Beautiful snake
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Beautiful snake ( Elaphe taeniura ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Elaphe taeniura | ||||||||||||
| ( Cope , 1861) |
The beautiful snake ( Elaphe taeniura , Syn .: Orthriophis taeniurus ), also striped climbing snake , is traditionally placed within the family of the adder (Colubridae) in the genus Elaphe . However, by younger authors it is assigned to the newly established genus Orthriophis .
description
The beautiful snake reaches a length of 230 to 300 centimeters, depending on the subspecies. The coloration also varies depending on the subspecies. The basic color ranges from gray to black. However, yellowish to brownish colorations are also possible. Variable spots and stripes run across the back and tail. The ventral side is whitish to cream colored. A characteristic feature is a black stripe that runs from the eyes to the neck. The large eyes are far in front of the head and have round pupils . The head is only slightly separated from the body. The beautiful snake is a tree snake that is active during the day, at dusk and at night (depending on the subspecies).
Systematics
The beautiful snake was first described in 1861 by Edward Drinker Cope under the scientific name Elaphe taeniurus .
The following nine subspecies are currently distinguished:
- Elaphe taeniura callicyanous Schulz , 2010
- Elaphe taeniura frisei ( Werner , 1927) - Taiwan beautiful snake , Taiwan rat snake
- Elaphe taeniura grabowskyi ( Fischer , 1885) - Grabowsky's Schönnatter
- Elaphe taeniura hilftbergeri Schulz , 2010
- Elaphe taeniura mocquardi Schulz , 1996 - Vietnam-Schönnatter , Moquards Schönnatter
- Elaphe taeniura ridleyi ( Butler , 1899) - Ridley's beautiful snake
- Elaphe taeniura schmackeri ( Boettger , 1895) - Ryukyu beautiful snake
- Elaphe taeniura taeniurus ( Cope , 1861)
- Elaphe taeniura yunnanensis Anderson , 1879 - Yunnan beautiful snake
In addition, different color breeding forms such as 'calico', 'Yellow beauty', 'Blue beauty', or 'Oliv beauty' are differentiated in the trade.
In more recent studies on phylogenetic systematics based on molecular genetic methods, the species is assigned to the new genus Orthriophis .
distribution
The beautiful snake is common in large parts of Southeast Asia. Their distribution area extends from China to Malaysia . The natural habitat is dense tropical or subtropical rainforest . Here it is mainly in the trees and bushes. It can only be seen on the ground while feeding and laying eggs. In the vicinity of human settlements, it can also be observed on agricultural land. Here she goes on the hunt for small mammals such as rats and mice.
nutrition
Fine snakes aren't picky. They eat everything they can overwhelm. In addition to small rodents , lizards, birds and their brood and eggs, they occasionally also include other snakes. They look for food both in trees and on the ground. Larger prey is killed by constriction (entangling and strangling), small prey is crushed between the jaws. It is then devoured head first.
Reproduction
The beautiful snake reaches sexual maturity between the ages of three and four. The mating season begins in March or April, after the hibernation. During the mating season, the males regularly engage in ritualized mock fights, which, however, never end with injuries. The inferior male gives in at the end and sneaks away. In the actual mating game, the sexes literally entwine and a neck bite occurs, which is common with reptiles. At this point the actual mating of the female takes place. After a gestation of a good six to seven weeks, the female lays between eight and fifteen, rarely more, strongly oval eggs in a warm, humid place, usually in moist soil or in plant remains such as compost heaps or under rotten wood. The eggs are 50 by 25 millimeters in size and are whitish in color. After an incubation period of 60 to 70 days on average, the young snakes hatch, which are 30 to 40 centimeters long. The first molt occurs after about two weeks .
source
- Andreas Gumprecht: The Schönnatter ( Orthtriophis taeniurus ). Natur und Tier-Verlag, 2008, ISBN 3-93728-506-7 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Elaphe taeniura in The Reptile Database
- ↑ Urs Utiger, Notker Helfenberger, Beat Schätti, Catherine Schmidt, Markus Ruf and Vincent Ziswiler: Molecular systematics and phylogeny of Old World and New World ratsnakes, Elaphe Auct., And related genera (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae). in Russ. J. Herpetol. 9 (2): 105-124, (2002)
