Rhabdophis rhodomelas, the blueneck keelback or blue-necked keelback, is a species of snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. It is found in the Malay Peninsula (southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore), Borneo (Sarawak and Sabah, Malaysia; Kalimantan, Indonesia), and in the western parts of the Indonesian Archipelago (Sumatra, Java, Bangka Island).[1][2]
| Rhabdophis rhodomelas | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Rhabdophis |
| Species: | R. rhodomelas
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| Binomial name | |
| Rhabdophis rhodomelas (H. Boie, 1827)
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| Synonyms[2] | |
Rhabdophis rhodomelas is an uncommon species known from lowland forest near riparian areas at elevations less than 200 m (660 ft) above sea level.[1] It is oviparous,[2] with fecundity up to 27 eggs.[1]
In the popular book, Fascinating Snakes of South East Asia - An Introduction. By Francis Lim Leong Keng & Monty Lee Tat-Mong. 1989 ISBN 967-73-0045-8. Page 61 There is a photo and short description of this snake. It states that " When disturbed, the Blue-Necked Keelback will rear up and flatten its neck like the Cobra. A whitish discharge, secreted by glands under the skin, oozes onto the blue patch of the neck-the purpose of this phenomenon is still a mystery." After much research we cannot find any further reference to this phenomenon.
References
edit- ^ a b c d Grismer, L.; Inger, R.F.; Chan-Ard, T. (2012). "Rhabdophis rhodomelas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T192056A2034080. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T192056A2034080.en. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ a b c Rhabdophis rhodomelas at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 2 November 2022.
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