Oligodon nikhili
species of reptile
Oligodon nikhili, known commonly as Nikhil's kukri snake, is a species of snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Palani Hills of southern India.
Etymology
Both the specific name, nikhili, and the common name, Nikhil's kukri snake, are in honor of Nikhil Whitaker (born 1979), the son of herpetologist Romulus Whitaker.
Description
The holotype of Oligodon nikhili, an adult male, has a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 35 cm (14 in), plus a tail length of 7.3 cm (2.9 in). The smooth dorsal scales of the body are arranged in 17 rows on the neck, in 15 rows at midbody, and in 15 rows slightly anterior to the vent. The holotype has 144 ventrals, a divided anal scale, and 33 pairs of subcaudals.
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of Oligodon nikhili is forest, at elevations of approximately 1,500 m (4,900 ft).
Behavior
Oligodon nikhili is terrestrial.
Reproduction
Oligodon nikhili is oviparous.
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The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2711799. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1979.
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This entry incorporates text from “Oligodon nikhili” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.