Ahaetulla pulverulenta

Ahaetulla pulverulenta
Scientific classification Edit this 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 vine snake

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

Etymology

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]

Taxonomy

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
sharp‑nosed snakes
broad‑nosed snakes

Distribution and habitat

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 lives in forests and is fully arboreal.[5]

Description

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]

Behavior

It feeds on lizards and other invertebrates, and it is ovoviviparous, giving birth to 5-15 live offspring.[5]

  • Head profile from top
    Head profile from top
  • Head view and eye profile
    Head view and eye profile

References

  1. ^ Mohapatra, P.; Gunawardene, S.; Sivaruban, A.; Wickramasinghe, L.J.M. (2021). "Ahaetulla pulverulenta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T172687A123300406. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T172687A123300406.en.
  2. ^ Ferguson, Donald (1897). "The derivation of "Anaconda"". Notes and Queries. 12: 123–124.
  3. ^ Skeat, Walter W. (1882). A concise etymological dictionary of the English Language. Oxford University Press. p. 16.
  4. ^ Yule, Henry; Burnell, A.C. (1903). Hobson-Jobson. London: John Murray. pp. 24–25.
  5. ^ a b c d e Ahaetulla pulverulenta at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 17 May 2024.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Mallik, Ashok Kumar; Srikanthan, Achyuthan N.; Pal, Saunak P.; D’souza, Princia Margaret; Shanker, Kartik; Ganesh, Sumaithangi Rajagopalan (2020-11-06). "Disentangling vines: a study of morphological crypsis and genetic divergence in vine snakes (Squamata: Colubridae: Ahaetulla) with the description of five new species from Peninsular India". Zootaxa. 4874 (1): zootaxa.4874.1.1. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4874.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 33311335. S2CID 228823754.
  8. ^ Boulenger, George A. 1890 The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor & Francis, London, xviii, 541 pp.

Further reading

  • David, P. & Dubois, A. 2005. Découverte et redescription de l’holotype d’Ahaetulla pulverulenta (Dumérl, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) (Reptilia, Serpentes, Colubridae), avec une remarque sur le statut de Dryinus fuscus Dumérl, Bibron & Duméril, 1854. Zoosystema 27 (1): 163-178 [in French]
  • 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 foothills Cobra 28: 36-37