Hidden in the Sky Islands: A new species of Xylophis Beddome, 1878 (Serpentes: Pareidae: Xylophiinae) from montane habitats of Wayanad in the Western Ghats of India

A new species of the snake genus Xylophis is described from the Wayanad region in the Western Ghats of India. The new species, X. chenkaruppan sp. nov., is described based on six specimens collected from Vellarimala and Kurichyarmala Hills. Molecular genetic analysis based on three mitochondrial (16s, cytb & nd4) and one nuclear (cmos) marker recovered this lineage as sister to X. perroteti. Although also phenotypically generally similar to X. perroteti from Nilgiri Hills (north of the lowland Palghat Gap), the ventral head morphology of X. chenkaruppan sp. nov. differs from the former in that the posterior genial shields are in midline contact, a condition found also in X. mosaicus occurring only south of the Palghat Gap. An updated key to the identification of the species of the genus Xylophis is provided herein.