Ahaetulla pulverulenta

Brown-speckled whipsnake
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Colubrinae
Genus: Ahaetulla
Species: A. pulverulenta
Binomial name
Ahaetulla pulverulenta
(Duméril & Bibron, 1854)
Synonyms

Dryophis pulverulentus

Brown-speckled whipsnake or brown vine snake Ahaetulla pulverulenta is a species of tree snake found in the Western Ghats of India and Sri Lanka. Known as හෙනකදයා (henakadaya) in Sinhala. This name provided the name anaconda.

Description

See snake scales for terms used

Snout pointed, terminating in a dermal appendage which is longer than the eye, formed below by the rostral, and covered above with numerous small scales or warts; the length of the snout, without the dermal appendage, more than twice the diameter of the eye. Nasals in contact behind the rostral appendage, or narrowly separated; no loreal; internasals and prefrontals in contact with the labials; frontal as long as its distance from the nasals, as long as the parietals or a little longer; two preoculars, with one subocular below, the upper preocular in contact with the frontal; two postoculars; temporals 2+3 or 2+2; upper labials 8, fifth entering the eye; 4 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are shorter than the posterior. Scales in 15 rows, ventrals 182-194; anal divided; subcaudals 154-173. Greyish, powdered with brown, with blackish transverse spots above; a dark brown rhomboidal spot on the upper surface of the head, and a brown band on each side, passing through the eye. [1] Total length 5 feet 10 inches; tail 2 feet 4 inches.

Head profile from top
Head view and eye profile

Notes

  1. ↑ Boulenger, George A. 1890 The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor & Francis, London, xviii, 541 pp.

References

External links