Tropidonophis mairii

Last updated

Common keelback
Tropidonophis mairii 01.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Tropidonophis
Species:
T. mairii
Binomial name
Tropidonophis mairii
(Gray, 1841)
Synonyms [2]
  • Tropidonotus mairii
    Gray, 1841
  • Natrix mairii
    Worrell, 1946
  • Amphiesma mairii
    Cogger & Lindner, 1974
  • Styporhynchus mairii
    — Cogger, 1983
  • Tropidonophis mairii
    Malnate & Underwood, 1988

The common keelback (Tropidonophis mairii), also known as Mair's keelback, [2] is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Australasia.

Contents

Etymology

The specific name, mairii, is in honor of "Dr. Mair", an army surgeon with the 39th Regiment of Foot, who collected the holotype. [3]

Geographic range

T. mairii is found in Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, and Papua New Guinea. [2]

Description

Dorsally, T. mairii is olive, brown, or blackish, with small black spots, or with black crossbars anteriorly. Ventrally, it is lighter. The subcaudals and often also the ventrals are edged with black. The dorsal scales are strongly keeled, and arranged in 15 rows at midbody. [4]

T. mairii resembles some Australian venomous snakes, the taipans (genus Oxyuranus ) and the rough-scaled snake (Tropidechis carinatus).[ citation needed ]

T. mairii rarely grows over 1 m (39 in) in total length (including tail).[ citation needed ]

Diet

Mair's keelback feeds mainly on amphibians and small lizards.[ citation needed ] It is one of the few snakes that can eat cane toads (Rhinella marina), up to a certain size, without being harmed. [5]

Reproduction

T. mairii is oviparous. [2]

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References

  1. O'Shea, M.; Parker, F. (2017). "Tropidonophis mairii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T177521A21648393. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T177521A21648393.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Species Tropidonophis mairii at The Reptile Database . www.reptile-database.org.
  3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5. (Tropidonophis mairii, p. 166).
  4. Boulenger GA (1897). "An account of the reptiles and batrachians collected by Dr. L. Loria in British New Guinea". Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova18: 694-710. (Tropidonotus mairii, pp. 703-704).
  5. Kilvert, Nick (1 November 2019). "The native animals that turn cane toads into tucker". ABC News. Retrieved 6 November 2019.

Further reading