Ahaetulla mycterizans

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Malayan green whipsnake
Ahaetulla mycterizans, Malayan green whip snake - Khao Phra - Bang Khram Wildlife Sanctuary (46060345834).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. mycterizans
Binomial name
Ahaetulla mycterizans
(Linnaeus, 1758) [2]
Synonyms

Coluber mycterizans Linnaeus, 1758
Coluber nasutus Lacépède, 1789
Dryophis xanthozonia Boie, 1827
Tragops xanthozonius Duméril & Bibron, 1854
Passerita mycterizans Günther, 1859
Dryophis xanthozonia Boulenger, 1896
Ahaetulla mycterizans Link, 1807
Dryophis xnathozona Boulenger, 1896
Dryophis mycterizans Evans, 1905
Dryophis mycterizans Wall, 1908
Dryophis mycterizans Wall, 1921
Passerita xanthozonia Smith, 1930
Dryophis mycterizans Smith, 1943
Dryophis mycterizans Tweedie, 1950
Ahaetulla mycterizans Cox et al., 1998

Contents

Ahaetulla mycterizans, the Malayan green whipsnake [3] or Malayan vine snake, [1] is a slender arboreal colubrid vine snake found in Southeast Asia.

Etymology

The species name mycterizans comes from the Greek "mucterizo", meaning "I turn up the nose," in reference to the shape of the snout of the snake. [3]

Taxonomy

It belongs to the genus Ahaetulla , one of five genera within the subfamily Ahaetuliinae. The relationships of Ahaetulla mycterizans to some other Ahaetulla species, and to the other genera within Ahaetuliinae, can be shown in the cladogram below, with possible paraphyletic species noted: [4]

Ahaetuliinae
sharpnosed snakes
broadnosed snakes

Distribution

It is found in Western Peninsular Malaysia, Java and Sumatra of Indonesia, [5] Singapore, Thailand and possibly Laos up to elevation of 350 m. [3]

Description and ecology

The Malayan green whipsnake is diurnal and mildly venomous. Occurs in primary and mature secondary forests near streams. The diet, like other whip snakes, consists primarily of frogs and lizards. These slow moving snakes often appear like vines amongst foliage and are hard to detect. The anterior part of the body can expand when threatened exposing the dark scales. It is often confused with the oriental whipsnake ( Ahaetulla prasina ) but the former does not occur in disturbed areas or parks or gardens, especially in its distributional range of Singapore. The Malayan whipsnake can be distinguished from the oriental whipsnake by the former having larger eyes and the flanks lacking a thin yellow line. The former is also smaller (up to 1 m snout to vent length) as compared to the oriental whipsnake which can grow up to 2 m. [6]

Very little is known about the ecology and natural history of this species. [7]

Related Research Articles

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

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<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.

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<i>Dolichophis jugularis</i> Species of snake

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

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

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

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

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<i>Proahaetulla</i> Genus of snakes

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References

  1. 1 2 Grismer, L.; Chan-Ard, T. (2012). "Ahaetulla mycterizans". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T191914A2014767. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T191914A2014767.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Holmiæ. 10th Edition: 824 pp.
  3. 1 2 3 Ahaetulla mycterizans at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 20 October 2014.
  4. 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.
  5. Miralles and David 2010. First record of Ahaetulla mycterizans (Linnaeus, 1758) (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae) from Sumatra, Indonesia, with an expanded definition. Zoosystema 32(3): 449-456.
  6. Nick Baker (2014). "Big-eye Green Whip Snake". Ecology Asia.
  7. Cox, M.J., van Dijk, P.P., Nabhitabhata, J. and Thirakhupt, K. 1998. A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Thailand and South-East Asia. Asia Books, Bangkok.