Ahaetuliinae
Ahaetullinae | |
---|---|
Ahaetulla nasuta | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Colubridae |
Subfamily: | Ahaetullinae Figueroa, McKelvy, Grismer, Bell, and Lailvaux, 2016 |
Genera | |
The Ahaetullinae are a subfamily of the snake family Colubridae that was erected in 2016 to house 4 genera containing 56 species (Ahaetulla [8 species], Chrysopelea [5 species], Dendrelaphis [41 species], and Dryophiops [2 species]) that are more closely related to one another than to members of the subfamily Colubrinae. Previously placed within Colubrinae, Ahaetuliinae was strongly supported as the sister group to Colubrinae in a 2016 study by Figueroa et al.[1]
Ahaetulline snakes are arboreal and have keeled ventral and subcaudal scales (laterally notched in some species), and enlarged posterior grooved fangs (lacking in some Dendrelaphis).[1] The name comes from the genus Ahaetulla, which gets its name from the Sri Lankan Sinhalese language words ahaetulla/ahata gulla/as gulla, meaning “eye plucker” or “eye picker”, because of the belief that they pluck out the eyes of humans, as first reported by the Portuguese traveler João Ribeiro in 1685.[2]
Ahaetullinae are distributed from Pakistan, through India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh, throughout Southeast Asia into southeastern China, in the Philippines, the Malay Archipelago, Papua New Guinea, and northeastern Australia.[1] Most species are found in forests. Notable traits include gliding in Chrysopelea, jumping behavior in Dendrelaphis, and horizontal keyhole-shaped pupils in Ahaetulla.
Genera
- Ahaetulla (8 species)
- Chrysopelea (5 species)
- Dendrelaphis (41 species)
- Dryophiops (2 species)
References
- 1 2 3 Figueroa, A.; McKelvy, A. D.; Grismer, L. L.; Bell, C. D.; Lailvaux, S. P. (2016). "A species-level phylogeny of extant snakes with description of a new colubrid subfamily and genus". PLoS ONE. 11: e0161070.
- ↑ Weinstein, S. A.; Warrell, D. A.; White, J.; Keyler, D. E. (2011). Venomous bites from non-venomous snakes: A critical analysis of risk and management of “colubrid” snake bites. London: Elsevier.