| Ahaetulla pulverulenta | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Ahaetuliinae |
| Genus: | Ahaetulla |
| Species: | A. pulverulenta |
| Binomial name | |
| Ahaetulla pulverulenta | |
| Synonyms | |
Dryophis pulverulentus | |
Brown-speckled whipsnake or brown vine snake (Ahaetulla pulverulenta) is a species of colubrid vine snake endemic to Sri Lanka.
It is known as හෙනකදයා (henakadaya) in Sinhala; this name provided the name anaconda. [2] [3] [4]
The species name pulverulenta is from Latin, named after its ashy or dusty grayish brown coloration. [5]
It belongs to the genus Ahaetulla , one of five genera within the subfamily Ahaetuliinae. The relationships of Ahaetulla pulverulenta to some other Ahaetulla species, and to the other genera within Ahaetuliinae, can be shown in the cladogram below, with possible paraphyletic species noted: [6]
| Ahaetuliinae |
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It is found exclusively in Sri Lanka. [5] Populations in the Western Ghats of India are now considered a separate species, Ahaetulla sahyadrensis . [7]
It is grayish-brown colored, with darker blackish spots above. It has a pointed snout, ending in a dermal appendage at the tip. It has a dark brown rhomboidal spot on the top of the head, and a brown stripe on each side of the head passing through the eye. [8] [5]
It feeds on lizards and other invertebrates, and it is ovoviviparous, giving birth to 5-15 live offspring. [5]
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.
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.
Ahaetulla fronticincta, commonly known as Günther's whipsnake, the Burmese vine snake or the river vine snake, is a species of fish-eating vine snake found in Southeast Asia.
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.
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.
Ahaetulla mycterizans, the Malayan green whipsnake or Malayan vine snake, is a slender arboreal colubrid vine snake found in Southeast Asia.
The speckle-headed whipsnake is a species of colubrid vine snake found in Southeast Asia.
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.
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.
Dryophiops rubescens, commonly known as the red whip snake, is a species of snake in the colubrid family from Southeast Asia.
Proahaetulla is a monotypic genus of vine snake in the family Colubridae. It contains only one species, the keeled vine snake, which is endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Its natural habitat is montane rainforests of southern Western Ghats.
The northern Western Ghats vine snake is a species of tree snake endemic to the northern Western Ghats of India.
Farnsworth's vine snake is a species of tree snake endemic to the central Western Ghats of India.
The Malabar vine snake, is a species of tree snake endemic to the southern portion of the central Western Ghats of India.
Ahaetulla isabellina, also known as Wall's vine snake, is a species of tree snake endemic to the southern Western Ghats of India.
The Travancore vine snake, is a species of tree snake endemic to the southern Western Ghats of India.
The Indian vine snake or long-nosed vine snake 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.
Ahaetulla sahyadrensis is a species of tree snake endemic to the Western Ghats of India. It is also reported from Bangladesh.
Dendrelaphis fuliginosus, commonly known as the Philippine lamp-black tree snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is found in the Philippines.
Dendrelaphis subocularis, commonly known as the mountain bronzeback or Burmese bronzeback, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae from Southeast Asia.
