Dendrelaphis gorei

Dendrelaphis gorei
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Reptilia
Order:Squamata
Suborder:Serpentes
Family:Colubridae
Genus:Dendrelaphis
Species: D. gorei
Binomial name
Dendrelaphis gorei
Wall, 1910[2]
Synonyms[3]
  • 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 gorei (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.

Etymology

The specific name, gorei, is in honor of British army officer St. George Corbet Gore.[4]

Geographic range

D. gorei can be found in parts of India (Darjeeling, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh), Myanmar, Vietnam, and China (Xinjiang, Tibet).

Description

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

Taxonomy

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

References

  1. ↑ Richman N, Böhm M (2010). "Dendrelaphis gorei ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2010: e.T176784A7304193. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T176784A7304193.en. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  2. ↑ Wall F (1910). "Notes on Snakes collected in Upper Assam. Part II". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 19 (4): 825–845 + one plate. (Dendrophis gorei, new species, pp. 829-830 + plate figures 1-3).
  3. ↑ "Dendrelaphis biloreatus ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  4. ↑ 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).

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 biloreatus, new combination, p. 246).
  • Wall F (1908). "Two new Snakes from Assam". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 18: 272-274 + one plate. (Dendrelaphis biloreatus, new species, pp. 273-274 + plate figures 1-5).


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