Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Indian or Long-nosed vine snake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| At Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Ahaetuliinae |
| Genus: | Ahaetulla |
| Species: | A. oxyrhyncha |
| Binomial name | |
| Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha (Bell, 1825) | |
The Indian vine snake or long-nosed vine snake (Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha) is a species of diurnal, mildly venomous, arboreal snake distributed in the lowlands of peninsular India.Often mistakenly believed to peck out peoples' eyes, this misconception has led to widespread wanton killing of this species.[1][2][3]
A thin and slender-bodied snake that is usually bright grassy green in colour. A pair of white lines extend throughout its body length demarcating the back and under belly parts. Adults reach over 5 feet (1.5 m) in length. They have unique horizontal pupil in the eye. Formerly misclassified as A. nasuta, A. oxyrhyncha is actually a much larger-bodied species that also has a much longer snout.[3] Indian green vine snakes (genus Ahaetulla) are strongly arboreal, meaning they live in trees and bushes, using their slender bodies and camouflage to mimic branches for hunting lizards and frogs and avoiding predators. They are diurnal (active during the day) and rely on their perfect camouflage and binocular vision for hunting in foliage.
Venrnacular Languauge
In Telugu, it is known as pasarika pamu
Geographic range
This species is distributed throughout the drier plains and low hilly tracts of Peninsular India, except the Western Ghats rainforest.[1]