Ahaetulla dispar

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Gunther's vine snake
A.dispar.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Ahaetuliinae
Genus: Ahaetulla
Species:
A. dispar
Binomial name
Ahaetulla dispar
(Günther, 1864)
Synonyms
  • Dryophis dispar
  • Tragops dispar
Head Ahaya.dispar.jpg
Head

Ahaetulla dispar, the Gunther's vine snake, is a species of tree snake endemic to the Western Ghats. It is primarily restricted to the Shola forests of the Southern Western Ghats where it is found often on high-elevation montane grasslands and the low shrub belts.

Contents

Description

Snout pointed and projecting, without dermal appendage, not quite twice as long as the eye. Internasals and prefrontals usually in contact with the labials; one or two small loreals ; frontal as long as its distance from the end of the snout or longer, as long as the parietals; one preocular, in contact with the frontal, with one or two suboculara below; twopostoculars; temporals 2+2 or 2+3; upper labials 8, fifth entering the eye; 4 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are as long as the posterior or a little shorter. Scales in 15 rows, those of the sacral region more or less distinctly keeled. Ventrals 142–151; anal divided; sub-caudals 90-105. Dorsal body Bright green or bronzy olive with two yellowish stripes along the ventrals, the skin between the scales black; ventral surface pale green to pale olive. [2] Total length 26 inches; tail 7.5.

Geographic Range

It is endemic to Southern Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu states of South India, from the Anaimalai Hills to the region north of the Shencottah Gap. Precise records are from Munnar, Anaimalai, Grass Hills National Park, Palni hills, Meghamalai, Periyar Tiger Reserve, and Travancore hills. Populations south of the Shencottah Gap, in regions such as the Agasthyamalai Hills, are now considered to belong to a separate species, A. travancorica. It is a high-elevation species, occurring only above 1300 m, all the way up to 2695 m asl. [3]

Habits and habitat

It is a diurnal, semi arboreal and sometimes terrestrial snake, often found in low bushes or rocks and high elevation forests and grasslands of the Western Ghats. Males are often green, while females are brown. It mainly feeds on lizards and frogs. It is considered to have a mild venom and is rear-fanged. It is presumed to be ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young ones. Natural history poorly known.

Notes

  1. ↑ Achyuthan, N.S.; Ganesh, S.R. (2021). "Ahaetulla dispar". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T172589A158418422. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T172589A158418422.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Boulenger, G. A. 1890. Fauna of British India. Reptilia and Batrachia.
  3. ↑ Mallik, Ashok Kumar; Srikanthan, Achyuthan N.; Pal, Saunak P.; D’souza, Princia Margaret; Shanker, Kartik; Ganesh, Sumaithangi Rajagopalan (6 November 2020). "Disentangling vines: a study of morphological crypsis and genetic divergence in vine snakes (Squamata: Colubridae: Ahaetulla ) with the description of five new species from Peninsular India". Zootaxa. 4874 (1): zootaxa.4874.1.1. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4874.1.1. ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   33311335. S2CID   228823754.

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References

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