| Ahaetulla | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ahaetulla dispar | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Ahaetuliinae |
| Genus: | Ahaetulla Link, 1807 |
| Species | |
| |
Ahaetulla, commonly referred to asAsian vine snakes orAsian whip snakes, is agenus ofcolubridsnakes distributed throughout tropicalAsia. They are considered by some scientists to be mildlyvenomous and are what is commonly termed as 'rear-fanged' or more appropriately,opisthoglyphous, meaning their enlargedteeth or fangs, intended to aid in venom delivery, are located in the back of the upperjaw, instead of in the front as they are invipers orcobras. As colubrids, Ahaetulla do not possess a true venom gland or a sophisticated venom delivery system. TheDuvernoy's gland of this genus, homologous to the venom gland of true venomous snakes, produces a secretion which, though not well studied, is considered not to be medically significant to humans.
Green-colored members of this genus are often referred to asgreen vine snakes. They are not to be confused with the "green vine snake"Oxybelis fulgidus, whichconvergently appears very similar but is found in Central and South America.
The genus nameAhaetulla comes from the Sri LankanSinhalese wordsahaetulla/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 thePortuguese traveler João Ribeiro in 1685.[2][3]
The Sinhala name "Aheatulla" or "eye-plucker" forms the taxonomic genus name. InTamil, it is known aspachai paambu, inMalayalam it is known aspachila paambu, inTelugu it is known asPasarika Paamu, inMarathi, it is known asshelati snake, and inKannada it is known asHasiru Haavu. There are dozens of othervernacular names for this snake genus within its range.[4][5]
Their closest relative is themonotypic genusProahaetulla, whichAhaetulla diverged from an estimated 26.57 million years ago, during the mid-Oligocene.[1] From here, theclade containingProahaetulla andAhaetulla is asister group to the genusDryophiops, and the clade containing all three of these genera is a sister group to the clade containing the bronzeback snakes (Dendrelaphis) and flying snakes (Chrysopelea).[1] These relationships can be shown in thecladogram below, with possibleparaphyleticAhaetulla species noted:[1]
| Ahaetuliinae |
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In 2020, an analysis ofAhaetulla nasuta,Ahaetulla dispar, andAhaetulla pulverulenta throughout their range found them to representspecies complexes containing several undescribed or formerly synonymized species, leading to the description ofA. borealis,A. farnsworthi,A. malabarica,A. travancorica, andA. sahyadrensis, as well as the resurrection ofA. oxyrhyncha andA. isabellina.Ahaetulla nasuta andAhaetulla pulverulenta, formerly considered to have much wider ranges, are now consideredendemic toSri Lanka.[7][8]
Thetaxonomy of vine snakes is not well-documented, and literature varies widely, but there are 20 currently acceptedspecies in the genusAhaetulla:[9]
Severalundescribed species (including the Southeast AsianAhaetulla formerly assigned toA. nasuta) still likely remain in these complexes.[7]
They are found fromSri Lanka andIndia toChina and much ofSoutheast Asia. Sri Lanka and theWestern Ghats of India are major hotspots of diversity for the genus, with at least 10 of the currently-described species beingendemic to these regions.[9]
AllAhaetulla species are characterized by thin, elongated bodies, with extremely long tails and a sharply triangular shaped head. They are primarilygreen in color, but can vary quite a bit toyellows,oranges,greys, andbrowns. They can have black and/or white patterning, or can be solid in color. Theireyes are almost unique in thereptile world, having keen binocularvision and keyhole shapedpupils, being similar in this aspect withtwig snakes, who also have keyhole shaped pupils.
They are primarilydiurnal andarboreal, living in humidrainforests. Theirdiet consists mainly oflizards, but sometimesfrogs androdents are also consumed.Ahaetulla fronticincta, however, feeds exclusively on fish, striking its prey from branches overhanging water.Ahaetulla venom is not considered to be dangerous to humans, but serves to causeparalysis in their fast movingprey choices. They areovoviviparous.[citation needed]
Ahaetulla species are not yet frequently captive bred, as are many of the more popular snakes in the reptile keeping hobby. They are suitable for more advanced keepers, requiring a humid arboreal habitat and a diet of lizards as they rarely switch torodents. Without proper husbandry, they are prone to health issues and stress.
