Ahaetulla pulverulenta
| Brown-speckled whipsnake | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Ahaetuliinae |
| Genus: | Ahaetulla |
| Species: | A. pulverulenta
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| Binomial name | |
| Ahaetulla pulverulenta | |
| Synonyms | |
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Dryophis pulverulentus | |
Brown-speckled whipsnake or brown vine snake (Ahaetulla pulverulenta) is a species of tree snake found in India (Western Ghats, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat), Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.[1] It is known as හෙනකදයා (henakadaya) in Sinhala; this name provided the name anaconda.[2][3][4]
Description
- See snake scales for terms used
Snout pointed, terminating in a dermal appendage which is longer than the eye, formed below by the rostral, and covered above with numerous small scales or warts; the length of the snout, without the dermal appendage, more than twice the diameter of the eye. Nasals in contact behind the rostral appendage, or narrowly separated; no loreal; internasals and prefrontals in contact with the labials; frontal as long as its distance from the nasals, as long as the parietals or a little longer; two preoculars, with one subocular below, the upper preocular in contact with the frontal; two postoculars; temporals 2+3 or 2+2; upper labials 8, fifth entering the eye; 4 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are shorter than the posterior. Scales in 15 rows, ventrals 182-194; anal divided; subcaudals 154-173. Greyish, powdered with brown, with blackish transverse spots above; a dark brown rhomboidal spot on the upper surface of the head, and a brown band on each side, passing through the eye. [5] Total length 5 feet 10 inches; tail 2 feet 4 inches.
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Head profile from top -
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Head view and eye profile -
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References
- ^ Ahaetulla pulverulenta at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 14 January 2017.
- ^ Ferguson, Donald (1897). "The derivation of "Anaconda"". Notes and Queries. 12: 123–124.
- ^ Skeat, Walter W. (1882). A concise etymological dictionary of the English Language. Oxford University Press. p. 16.
- ^ Yule, Henry; Burnell, A.C. (1903). Hobson-Jobson. London: John Murray. pp. 24–25.
- ^ Boulenger, George A. 1890 The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor & Francis, London, xviii, 541 pp.
Further reading
- Duméril, A. M. C., Bibron, G. & Duméril, A. H. A., 1854 Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome septième. Deuxième partie, comprenant l'histoire des serpents venimeux. Paris, Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret: i-xii + 781-1536
- Khaire, A.;Khaire, N. 1993 Occurrence of brown whip snake Ahaetulla pulverulenta (Dum. & Bibr.) in Pune, India Snake 25: 147-148
- Venkatraman, C.;Gokula, V.;Kumar, Saravana 1997 Occurrence of brown whip snake (Ahaetulla pulverulenta) in Siruvani foot hills Cobra 28: 36-37
External links
- https://www.flickr.com/photos/lal_trekila/5824193473/
- https://www.flickr.com/photos/lal_trekila/5811369272/
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