Ahaetulla prasina

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Ahaetulla prasina
Ahaetulla-prasina-kaeng-krachan-national-park.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. prasina
Binomial name
Ahaetulla prasina
(Boie, 1827)
Synonyms

Dryophis prasinus Boie, 1827

Ahaetulla prasina is an arboreal, moderately venomous species of opisthoglyphous vine snake in the family Colubridae, found in Southern and Southeast Asia. Its common names include the Asian vine snake, Boie's whip snake, Gunther's whip snake, and the Oriental whip snake (Tagalog: puno ng ubas ahas; Thai: งูเขียวหัวจิ้งจก; Indonesian: ular anggur). [1]

Contents

Etymology

The species name prasina is from the Greek word prasinos for the color green. [2]

Taxonomy

It belongs to the genus Ahaetulla , one of five genera within the subfamily Ahaetuliinae. Recent studies have found it to be paraphyletic and in need of taxonomic revision, as shown in the cladogram below: [3]

Ahaetuliinae
sharpnosed snakes
Ahaetulla

Ahaetulla prasina (paraphyletic)

Ahaetulla fasciolata

Ahaetulla prasina (paraphyletic)

Ahaetulla prasina (paraphyletic)

Ahaetulla mycterizans

Ahaetulla prasina (paraphyletic)

Proahaetulla antiqua

Dryophiops

broadnosed snakes

Subspecies

Four subspecies are recognized, including the nominate race.

Distribution

This snake has a wide distribution in Asia, where it occurs in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. [1]

Description

The body form is extremely slender with a long, pointed, projecting snout that is rather more than twice as long as the eye. Adult colouration varies from light brown to dull yellow-green and often a startling fluorescent green. [4] Adults may attain 1.8 m (6 feet) in total length, with a tail 0.6 m (2 feet) long. [5] [6] Its appearance is very much like those of South American vine snakes. This is due to convergent evolution, as they are not closely related.

It is a rear-fanged species and is mildly venomous but is not considered a threat to humans. [2] It is diurnal, active during the day. [2]

Diet

Eating a green anole in captivity Asian Vine Snake (Ahaetulla prasina) eating a Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) male (36292004442).jpg
Eating a green anole in captivity

The Asian vine snake feeds on small reptiles and amphibians, particularly lizards and tree frogs.

In captivity

In recent years, it has entered the pet trade and has become quite popular among hobbyists.

Related Research Articles

<i>Ahaetulla nasuta</i> Species of venomous, snake

Ahaetulla nasuta, also known as Sri Lankan green vine snake and long-nosed whip snake, is a venomous, slender green tree snake endemic to Sri Lanka.

<i>Ahaetulla fronticincta</i> Species of snake

Günther's whipsnake, Burmese vine snake or river vine snake is a species of fish-eating vine snake found in Southeast Asia.

<i>Ahaetulla perroteti</i> Species of snake

Ahaetulla perroteti, known commonly as the bronze-headed vine snake, Perrotet's vine snake, or the Western Ghats bronzeback, is a species of mildly venomous, rear-fanged snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats in South India.

<i>Ahaetulla pulverulenta</i> Species of snake

Brown-speckled whipsnake or brown vine snake is a species of colubrid vine snake endemic to Sri Lanka.

<i>Boiga cynodon</i> Species of snake

Boiga cynodon, commonly known as the dog-toothed cat snake, is a nocturnal species of rear-fanged colubrid snake endemic to Asia.

<i>Boiga dendrophila</i> Species of snake

Boiga dendrophila, commonly called the mangrove snake or the gold-ringed cat snake, is a species of rear-fanged venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to southeast Asia. It is one of the biggest cat snake species, averaging 8–9 feet in length. It is considered mildly venomous. Although moderate envenomations resulting in intense swelling have been reported, there has never been a confirmed fatality.

<i>Dendrelaphis pictus</i> Species of snake

Dendrelaphis pictus, commonly known as either the common bronzeback, painted bronzeback, or Indonesian bronzeback, is a species of colubrid snake found in Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rice paddy snake</span> Species of snake

The rice paddy snake, also known as grey water snake, Boie's mud snake, yellow or orange bellied water snake, lead water snake or plumbeous water snake is a species of mildly venomous, rear-fanged snake endemic to South Asia. It is somewhat common, and is one of the most widespread species of water snake in Asia.

<i>Gonyosoma oxycephalum</i> Species of reptile

Gonyosoma oxycephalum, known commonly as the arboreal ratsnake, the red-tailed green rat snake, and the red-tailed racer, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia.

<i>Ptyas mucosa</i> Species of snake

Ptyas mucosa, commonly known as the Oriental rat snake, dhaman or Indian rat snake, is a common non-venomous species of colubrid snake found in parts of South and Southeast Asia. Dhamans are large snakes. Typical mature total length is around 1.5 to 1.95 m though some exceed 2 m. The record length for this species was 3.7 m, second only to their cousin Ptyas carinata among living colubrid snakes. Despite their large size, oriental ratsnakes are usually quite slender with even a specimen of 2 m commonly measuring 4 to 6 cm only around in diameter. Furthermore, the average weight of ratsnakes caught in Java was around 877 to 940 g, though larger males of over 2.3 m may easily weigh over 2.5 kg (5.5 lb). Their color varies from pale browns in dry regions to nearly black in moist forest areas. Rat snakes are diurnal, semi-arboreal, non-venomous, and fast-moving. Rat snakes eat a variety of prey and are frequently found in urban areas where rodents thrive.

<i>Ahaetulla</i> Genus of snakes

Ahaetulla, commonly referred to as Asian vine snakes or Asian whip snakes, is a genus of colubrid snakes distributed throughout tropical Asia. They are considered by some scientists to be mildly venomous and are what is commonly termed as 'rear-fanged' or more appropriately, opisthoglyphous, meaning their enlarged teeth or fangs, intended to aid in venom delivery, are located in the back of the upper jaw, instead of in the front as they are in vipers or cobras. As colubrids, Ahaetulla do not possess a true venom gland or a sophisticated venom delivery system. The Duvernoy's gland of this genus, homologous to the venom gland of true venomous snakes, produces a secretion which, though not well studied, is considered not to be medically significant to humans.

<i>Calliophis</i> Genus of snakes

Calliophis is a genus of venomous elapid snakes, one of several known commonly as oriental coral snakes or Asian coral snakes.

<i>Dendrelaphis</i> Genus of snakes

Dendrelaphis is a genus of colubrid snakes, distributed from Pakistan, India and southern China to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Australia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. There are over forty described species. Asian species are known commonly as bronzebacks, while the Australo-Papuan species are simply called treesnakes. All are non-venomous and entirely harmless to humans.

<i>Dryophiops philippina</i> Species of snake

Dryophiops philippina, also known as the keel-bellied whipsnake or Philippine whipsnake, a species of rear-fanged colubrid snake that is endemic to the Philippines. One similar species, Dryophiops rubescens exists in Thailand and Malaysia.

<i>Ahaetulla mycterizans</i> Species of snake

Ahaetulla mycterizans, the Malayan green whipsnake or Malayan vine snake, is a slender arboreal colubrid vine snake found in Southeast Asia.

<i>Ahaetulla fasciolata</i> Species of snake

The speckle-headed whipsnake is a species of colubrid vine snake found in Southeast Asia.

<i>Dryophiops</i> Genus of snakes

Dryophiops is a genus of whip snakes of the family Colubridae, containing two species. They are arboreal tree snakes, found in forests in Southeast Asia.

<i>Ahaetulla anomala</i> Species of snake

The variable colored vine snake is a species of opisthoglyphous colubrid vine snake found in Bangladesh and India. It is the first reported sexually dichromatic snake from the Indian Subcontinent, and until 2017 was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the green vine snake, Ahaetulla nasuta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahaetuliinae</span> Subfamily of snakes

The Ahaetuliinae are a subfamily of vine snakes within the family Colubridae that was erected in 2016. They are found from South and Southeast Asia through to Australia.

<i>Dryophiops rubescens</i> Species of snake

Dryophiops rubescens, commonly known as the red whip snake, is a species of snake in the colubrid family from Southeast Asia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Thy, N.; Nguyen, T.Q.; Golynsky, E.; Demegillo, A.; Diesmos, A.C.; Gonzalez, J.C. (2012). "Ahaetulla prasina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T176329A1439072. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T176329A1439072.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Ahaetulla mycterizans at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 20 October 2014.
  3. Mallik, Ashok Kumar; Achyuthan, N. Srikanthan; Ganesh, Sumaithangi R.; Pal, Saunak P.; Vijayakumar, S. P.; Shanker, Kartik (27 July 2019). "Discovery of a deeply divergent new lineage of vine snake (Colubridae: Ahaetuliinae: Proahaetulla gen. nov.) from the southern Western Ghats of Peninsular India with a revised key for Ahaetuliinae". PLOS ONE . 14 (7): e0218851. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1418851M. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218851 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   6636718 . PMID   31314800.
  4. "Oriental Whip Snake". Ecology Asia.
  5. Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume III. London.
  6. Boulenger, G.A. 1890. Fauna of British India. Reptilia and Batrachia. British Museum. London. p. 369.

Further reading