| Dendrelaphis calligastra | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Dendrelaphis |
| Species: | D. calligastra |
| Binomial name | |
| Dendrelaphis calligastra (Günther, 1867) |
|
Dendrelaphis calligastra, the Northern Tree Snake (also called Beautiful-bellied Tree Snake) is a slender, large-eyed, non-venomous, diurnal snake snake. It grows up to 1.2 m in length and is greenish, brown or greyish above with a cream or yellow belly.[1]
This common snake is harmless, and readily recognised due to its cream to yellow belly and pronounced wide dark facial stripe passing through the eye.[2][3]
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Dendrelaphis: 'tree Elaphe', after another genus of colubrid snake. calligastra: 'beautiful-bellied'.[4]
Northern tree snakes are found in tropical north Queensland, from Paluma to Cooktown and eastern Cape York Peninsula, as well as southern Papua New Guinea. They live in a wide variety of habitats, including: rainforest; urban and farmed regions and open forest. It often basks in the leaf canopy of small bushes and trees and can escape very quickly through the canopy.
Eats frogs and reptiles.
Dendrelaphis calligastra is common in Queensland's northern tropics and eastern Cape York Peninsula.
The Northern Tree Snake lays eggs in clutches from 5 to 7, with one female recorded laying 11 eggs in January.[5]