Taxonomic revision of the king cobra Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor, 1836) species complex (Reptilia: Serpentes: Elapidae), with the description of two new species Author Das, Indraneil 85A2D637-43A8-4422-B42E-A23B81592326 Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia. Author Shankar, P. Gowri FD48E857-17FC-4D01-B727-66BE3BBA76FB Maharaja Shrirama Chandra Bhanja Deo University, Baripada, Takatpur, Odisha, India. & Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, Karnataka, India. & Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, SE- 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden. & Kālinga Foundation, Guddakere, Agumbe, Shivamogga 577 411, Karnataka, India. Author Swamy, Priyanka Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, Karnataka, India. Author Williams, Rhiannon C. Molecular Ecology and Evolution at Bangor, School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor LL 57 2 UW, Wales, UK. Author Lalremsanga, Hmar Tlawmte Developmental Biology & Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, Aizawl 796 004, Mizoram, India. Author Prashanth, P. Kālinga Foundation, Guddakere, Agumbe, Shivamogga 577 411, Karnataka, India. Author Sahoo, Gunanidhi Department of Zoology, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar 751 004, Odisha, India. Author Vijayakumar, S. P. Kālinga Foundation, Guddakere, Agumbe, Shivamogga 577 411, Karnataka, India. Author Höglund, Jacob Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, SE- 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden. Author Shanker, Kartik Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, Karnataka, India. Author Dutta, Sushil K. Department of Zoology, Assam Don Bosco University, Tapesia 782 402, Assam, India. Author Ganesh, S. R. Kālinga Foundation, Guddakere, Agumbe, Shivamogga 577 411, Karnataka, India. Author Wüster, Wolfgang Molecular Ecology and Evolution at Bangor, School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor LL 57 2 UW, Wales, UK. text European Journal of Taxonomy 2024 2024-10-16 961 1 1 51 https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/download/2681/12413 journal article 304766 10.5852/ejt.2024.961.2681 db7e349e-65f6-4d56-bab3-69c97bfb4afd 2118-9773 13944155 8E064900-1289-4648-BE9A-F17461CCF25C

Table 1. Summary of morphological characters associated with species of Ophiophagus Günther, 1864 recognised in this study. See ‘Terminology for character analysis’ for details. Note: pale dorsal bands are sometimes absent in adult O. bungarus (Schlegel, 1837) comb. nov. (in images of live specimens examined), and consistently absent in adult O. salvatana Gowri Shankar, Das & Wüster sp. nov. Further, juveniles of the latter show pale bands (in images of three live specimens examined; no voucher specimens of juvenile O. salvatana were available for study).

Characters	Statistics	O. hannah s. str.	O. bungarus comb. nov.	O. kaalinga sp. nov.	O. salvatana sp. nov.
Anterior dorsal scale rows (DSR1)	Mean	18.0	18.9	19.5	18.6
	Range	17–19	17–21	19–21	17–19
	(n)	15	46	4	5
Median dorsal scale rows (DSR2)	Mean	15.0	15.0	15.0	15.0
	Range	15–15	15–15	15–15	15–15
	(n)	15	12	4	4
Posterior dorsal scale rows (DSR3)	Mean	13.8	14.0	15.0	15.0
	Range	11–15	13–15	15–15	15–15
	(n)	13	12	4	4
Ventrals	Mean	244.0	250.12	247.8	251.0
	Range	226–267	253–268	241–251	247–256
	(n)	49	58	4	4
Subcaudals	Mean	89.0	106.8	88.0	93
	Range	80–112	71–125	86–90	74–112
	(n)	49	57	4	4
Precloacal	Mean	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
	Range	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1
	(n)	49	63	4	4
Supralabials	Mean	6.9	7.0	7.4	7.0
	Range	6–7	7–7	7–8	7–7
	(n)	15	68	5	5
Infralabials	Mean	8.0	8.0	8.0	8.0
	Range	7–9	8–8	8–8	8–8
	(n)	15	68	5	5
Pale body bands	Mean	39.6	72.0	35.0	0
	Range	27–48	57–87	28–48	0
	(n)	41	51	3	5
Pterygoid teeth	Mean	19.3	11	12	11
	Range	18–21	11–11	12–12	11–11
	(n)	12	9	4	6