Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha

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Indian or Long-nosed vine snake
Green vine snake or Long nosed whip snake.jpg
At Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Ahaetuliinae
Genus: Ahaetulla
Species:
A. oxyrhyncha
Binomial name
Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha
(Bell, 1825)
Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha, Ezhimala, Kerala, India. Note the distinct black and white interstices. Ahaetulla nasuta in a threat display.jpg
Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha, Ezhimala, Kerala, India. Note the distinct black and white interstices.

The Indian vine snake or long-nosed vine snake (Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha) is a species of diurnal, mildly venomous, arboreal snake distributed in the lowlands of peninsular India.Often mistakenly believed to peck out peoples' eyes, this misconception has led to widespread wanton killing of this species. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Description

A thin and slender-bodied snake that is usually bright grassy green in colour. A pair of white lines extend throughout its body length demarcating the back and under belly parts. Adults reach over 5 feet (1.5 m) in length. They have unique horizontal pupil in the eye. Formerly misclassified as A. nasuta, A. oxyrhyncha is actually a much larger-bodied species that also has a much longer snout. [3] Indian green vine snakes (genus Ahaetulla) are strongly arboreal, meaning they live in trees and bushes, using their slender bodies and camouflage to mimic branches for hunting lizards and frogs and avoiding predators. They are diurnal (active during the day) and rely on their perfect camouflage and binocular vision for hunting in foliage.

Venrnacular Languauge

In Telugu, it is known as pasarika pamu

Geographic range

This species is distributed throughout the drier plains and low hilly tracts of Peninsular India, except the Western Ghats rainforest. [1]

Habitat

It is found in many types of vegetation including arid to semi-arid habitats and in dry deciduous forests, as well as open areas such as scrub forests, coastal forests, and Indian savannah. This species has been often sighted in and around human habitations in villages and countrysides and even in some city Parks. [1]

Taxonomy

It was described as a distinct species in 1825 based on drawings of snakes from Vishakapatnam, but later considered as same species and confused with A. nasuta , that is only endemic to Sri Lanka. A 2020 study found A. nasuta to be a species complex of A. nasuta sensu stricto and several species endemic to the Western Ghats ( A. borealis , A. farnsworthi , A. isabellina , and A. malabarica). [1]

Venom

The snake is mildly venomous. Bites from this species produce a moderate reaction in humans, causing localized pain, swelling, bruising, and numbness that typically resolves within three days. Bites typically do not require medical attention, but some cases involving bites near vital organs could be more severe

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Mallik, Ashok Kumar; Srikanthan, Achyuthan N.; Pal, Saunak P.; D'souza, Princia Margaret; Shanker, Kartik; Ganesh, Sumaithangi Rajagopalan (2020-11-06). "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): 1–62. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4874.1.1. ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   33311335. S2CID   228823754.
  2. ↑ "New species of vine snakes discovered". The Hindu. 2020-11-14. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2020-11-26.
  3. 1 2 "The discovery of five new species of vine snakes in India". phys.org. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
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