	8	9–10	2	2	2+3 (2)	226–239	78–87
Elaphe carinata	> 2000	23 (21–25)-23 (21–25)-19 (17)	8 (9)	9–12	2 (1)	2	2+3	186–227	69–102
Elaphe climacophora	> 1500	NA-23 (25)-NA	8 (9)	11	2	2	2+3 (2)	222–236	97–116
Elaphe davidi	1227	25 (22–27)-23 (22–25)-19 (17–21)	8 (7)	11–13	2 (1, 3)	2 (1–4)	2 (1, 3)+4 (2–3)	155–183	53–72
Elaphe dione	893	25 (21–27)-25 (21–27)-19 (17–21)	8 (9)	9–11	2 (1)	2	2+3	168–206	51–84
Elaphe hodgsoni	1190	23 (21–25)- 23 (21–25)-17	8 (9)	9–12	2 (1)	2	2 (1, 3)+3 (2, 4)	228–247	72–92
Elaphe moellendorffi	1602	25 (23–27)-27 (5)-19 (21)	9 (10)	10–13	2	2	2 (3)+3 (4)	270–278	92–102
Elaphe quadrivirgata	>1000	NA-19-NA	8	11	2	2	2 (1)+3 (2)	195–215	70–96
Elaphe quatuorlineata	> 2000	25-25 (23–27)-19	8 (9)	11	2 (3)	2 (3)	2 (3)+3 (4)	187–234	56–90
Elaphe sauromates	1250	25 (21–27)-25 (23, 24)-19 (18–21)	8 (7–10)	11 (9–12)	2 (1, 3)	2 (1)	2(1, 3)+ 4 (2–5)	199–222	61–79
Elaphe schrenckii	1335	23 (21)-23 (21)-19	8 (7)	8–11	2 (1)	2	2+3 (2)	208–224	57–75
Elaphe taeniura	> 2000	25 (23)-23 (21, 25)-19 (17)	9 (6–10)	9–13	2 (1)	2 (3)	2 (1, 3)+3 (2–5)	223–261	73–121
Elaphe urartica	970	25 (23, 24)- 25 (23, 24)-19 (18)	8 (9)	11 (10–13)	2 (1, 3)	2 (1, 3)	2 (3)+ 4 (2, 3)	154–211	60–74
Elaphe zoigeensis	722	21-19(21)-17	7–8	9	3	2	2+3(2)	202–212	68–79