REDESCRIPTION OF GONGYLOPHIS CONICUS SCHNEIDER, 1801 WITH COMPARATIVE NOTES ON ERYX JOHNII RUSSELL, 1801 AND ERYX CONICUS (BOULENGER, 1893) (SERPENTES, BOIDAE)

The taxonomic revision of Gongylophis conicus (Schneider, 1801) which is currently considered to be a synonym of Eryx conicus (Boulenger, 1893) is presented here. Distinguishing characters of male and female of the species indicate that females are superior to males in respect to different characters like length and pholidosis. The paper has a key and a brief redescription of Eryx johnii Russell, 1801. Comparison between two species of Eryx (johnii and conicus) is also mentioned here. Gongylophis conicus is currently considered to be a synonym of Eryx conicus, but four distinguishing morphological characters (body colour, rostral shield, mental groove, and tail tip) of Eryx conicus and Gongylophis conicus reported here indicate that they are two separate genus, not synonymous to each other.