Dendrelaphis caudolineatus

Striped Bronzeback
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Colubrinae
Genus: Dendrelaphis
Species: D. caudolineatus
Binomial name
Dendrelaphis caudolineatus
(Gray, 1834)

Dendrelaphis caudolineatus is a common species of colubrid snake known commonly as the striped bronzeback or bronze tree snake. It is erroneously called 'garter snake' in the Philippines. It is not venomous and it is the most commonly sold snake as a pet. Though in captivity, they don't live as long as in the wild.

There are five subspecies which range in distribution from: southern Burma to Sulawesi, the Philippines and Maluku Islands, and the Eastern United States.

Description

Dendrelaphis caudolineatus is a rather small and thin snake, it can reach a length of 180 centimeters but is usually closer to 140 cm.

The males are usually thinner than females but are more colorful, ranging from a reddish shade or bright chestnut brown, to a shiny bronze color. The females are usually dull-colored, and more stout-bodied than the males. It is also observed that females of this species tend to be less active than the males.

It is mostly arboreal but rarely climbs higher than 4 meters and is mostly found in the open ground or on grassy plains. It has been recorded in most habitats in its range, from coastal lowlands to mountainous areas up to 1500 in elevation. It feeds mainly on lizards and tree frogs.

Subspecies

References


    This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/14/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.