About Macrelaps microlepidotus (Günther, 1860)
This section covers both the genus diagnosis and the species description of Macrelaps microlepidotus.
For the genus diagnosis: The maxilla is short, and holds four moderately large teeth, which are followed by a very large grooved fang positioned below the eye. The anterior mandibular teeth are enlarged, with the third to fifth being the longest. The head is small and not distinctly separated from the neck. The eye is very small and has a round pupil. The nasal scale is divided. There is no loreal scale and no preocular scale. The prefrontal scale extends to contact the eye. The body is cylindrical and the tail is short. Dorsal scales are smooth, lack pits, and are arranged in 25 or 27 rows. Ventrals are rounded, and all subcaudals are single.
For the species description of Macrelaps microlepidotus: The species is completely black on both its dorsal and ventral surfaces. It can reach a total length of 85 cm (33+1⁄2 inches), with a tail length of 10.5 cm (4+1⁄8 inches). Its smooth dorsal scales are arranged in 25 or 27 rows. It has 163 to 166 ventrals, an entire anal plate, and 37 to 48 entire subcaudals. The portion of the rostral scale visible from above is nearly half as long as the distance between the rostral and the frontal scale. Internasals are shorter than the prefrontals. The frontal scale is as long as it is broad, equal in length to the distance from the frontal to the tip of the snout, and much shorter than the parietals. There is one small postocular scale. Temporal scales follow a 1+2 arrangement. There are seven upper labials, with the third and fourth contacting the eye, and the fifth being the largest. Three or four lower labials contact the anterior chin shield. Anterior chin shields are slightly longer than posterior chin shields.
