Spotted whip snake

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Spotted whip snake
Speckle-headed Vine Snake (Ahaetulla fasciolata) (8741964890) .jpg

Spotted whip snake ( Ahaetulla fasciolata )

Systematics
Subordination : Snakes (serpentes)
Superfamily : Adder-like and viper-like (Colubroidea)
Family : Adders (Colubridae)
Subfamily : True snakes (Colubrinae)
Genre : Whip Snakes ( Ahaetulla )
Type : Spotted whip snake
Scientific name
Ahaetulla fasciolata
( Fischer , 1885)

The spotted whip snake ( Ahaetulla fasciolata ) is a poisonous, but not dangerous to humans snake species from the subfamily of the real snake (Colubrinae).

Distribution area

The distribution area of ​​the spotted whip snake extends from southern Thailand ( province of Nakhon Si Thammarat ), through Malaysia , Singapore , the Riau and Natuna Islands to Borneo and Sumatra .

features

The spotted whip snake can reach a total length of 170 cm and has a very slender body, a steep canthus rostralis and a pointed snout. The scales on the back are arranged in 15 rows. The number of abdominal scales is 211 to 140, the number of divided subcaudalia is 178 to 197. The anal scale is undivided. There is a pre- ocular in front of the eye, and two post-ocularia behind it. The number of upper lip shields (supralabials) is nine, with the fourth, fifth and sixth of the upper lip shield touching the eye. The number of lower lip shields (infralabialia) is nine to ten.

The snake is brownish, gray or reddish gray in color. Towards the tail it becomes increasingly yellowish. Numerous dark transverse bands can be found mainly on the neck and front body. The head and lip shields (labials) show numerous irregular dark spots. A dark line runs from the rostral shield over the eyes to the neck. The belly is whitish with a gray-black line running through the middle. There is another dark line on each side of the body.

Way of life

The spotted whip snake lives in the lowlands in primary and secondary forests on trees and bushes. It is diurnal and feeds on lizards and frogs and probably also on birds and bird eggs. Like all whip snakes, it is viviparous. Information on the number of young snakes per litter and their size at birth is not yet known.

literature

  • Ulrich Manthey, Wolfgang Grossmann: Amphibians & Reptiles of Southeast Asia. Natur und Tier Verlag, Münster 1997, ISBN 978-3-931587-12-3 , p. 311.

Web links

Commons : Spotted Whip Snake ( Ahaetulla fasciolata )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files