John is correct in that this subspecies is no longer considered as such and is not currently recognized as a separate subspecies from Indian subcontinent P. molurus molurus. They are now technically distinguished from mainland molurus by referring to them as Sri Lanka molurus.

John is also correct in that their pure form has become quite rare as hybridizing them with Indian molurus has occurred rather frequently either on purpose or by accident, as many people have trouble differentiating between these two forms of molurus. Identifying a Indian X Sri Lanka hybrid is even more difficult.

One thing to definitely look for in a suspected hybrid is a lack of the arrow marking on top of the head. Pure adult to sub-adult Indian molurus will have about a three-quarter arrow on the top of the head with the front quarter missing. Sri Lanka molurus will usually only have approximately half of the arrow marking showing, and in exceptional specimens, virtually the entire arrow marking is absent. Another thing to look for in Sri Lanka molurus is the characteristic "H" pattern in the markings running down the length of the back.

I have a small group of pure Sri Lanka molurus that I have been working with for some time, and their color and pattern are distinctly different from any mainland P. molurus. Feel free to contact me with any additional questions you may have. They are also smaller than the mainland form with adult females in the 9 to 12 feet range, and adult males typically 7 to 9. These are definitely one of my favorites.

Kelly

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