taxonID	type	description	language	source
1654B9E0282A56B39D7C084A7C29619A.taxon	description	Figs 3, 4, 5, 6, 7	en	Narayanan, Surya, Das, Sandeep, Anvar, Y. Muhammed, Tillack, Frank, Mohapatra, Pratyush P., Gower, David J., Rajkumar, K. P., Deepak, V. (2023): On the taxonomic validity of Boiga whitakeri Ganesh et al., 2021 with new insights on Boiga dightoni (Boulenger, 1894) (Reptilia: Squamata: Colubridae). Vertebrate Zoology 73: 1-21, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e97002, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e97002
1654B9E0282A56B39D7C084A7C29619A.taxon	description	Description of hemipenis of ZSI-CZRC-V- 7541 (Fig. 7). The right hemipenis is fully everted and removed in situ for further analysis. The hemipenis is sub-cylindrical and moderately elongate (length: 17.0 mm, maximum width: 5.7 mm), extending to the 7 th subcaudal. The sulcus is undivided, bounded by thick walls on both sides, and terminates at the centre of the lobe. It can be differentiated into three zones; the proximal zone is covered with 4 - 6 rows of spines (~ 40 % of the total length), the middle zone with 5 or 6 rows of spinulate flounces arranged transversely (~ 35 % of the total length), and the distal calyculate area (~ 25 %) with 4 or 5 rows of irregular calyces with papilate edges. The sulcus spermaticus is exposed before entering the calyculate area. There is not much variation in the arrangements of spines and body calyces on sulcate and asulcate sides. The overall structure of the hemipenis of ZSI-CZRC-V- 7542 is similar to that described for ZSI-CZRC-V- 7541.	en	Narayanan, Surya, Das, Sandeep, Anvar, Y. Muhammed, Tillack, Frank, Mohapatra, Pratyush P., Gower, David J., Rajkumar, K. P., Deepak, V. (2023): On the taxonomic validity of Boiga whitakeri Ganesh et al., 2021 with new insights on Boiga dightoni (Boulenger, 1894) (Reptilia: Squamata: Colubridae). Vertebrate Zoology 73: 1-21, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e97002, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e97002
1654B9E0282A56B39D7C084A7C29619A.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Based on currently available data, Boiga dightoni is widely distributed in the southern Western Ghats (south of the Palghat Gap), at elevations of 9 - 1258 m (Appendix 4). Murthy (1984) extended the northern range of this species to Topslip in Anamalais. Murthy (1984) reported 23 dorsal scale rows at midbody for the specimen he collected, which is known only for B. dightoni among Western Ghats' Boiga. The identity of this specimen (ZSI / SRS / S- 73) is confirmed by photographs presented by Murthy (1984). With an additional specimen from the same locality (ZSI-CZRC-V- 7541), we reconfirm the distribution of B. dightoni in Topslip in the Anamalai hills. The northernmost known distribution of B. dightoni is based on a specimen (BNHS 1842) from Palagapandy in the Nelliyampathy Hills, Kerala, a specimen that was previously (Ganesh et al. 2020) misidentified as B. nuchalis. The southernmost known occurrence of this species is Ponmudi in Kerala (Fig. 1). Thus, B. dightoni is found only south of the Palghat Gap in the Western Ghats. Boiga dightoni in parts of its range is probably sympatric with B. nuchalis and B. thackerayi immediately south of the Palghat Gap, based on distribution data (Fig. 1) and the sequences reported by Ganesh et al. (2021).	en	Narayanan, Surya, Das, Sandeep, Anvar, Y. Muhammed, Tillack, Frank, Mohapatra, Pratyush P., Gower, David J., Rajkumar, K. P., Deepak, V. (2023): On the taxonomic validity of Boiga whitakeri Ganesh et al., 2021 with new insights on Boiga dightoni (Boulenger, 1894) (Reptilia: Squamata: Colubridae). Vertebrate Zoology 73: 1-21, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e97002, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e97002
