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Dendrelaphis biloreatus

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Species of snake

Dendrelaphis biloreatus
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Ahaetuliinae
Genus: Dendrelaphis
Species: D. biloreatus
Binomial name
Dendrelaphis biloreatus
Wall, 1908
Synonyms
  • Dendrelaphis biloreatus
    Wall, 1908
  • Dendrophis gorei
    Wall, 1910
  • Ahaetulla gorei
    — M.A. Smith, 1943
  • Dendrelaphis gorei
    — Das, 1996
  • Dendrelaphis biloreatus
    — Wallach et al., 2014

Dendrelaphis biloreatus (often called Gore's bronzeback or referred to as the Himalayan bronzeback) is a species of tree snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Asia.

Geographic range

D. biloreatus can be found in parts of Northeast India (Darjeeling, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh), northern Myanmar, and Western China (Tibet); it is also reported from Vietnam.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of D. biloreatus are forest and shrubland, but it has also been found in agricultural areas.

Description

D. biloreatus is highly variable, typically non-venomous (some have enlarged rear fangs and toxic saliva) with large, regular scales on the head.

Behavior

D. biloreatus is diurnal and fully arboreal.

Reproduction

D. biloreatus is oviparous.

Taxonomy

Dendrelaphis biloreatus was originally described by Wall in 1908 as a species new to science. In 1910 Wall described another new species, Dendrelaphis gorei. In 1943 M.A. Smith determined that Dendrelaphis biloreatus and Dendrophis gorei are the same species, which he placed in the genus Ahaetulla, as Ahaetulla gorei. Since then, this species has been referred to as both Dendrelaphis biloreatus and Dendrelaphis gorei. By precedence Dendrelaphis biloreatus is the correct scientific name, and Dendrelaphis gorei is a junior synonym.

Etymology

The junior synonym Dendrelaphis gorei was named in honor of British army officer St. George Corbet Gore.

References

  1. ^ Richman N; Böhm M (2010). "Dendrelaphis gorei ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T176784A7304193. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T176784A7304193.en.
  2. Wall F (1908). "Two new Snakes from Assam". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 18: 272–274 + one plate. (Dendrelaphis biloreatus, new species, pp. 273–274 + plate figures 1–5).
  3. Wall F (1910). "Notes on Snakes collected in Upper Assam. Part II". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 19 (4): 825–845 + one plate. (Dendrophis gorei, new species, pp. 829–830 + plate figures 1–3).
  4. ^ Dendrelaphis biloreatus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
  5. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Dendrelaphis gorei, p. 104).
  1. Not included in the map in IUCN (2010); marked uncertain in the Reptile Database.

Further reading

  • Smith MA (1943). The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Containing the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III.—Serpentes. London: Secretary of State for India. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 583 pp. (Ahætulla gorei, new combination, p. 246).


Taxon identifiers
Dendrelaphis gorei


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