The Travancore vine snake (Ahaetulla travancorica), is a species of tree snake endemic to the southern Western Ghats of India.[1][2][3]
| Travancore vine snake | |
|---|---|
| |
| From Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Ahaetuliinae |
| Genus: | Ahaetulla |
| Species: | A. travancorica
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ahaetulla travancorica Mallik, Srikanthan, Pal, Princia D'Souza, Shanker & Ganesh, 2020
| |
Taxonomy
editIt was formerly considered conspecific with A. dispar (which is now considered to have a more northerly distribution in the Western Ghats), but a 2020 study found it to represent a new species.[1]
Geographic range
editThis species is endemic to the Agasthyamalai Hills of the southern Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The specimen that the species was described from originates from a single locality in Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary. The Shencottah Gap north of the Agasthyamalais separates it from its closest relative, A. dispar.[1]
Habitat
editThis species is found in high-elevation shola forests in the Western Ghats above 1000 msl.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Mallik, Ashok Kumar; Srikanthan, Achyuthan N.; Pal, Saunak P.; D’souza, Princia Margaret; Shanker, Kartik; Ganesh, Sumaithangi Rajagopalan (6 November 2020). "Disentangling vines: a study of morphological crypsis and genetic divergence in vine snakes (Squamata: Colubridae: Ahaetulla) with the description of five new species from Peninsular India". Zootaxa. 4874 (1): zootaxa.4874.1.1. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4874.1.1. PMID 33311335. S2CID 228823754.
- ^ Staff Reporter (14 November 2020). "New species of vine snakes discovered". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ "The discovery of five new species of vine snakes in India". phys.org. Retrieved 26 November 2020.