Ahaetulla fronticincta
| Günther's whipsnake | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Ahaetuliinae |
| Genus: | Ahaetulla |
| Species: | A. fronticincta |
| Binomial name | |
| Ahaetulla fronticincta (Günther, 1858) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Dryophis fronticinctus | |
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.
Taxonomy
It belongs to the genus Ahaetulla, one of five genera within the subfamily Ahaetuliinae. The relationships of Ahaetulla fronticincta to some other Ahaetulla species, and to the other genera within Ahaetuliinae, can be shown in the cladogram below, with possible paraphyletic species noted:[2]
| Ahaetuliinae |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distribution and habitat
It is found in bushes and other low vegetation along tidal rivers and mangrove in coastal parts of Myanmar (Burma).[1][3][4] There are also old records from neighbouring northeastern India (Assam and Darjeeling), but these are considered questionable and it has not been located there during recent surveys.[1][4] It is generally common in appropriate habitats within its known range.[1]
Description
It is slender, up to about 1 m (3 ft) long, and either green or brownish with a paler underside.[3]
Behavior
This diurnal, mildly venomous snake feeds only on fish.[1][3][4] It strikes at a fish in water while maintaining half of its body wrapped around a branch or twig. The mild venom of this snake renders the fish immobile.
It is ovoviviparous.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e Wogan, G. & Vogel, G. (2012). "Ahaetulla fronticincta". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. IUCN: e.T192058A2034357. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T192058A2034357.en. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d Das, I. (2010). A Field Guide to the Reptiles of South-East Asia. Pp. 259-260. New Holland Publishers, UK. ISBN 978-1-84773-347-4
- ^ a b c Reptile Database (2016). Ahaetulla fronticincta. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
Further reading
- Boulenger, George A. 1890 The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor & Francis, London, xviii, 541 pp.
- Günther, A. 1858 Catalogue of Colubrine snakes of the British Museum. London, I - XVI, 1 - 281