Ahaetulla pulverulenta

Brown-speckled whipsnake or brown vine snake (Ahaetulla pulverulenta) is a species of tree snake endemic to Sri Lanka.[3] Populations in the Western Ghats of India are now considered a separate species, Ahaetulla sahyadrensis.[4] It is known as හෙනකදයා (henakadaya) in Sinhala; this name provided the name anaconda.[5][6][7]

brown vine snake

Ahaetulla pulverulenta
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Ahaetulla
Species:
A. pulverulenta
Binomial name
Ahaetulla pulverulenta
(Boie, 1827)[2]
Synonyms

Dryophis pulverulentus

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. [8] Total length 5 feet 10 inches; tail 2 feet 4 inches.

  • Head profile from top
    Head profile from top
  • Head view and eye profile
    Head view and eye profile

References
  1. Mohapatra, P.; Gunawardene, S.; Sivaruban, A.; Wickramasinghe, L.J.M. (2021). "Ahaetulla pulverulenta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T172687A123300406. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. "Dahms Tierleben".
  3. Ahaetulla pulverulenta at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 14 January 2017.
  4. Mallik, Ashok Kumar; Srikanthan, Achyuthan N.; Pal, Saunak P.; D’souza, Princia Margaret; Shanker, Kartik; Ganesh, Sumaithangi Rajagopalan (2020-11-06). "Disentangling vines: a study of morphological crypsis and genetic divergence in vine snakes (Squamata: Colubridae: Ahaetulla ) with the description of five new species from Peninsular India". Zootaxa. 4874 (1): zootaxa.4874.1.1. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4874.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 33311335. S2CID 228823754.
  5. Ferguson, Donald (1897). "The derivation of "Anaconda"". Notes and Queries. 12: 123–124.
  6. Skeat, Walter W. (1882). A concise etymological dictionary of the English Language. Oxford University Press. p. 16.
  7. Yule, Henry; Burnell, A.C. (1903). Hobson-Jobson. London: John Murray. pp. 24–25.
  8. Boulenger, George A. 1890 The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor & Francis, London, xviii, 541 pp.

Further reading
  • David, P. & Dubois, A. 2005. Découverte et redescription de l’holotype d’Ahaetulla pulverulenta (Dumérl, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) (Reptilia, Serpentes, Colubridae), avec une remarque sur le statut de Dryinus fuscus Dumérl, Bibron & Duméril, 1854. Zoosystema 27 (1): 163-178 [in French]
  • Duméril, A. M. C., Bibron, G. & Duméril, A. H. A., 1854 Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome septième. Deuxième partie, comprenant l'histoire des serpents venimeux. Paris, Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret: i-xii + 781-1536
  • Khaire, A.;Khaire, N. 1993 Occurrence of brown whip snake Ahaetulla pulverulenta (Dum. & Bibr.) in Pune, India Snake 25: 147-148
  • Venkatraman, C.;Gokula, V.;Kumar, Saravana 1997 Occurrence of brown whip snake (Ahaetulla pulverulenta) in Siruvani foothills Cobra 28: 36-37
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