Ahaetulla isabellina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wall's vine snake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Ahaetuliinae |
| Genus: | Ahaetulla |
| Species: | A. isabellina |
| Binomial name | |
| Ahaetulla isabellina (Wall, 1910) | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Dryophis mycterizans isabellinus Wall, 1910 | |
Ahaetulla isabellina,[1][2] also known as Wall's vine snake,[3] is a species of tree snake endemic to the southern Western Ghats of India.[1][2][3][4]
It was formerly considered a subspecies of A. nasuta, which is now considered to only be endemic to Sri Lanka. A 2020 study found A. nasuta to be a species complex of A. nasuta sensu stricto as well as A. borealis, A. farnsworthi, A. isabellina, and A. malabarica, elevating A. isabellina to species. The specific epithet is a reference to the isabelline yellow coloration of the species' dorsal body in live condition, which distinguishes it from other species in the complex.[2]
Description
Body, very slender, bright green with blue obscure patches; in some specimens uniform olive to light brown. Rostral scale, infralabials and the midbody along venter are light green to light blue; sometimes there is a yellow ventral stripe along the notched ventral keels. Inter-scalar skin is white with black and white anteriorly-converging bars along forebody, becoming reddish along hindbody. Tail and subcaudals are green. The eye vary from yellow to orange with light brown marbled patterns; horizontal pupil with a light blue or yellow colouration around pupil. Adults can reach up to 1 m of total length.[2]
In general, scalation shows the following intraspecific variations: ventrals 167–183 notched with keels; subcaudals (males) 159–167 divided and subcaudals (females) 105–149 divided; anal divided; scale rows around the body in 15-15–13/11 rows of smooth, obliquely disposed scales; supralabials 8–9, either 5th or 6th in contact with the eye; supralabial scale division on the 4th; infralabials 8–9; pre-suboculars 1 or 2; pre-ocular 1 (both left and right); postoculars 1 or 2; sub-oculars absent; temporals 1+2 or 2+2.[2]
