Green whip snake
| Green whip snake | ||||||||||||
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Tree sniffer ( Ahaetulla prasina ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Ahaetulla prasina | ||||||||||||
| ( Boie , 1827) |
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The green whip snake ( Ahaetulla prasina ), also known as the green tree sniffer or tree sniffer for short , is a species of snake found in South Asia . It belongs to the adder family . It feeds on vertebrates such as lizards , brood birds , frogs and other snakes.
features
The green whip snake is up to 1.90 m long. It has horizontal, narrow, slit-shaped pupils; a triangular face and an extremely slim body from which the head is clearly separated. The color varies from light brown to dull yellow-green and green. It has a thin pale line along the sides. The species has 15 dorsal rows of scales , 189 to 241 abdominal scales ( ventral shields ) and between 141 and 199 divided subcaudalia . The anal shield is usually divided.
It is ovoviviparous and gives birth to 1 to 12 live young that are brownish in color and about 40 cm long.
habitat
Ahaetulla prasina occurs from the lowlands up to an altitude of 1370 m. When grown up, the animals are mainly tree dwellers, young animals can also be found on the ground when they are looking for food. The species can always be found in dense vegetation. It inhabits tropical rainforests, but also open and secondary forests, bushland, and trees and hedges in gardens.
The poison
The snake is actually harmless and rarely tries to bite. Their poison is weak, it is made up of enzymes. When these oxidize, toxic substances are released that can cause mild cardiac or neurological damage. See also false snakes .
Legal notice
The green whip snake is listed in "Appendix D" of Regulation (EC) No. 338/97 (Species Protection Regulation) . This means that special regulations apply to the import, export and trade of this species.
Systematics
4 subspecies are described:
- Ahaetulla prasina prasina ( Boie , 1827)
- Ahaetulla prasina medioxima Lazell , 2002 - Shek Kwu Chau Island, Hong Kong
- Ahaetulla prasina preocularis ( Taylor , 1922) - Philippines including Sulu Archipelago , Panay , Luzon
- Ahaetulla prasina suluensis Gaulke , 1994 - Philippines , Sulu Archipelago
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Ahaetulla prasina in The Reptile Database ; Retrieved January 22, 2011.
- ^ A b Ecology Asia: Oriental Whip Snake at www.ecologyasia.com (accessed on April 11, 2010)
- ↑ a b c Rudolf Malkmus: Amphibians & reptiles of Mount Kinabalu 2002, p. 304 excerpt from books.google.de (English, accessed on April 18, 2010)
- ↑ Stephen P. Mackessy: Handbook of Venoms and Toxins of Reptiles 2009, p. 48 Preview at books.google.de (English, accessed on April 18, 2010)
Web links
- Ahaetulla prasina in The Reptile Database
- Ahaetulla prasina inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Thy, N., Nguyen, TQ, Golynsky, E., Demegillo, A., Diesmos, AC & Gonzalez, JC, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2014.